Has one of the top selling DVDs in the comedy
series Bananas
Has his own TV show Taylor's Attic in Season 2
Blogs weekly on
NewChristianvoices.com in “Jokes for the Folks” and “Here’s a Thought”
Writing The
Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ventriloquism (out Spring 2010)
Awards: 1991 Star Search $100,000 Grand Prize
Emmy for TV pilot Bananas
TV appearances: MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour, Comic
Strip Live, Showtime Comedy Club Network
Has played Carnegie Hall & Sydney Opera House, etc.
Trained at Second City Theater in Chicago
BS, University of Illinois; MA, Northwestern University
Married, two children
GUEST
Laughing All the Way with Taylor Mason
CBN.com
– Taylor Mason has a unique act that combines comedy, music and the art of ventriloquism. The act is 100 percent clean and can entertain the whole family.
As Taylor was developing his act and performing, he found that there was a need for a comedy act that adults and children could enjoy. Raised in a Christian home and having a family of his own, Taylor's family values and faith-based principles are at the core of what he does. Though he has had the opportunity to perform at Christian and secular venues, he never compromises his act or what he does.
Taylor found that a huge number of people want good entertainment for the family. God led Taylor “by the nose” to do this type of entertainment, and it is needed more now than ten years ago.
Taylor says his faith comes first and other things, like job opportunities, come from that. For example, he traveled with Bill Gaither for three years, which then led to other opportunities.
Performing in churches, outreach programs, college campuses, comedy clubs, corporate venues and television, Taylor believes in doing the best with what God has given you to do. Taylor's favorite book in the Bible is Ecclesiastes. As a teen he heard it and thought it was an invigorating book. He believes in its principles, and they are ingrained in him. This book has taught him the principle of fulfilling what you do to the best of your ability and your faith.
Taylor feels that no matter where you are, you are put there for a reason. Stick to what God has you to do. God works through people and sometimes we forget. He feels he is representing God at all times, whether he performs at a Christian or secular venue. Though Taylor loves what he does, he is not defined by his job. He has “great faith in his faith” and this faith allows for balance in his life.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Today Taylor has 25 to 30 puppets in his act. His parents introduced him to puppets when he was nine, and he was also interested in ventriloquism. He has always been involved in the arts and entertaining, taking piano lessons as a young boy. In college, Taylor blew out his knee while playing football at the University of Illinois during his junior year. This forced him to be creative as he was sitting around waiting for his knee to heal. Taylor recalls that he was at a frat party when someone decided to hook up a microphone just for fun.
“I just started talking and making fun of stuff. I was like a DJ/comedian for the night.” During this performance, a member of another fraternity approached Taylor and asked if he would be interested in “performing” at another party for money. That was the beginning of Taylor's career.
Taylor figures he was probably the only ventriloquist in the Midwest and the only comedian at the University of Illinois. This gave him a lot of work opportunities at both fraternity and sorority parties, as well as other public events. He took his ventriloquism act, added piano and music to the comedy, and moved to Chicago. He got leads and jobs and eventually became musical director for the touring company of The Second City Theater in Chicago, which has produced comedians such as Mike Myers, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, and Tina Fey. Throughout this time, Taylor's act remained clean and he had his own niche. Eventually all of this led to his higher profile jobs and TV appearances, from winning the 1991 Star Search $100,000 Grand Prize to specials for Showtime, MTV, etc.
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