Jeff Dunham to bring his cast of characters to Colorado Springs this week
Jeff Dunham is not like a traditional stand-up comedian — he likes to have a conversation on stage.
And it helps to have a host of characters to work with.
The ventriloquist comedian is coming to The Broadmoor World Arena on Thursday night, bringing his iconic puppets with him as part of his “Still Not Canceled” tour.
“I have had so much so many great shows and great experiences in Colorado Springs. I always look forward to coming back because they are a raucous crowd and I love it,” Dunham said.
The show will feature a range of characters such as Peanut, Dunham’s crazy sidekick; Walter, an old crank; and Dunham’s most infamous and controversial character, Achmed.
“There’s a little something for everybody, and when you look at my audience, really can’t put a finger on who comes to the show. It’s all different ages and demographics,” he said. “I think that with their different personalities, that’s more of a draw for people.”
Dunham’s conversational style of comedy can work to his favor, he said, especially when hitting on touchy subjects.
“Even in these difficult times of comedy, I think I’m able to touch on subjects that used to be OK to talk about and now is a bit dangerous, but the good part about what I do is the point and counterpoint,” he said.
“We can have a discussion about the jokes made by one of the characters that isn’t quite right. I can argue the other side and say, ‘You know, that might not be the way people think.’”
Ultimately, Dunham describes the show as just “goody fun” — you’re not going to walk away smarter, he said, but hopefully you had some laughs.
“When I was doing ‘Tonight’ shows back in the day or any of the late night specials, I always put a stopwatch to it. I wanted to laugh every 6 to 10 seconds and that’s kind of what I live by now. It’s just hopefully laugh after laugh after laugh,” he said.
“The goal is, as a ventriloquist, I want those people walking away thinking ‘Boy, those guys were funny,’ and not ‘He was really good.’”
As for Dunham’s favorite character, it changes each show.
“People say ‘Who’s your favorite character?’ and that’s like picking your favorite kid,” he joked. “For me, it just depends on the audience, if they’re laughing more at one particular character that’s my favorite one that night.”
What: Jeff Dunham “Still Not Cancelled”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7
Where: Broadmoor World Arena, 3185 Venetucci Blvd.
Price: $60-290; 719-477-2100; broadmoorworldarena.com
Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham with puppet Peanut. Dunham will be performing at The Broadmoor World Arena on Thursday as part of his “Still Not Canceled” tour.
Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham with puppet Achmed. Dunham will be performing at the Broadmoor World Arena this Thursday as part of his “Still Not Canceled” tour.