ANNOUNCER: Tonight on Showcase with Barbara Kellar, director of the Vent Haven Museum, Lisa Sweasy, and professional ventriloquist Denny Baker.

Stay tuned.

Showcase starts right now.

[MUSIC] KELLAR: Hi, I'm Barbara Kellar.

And today we have something really special, very different.

You would never guess the guests we're going to introduce today, but it's going to be really fun.

So first of all is Lisa and Denny.

Lisa is head of the Vent Haven Ventriloquist Museum.

SWEASY: It's in Fort Mitchell.

KELLAR: Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.

And Denny, his day job, if you look at him, you can see he's a fireman.

You look like the epitome of the gorgeous hunk of a fireman.

And Denny has in addition to being a fireman, he is a ventriloquist.

A very successful one who's been in many -- done many, many, many shows.

So let's talk.

Lisa, how did you come?

How long have you been at the museum?

SWEASY: I've been affiliated with Vent Haven since 2000, so 23 years.

KELLAR: 23 years.

And how old is the museum?

SWEASY: Well, the museum started as a private collection by a man named W.S.

Berger, who started collecting in 1910.

It's been a nonprofit organization since 1963 and opened to the public since 1973.

KELLAR: Wow.

And who knew here on this side of the river?

The idea was brought to us by one of our great friends, Rosemary Schlachter.

And Denny, how long have you been doing this?

BAKER: Oh, 38 years.

I started when I was ten years old, and it was all because of a tour at Vent Haven Museum.

That's what started everything for me.

So it's kind of, it's neat, it's special to be this close living, this close to the museum.

And the museum is the reason I do.

I didn't see somebody online.

There was no online.

KELLAR: Yeah, right.

BAKER: Didn't read it in a magazine.

It was the museum that sparked the interest.

KELLAR: Yeah, but how did you learn how to do it?

BAKER: Well, after taking the tour at Vent Haven at the time, and the courses are still out there, it was a home study course, Maher Home Study Course.

So they mailed booklets once a week.

I took a summer around that ten year, ten years of age point and took a summer and they sent a little audiotapes and you would listen to the tapes and then you'd send your test back to Colorado.

A true traditional correspondence course.

KELLAR: Yeah.

BAKER: So that's how I started to learn the skill.

But like an instrument and Lisa was talking about before, it's not like just picking up an instrument and now you're a guitarist, even it's -- there's continuous work now, like any art form.

But those early years, it was a correspondence course.

And then just built on it from there.

KELLAR: Well, I think everybody's thinking, is it possible for you to describe in just a few words how you do it?

BAKER: Well, it'd almost be easier, and I do have a character we can get out in a minute and it's almost easier to show once I get Skeeter up here.

KELLAR: Okay.

All right.

We want to meet your friend, then.

BAKER: Sure.

KELLAR: Come on.

Go ahead.

BAKER: Now, Skeeter's been in my cast of characters for probably 15 years now, and I use him in almost every show that I do.

KELLAR: Yeah.

SKEETER: Oh, boy.

You had me stuck down there.

Whoa.

What the heck's going on?

This isn't a stage.

BAKER: No, it's not a stage.

We're on a television show.

SKEETER: We're on a show?

BAKER: Yeah.

SKEETER: Woo, it's Lisa.

SWEASY: Hi, Skeeter.

SKEETER: Why doesn't she just fill in as the dummy?

I have to come to all these things.

SWEASY: What?

Oh, come on.

SKEETER: I'm joking.

BAKER: I know you know Lisa, let me introduce you to Barbara.

Barbara Kellar.

SKEETER: Oh.

BAKER: This is her show.

SKEETER: No kidding.

BAKER: No, I'm not kidding.

She's been doing it for years and she's finding out about ventriloquism today.

And of course, Lisa's here to teach about it.

SKEETER: What's the matter, Lisa?

SWEASY: I just love seeing you, Skeeter.

You know how I feel.

SKEETER: Oh, man.

Feeling's mutual.

BAKER: But Barbara is here to talk to us about ventriloquism.

SKEETER: Oh, Ms. Bar -- Ba, Ba, Barbara?

That's hard for you to say.

BAKER: We talked about that, Barbara is kind of.

It's a double B word.

SKEETER: A double B name.

BAKER: Right.

SKEETER: Barbara.

BAKER: Right.

SKEETER: Right.

BAKER: And she wants to learn about ventriloquism.

SKEETER: Oh, really?

How are you doing today, Ms. Barbara?

KELLAR: I am doing just fine.

Especially since I'm now meeting you.

SKEETER: Oh, wow.

All the chicks dig me.

KELLAR: Yeah.

Can I ask -- Can I tell you something?

SKEETER: Yes, ma'am.

KELLAR: You are absolutely the first guest I've ever had on the show who was barefoot.

SKEETER: Oh, well, I'm from Kentucky, Barbara.

KELLAR: Oh, that's right.

SKEETER: It's natural.

KELLAR: That's right.

SKEETER: So is Lisa.

She just classed it up a little bit today.

KELLAR: Yeah, well, I've been in lots in Kentucky myself.

My ancestors were all from Kentucky, so I understand that.

And I think -- SKEETER: Thanks for noticing.

KELLAR: Yeah, that looks great.

You're comfortable.

SKEETER: I am.

KELLAR: And you have your outfit and you have your John Deere cap.

SKEETER: I do.

KELLAR: I love that.

SKEETER: And the little concerned, I ain't going to lie.

I don't have the microphone on, so I don't know if they're going to hear me.

BAKER: No, they'll hear you fine.

SKEETER: Are you sure that's going to work?

BAKER: I'm sure that's going to work.

SKEETER: Okay.

All right, if you say so.

BAKER: I say so.

KELLAR: Do you have a John Deere tractor as well?

SKEETER: I do.

I do.

I just can't drive it.

Nothing on here works without him, Barbara.

I'll be honest.

KELLAR: Well, what kind of a pal is he?

Is he a nice?

Is he difficult?

SKEETER: This guy?

BAKER: Yeah, you can say it.

SKEETER: My dummy?

BAKER: You're talking to me?

SKEETER: Yeah.

He treats me the pretty good, and then he puts me in a box.

Yeah.

It's not -- It's not a good.

It's not an easy life.

You know, you get all the money.

BAKER: I get all the money.

Yeah.

SKEETER: Yeah.

It ain't -- It's terrible, Barbara.

I think I want to just join your show.

KELLAR: Oh, well, you'd be very welcome.

SKEETER: Well, thank you.

KELLAR: What kind of guests would you enjoy being with?

SKEETER: Well, I think my first guest I would like to -- I'd like to interview Lisa.

SWEASY: Oh, now, isn't that nice?

That's nice.

SKEETER: You're my favorite guest.

SWEASY: Thank you, Skeeter.

SKEETER: And my first guest.

BAKER: This isn't your show.

SKEETER: Barbara was asking.

BAKER: Yeah, sure.

Barbara, you were asking how ventriloquism works, basically, the skills.

SKEETER: Oh, you mean how you do what you do?

BAKER: Right, how I do what I do.

And everyone has to learn this art form.

If you go to the museum, you'll see walls and walls of ventriloquists.

And each one, I don't want to say have different techniques, but they have different styles, of course, their characters.

But even yes, maybe their techniques are different too.

You know what I started learning Ventriloquially.

SKEETER: What the heck's that mean?

BAKER: The ventriloquism skills, what I learned early on through the home study course is different than the skills I use now, but learning that from some of the different people.

SKEETER: Oh, Lisa, you know, Senor Wences.

SWEASY: I do know who Seonr Wences is.

SKEETER: You do some of his.

No, no.

You do the great Lester stuff.

BAKER: Yes, I use some of the great Lester.

SKEETER: Not Senor Wences.

No.

He's much better than you are.

BAKER: He was much better than me.

SKEETER: He made a living out of it.

SWEASY: He did.

He made a living at it.

SKEETER: You got to work, what do you do, a fireman?

BAKER: Yeah, I what kind of work is that?

SKEETER: See, you ain't as good.

BAKER: Right.

So, but what I'm getting at is these ventriloquists that you see at the museum have different techniques and to merge different techniques from -- And then when we have our convention, I'm sure we're going to get into that.

SKEETER: The ventriloquist convention where ya'll meet and hang out?

BAKER: Right.

Right.

We learn from those folks, too.

So you pick up these different skills and tricks.

For an example, if you're early in ventriloquism and learning it, the substitution for -- a substitution would be you substitute the letter for B.

And the joke is.

SKEETER: What's the joke?

SWEASY: Basketball, dasketdall.

SKEETER: Dasketdall.

SWEASY: Dasketdall.

Basketball is dasketdall.

BAKER: Which doesn't sound too bad, but if you listen close enough and the person says it slow, it sounds like dask it dall.

SKEETER: That's terrible.

BAKER: All right.

So learning some of the great Lester techniques and using tongue and a little bit more air, I think that smoothed it out for me.

It works better for me.

SKEETER: So I would -- would I say basketball like that?

BAKER: No, you wouldn't say basketball like dasketdall.

You would say it like -- SKEETER: I say it like basketball.

BAKER: Right.

Right.

And Barbara.

KELLAR: That's great.

I like that.

BAKER: Each one of the letters and, you know, the letters, the letters that we have substitutions for.

SKEETER: Oh, yeah, yeah.

Um, B of course.

BAKER: B, of course.

SKEETER: B, M, T, V, F, W and Y. BAKER: Right.

You got it?

SKEETER: Yeah.

Better get it, you're making me talk.

I don't even know why you're here.

I could do this thing on my own.

BAKER: All right, thanks a lot.

But each one of those letters has a substitution and a trick, if you will.

And you learn that from other ventriloquists.

And of course, you start with the basics and build on that.

So that's just the technique part of ventriloquism.

SKEETER: In a nutshell.

BAKER: In a nutshell.

KELLAR: Explain to us how you're doing it.

I mean -- BAKER: So each one of those letters that he mentioned has a substitution.

So you study that and -- SKEETER: And what?

BAKER: And practice.

SKEETER: Yeah, practice, practice, practice.

And that's a keyword.

BAKER: That's right.

SKEETER: I didn't know you could say that.

What's a good word for P?

Can we -- how do we substitute P?

SWEASY: With a T?

I think it's tractice.

That's what I've heard before.

SKEETER: And that's why you're not a ventriloquist.

SWEASY: I am, thankfully not.

It's difficult.

BAKER: So, you learn those skills, you practice those skills.

And like I said, I adapted with some help, some from ventriloquist that I met at the convention over the years.

Use what skills worked for me that sounded best with the voice that I use for Skeeter.

You also have to find a puppet that works for you.

SKEETER: And that would be me.

BAKER: Yes, but you're not -- You're not the only one.

SKEETER: No, no, no.

He doesn't just work with me.

No.

BAKER: I have a cast of characters, I like to say.

And like most ventriloquists, we don't stick with one character.

The variety is good.

Tricia, I brought today, if she comes out.

SKEETER: Who's in there?

BAKER: Well, I've got Tricia.

SKEETER: Oh, you don't want to meet her, Barbara, she's psycho.

BAKER: No, she's not psycho.

SKEETER: Try living in a box with her, dude.

BAKER: Well, so you have to come up with a character and then a voice.

You want a voice that's different than yours.

So those would be the basic things.

And a key piece of ventriloquism.

What would you say, Lisa, is the most important part of a good ventriloquist act?

Of course I'm going to say, well, there could be a couple, but comedy.

SKEETER: You've got to try to do -- try to be.

SWEASY: That's right.

BAKER: Right.

Yes.

Yeah.

SKEETER: Still working on that.

BAKER: I'm still working on that.

But even more, to keep the puppet that would you say?

SWEASY: Yeah, the manipulation is really important, so it doesn't just seem like a prop or a doll.

It has to be alive the whole time or else you're not going to believe the illusion.

Is that right, Skeeter?

SKEETER: Oh, yeah.

I love doing -- I love doing my terrible and vanticklish.

BAKER: Ventriloquist.

SKEETER: Huh?

BAKER: You're terrible.

SKEETER: My terrible ventriloquist impersonation.

BAKER: Can you do it, terrible ventriloquist?

SKEETER: Yeah.

Yeah.

Like when you started, you were terrible.

BAKER: Okay?

SKEETER: And you haven't come very far either.

BAKER: Thank you.

Well, how were we when we started: How did the show look when we started, without manipulation?

SKEETER: All right, all right.

You're going to do this?

BAKER: We're going to do this.

SKEETER: All right.

It's going to be bad.

BAKER: I know it's going to be bad.

That's the idea.

All right.

To show how important ventriloquism is with manipulation.

So if I was talking to Skeeter and Skeeter was here with the interview.

And I said Skeeter, how are you today?

SKEETER: Good.

BAKER: And are you enjoying the interview with Barbara here?

SKEETER: Oh, yeah.

BAKER: So, we're having a lot of fun, aren't we?

SKEETER: Can't you tell?

BAKER: Yes, I do.

You see the difference, though, if Skeeter, even if he's not talking, just like any one of us in the room, we're moving.

So a very big thing.

Sure you want to be captivating and have funny things to say, which comes with experience and learning script.

But just as important is having that puppet look alive.

SKEETER: Yeah.

Manipulation, we call it.

SWEASY: That's what we call it in the biz.

That's what we say.

SKEETER: You know all about the biz.

SWEASY: I do know about the biz a little bit.

SKEETER: Who would you say, Lisa, is your most favorite ventriloquist when it comes to manipulation?

I got one in mind.

SWEASY: Well, there are several who have the reputation, but right now it'd be Denny Baker.

KELLAR: Right.

SKEETER: You are such a suck up.

I'm thinking Dan Horn myself.

SWEASY: Dan Horn's ridiculous.

BAKER: Dan Horn's very gifted.

He has both the hands moving on the puppet.

You can see, I kind of -- SKEETER: Yeah.

You cheat, you hold my arm.

BAKER: I cheat and I hold your arm.

But even that little thing keeps the puppet alive.

Dan has two arm sticks.

SKEETER: What are you doing with my feet?

BAKER: Don't worry.

I'm just keeping you from.

SKEETER: All right?

I'm cool.

BAKER: You're good.

He has two sticks that run both hands, and he can manipulate that almost like a musical instrument.

I mean, those arms are moving, and that puppet can do so many things.

He's definitely worth looking up.

One of the masters of manipulation, I'd say, in my opinion.

SKEETER: Yeah.

KELLAR: Yeah, well, I know you-- I think that most people would have the question how do you start to learn this?

Is it you're talking?

I don't -- we don't understand.

And I'm representing the majority, I think, of the population who doesn't understand how you start to do.

You close your mouth and then -- BAKER: You learn those substitutions, those tricks.

KELLAR: Yeah, but -- No, that's after you learn how to talk with your mouth closed.

We want to know how you learn that.

How?

SKEETER: Help me out, Lisa.

SWEASY: Well, the seven sounds that you cannot make in English without blowing air through your mouth, the plosive sounds.

And those are the ones that have to be substituted by the ventriloquist in order to give that illusion of not speaking at all.

Most sounds, most words actually work just fine.

You can just keep your mouth very still and relaxed and you can speak-- do a lot of the sounds without even worrying about it.

KELLAR: You mean like this?

SWEASY: Yes.

You mean like that.

So when you said do you mean like this, the M in mean, that one is -- You can't say that without mean pushing it through.

So that's that's a sound that has to get substituted.

KELLAR: Like this?

SWEASY: Yes, so sometimes ventriloquists will take the easy way and they'll write scripts where there are no substitutions necessary.

But that's not going to work for very long.

Right?

You have to learn how to make the sounds.

A lot -- it has to do with where your tongue is placed inside your mouth to create the plosive, the air to move differently for you.

So when Denny says basketball ventriloquially, he's saying dasketdall, where you put your tongue to say dasketdall is where he's putting his tongue in his mouth.

But the air, he's able to control the air and manipulate his tongue in a way that you and I hear a B when he's actually physically saying a D. BAKER: Can I get -- I can give you an example.

One I use, well, going back to you said staying away from certain letters.

I was working kind of coaching a kid, a younger person the other day trying ventriloquism.

And I said, "What would you name your dummy?'

And they said, "Sam."

Well, for especially for somebody new, until you learn how to say the letter M without moving your lips, I said, "Can we try something different?"

He said, "Yeah, how about Randy?"

So just try that right now, Barbara, saying Randy.

KELLAR: Randy.

SWEASY: Randy.

KELLAR: Randy.

SWEASY: Randy.

BAKER: Randy.

No -- SKEETER: What -- What do you call them?

Plosives?

SWEASY: Plosives, that's what they are called.

SKEETER: The words you say when spit comes out.

SWEASY: The words that you're saying when spit comes, that's it.

BAKER: That's how you know.

KELLAR: Okay.

I can say Randy.

SWEASY: Randy.

KELLAR: But here, but.

BAKER: Yeah, but.

KELLAR: How do you get from Randy to what you.

SKEETER: To Randy.

KELLAR: Yeah.

SKEETER: From Randy from you to Randy coming out of me?

KELLAR: Yes.

Right.

SKEETER: Okay.

I think I got it now.

KELLAR: Right.

BAKER: Well, it goes back to a lot of practice.

And a lot of what ventriloquists do now with video cameras, some people record themselves a lot more.

But going back to the old basic, watching yourself in the mirror to make sure that your puppet just isn't sitting there like Skeeter was doing before.

SKEETER: Yeah, that's boring as heck.

BAKER: Okay.

SKEETER: I got to be moving around.

I had my Mountain Dew today.

BAKER:You did?

SKEETER: Yeah.

BAKER: All right.

So watching that and making sure that that transition is smooth.

And it's hours and hours of practice.

So when I speak for Skeeter now, it's -- I don't even really think about, "Oh, my voice has to change."

There's been so much practice, just like learning an instrument, it comes second nature so I don't have to think about -- SKEETER: Changing my voice to Skeeter's.

BAKER: When Skeeter is talking.

I don't -- SWEASY: What just happened?

SKEETER: I don't know, that was like a magic trick or something.

What are you doing?

BAKER: So a lot of that just rehearsing and rehearsing and rehearsing.

And then, you know, starting at age ten, I had a lot of support from my parents, and my mom was kind of my coach, and she would watch and she would critique like, "Oh."

At the time, Arnold was my lead character.

SKEETER: You don't him today.

BAKER: No, I still work with him.

SKEETER: Yeah, but he ain't here today.

BAKER: Right.

SKEETER: Because I'm the special one.

SWEASY: That's right.

SKEETER: I'm Lisa's favorite anyway.

SWEASY: He knows it.

BAKER: So, just hours and hours of practicing, learning to switch that voice quickly.

And then clarity too.

Mom would listen to say, "Oh, that baby just sounded like you said dady."

We got to figure that out."

And that's when -- and then going to the conventions, when you -- when I was young, going to the conventions, I would get in the competitions.

And there's professional ventriloquists there that well, they would judge.

SKEETER: The would judge, and then they'd critique you.

BAKER: And that's the biggest win.

KELLAR: That's how you learn.

BAKER: Yeah, and they would tell me those things even Mom was missing.

"Hey, you know, the puppet didn't move too much.

Or maybe you tried doing this.

Or puppet sounded a whole lot like your voice.

You need to raise or lower that," and give you ideas, like a good critique.

So a lot of that learning and a lot of that practicing on the front end makes all those substitutions, the voice change, the manipulation, combining all those too.

That's how I work to fine tune it.

I hope that explained it a little bit better.

KELLAR: I think it's the reason there are very few ventriloquists.

SWEASY: That's right.

KELLAR: It's very difficult.

SWEASY: Yes, that's exactly right.

KELLAR: Oh, my goodness, especially -- You're really good.

I've watched your lips and they do not move.

SKEETER: Barbara, I think you need glasses.

I'm sitting right here and they're all -- they're all over the place.

KELLAR: No, I watched.

I was watching carefully.

And I mean, I've seen a lot of -- not a lot.

I've seen some who really their lips are moving.

BAKER: Right.

KELLAR: And but you obviously are really, really good because I don't see.

And the voice, his voice is very clear and very solid.

So, and your lips -- So I still -- I'm still mystified as to how you do this, but I guess it's, as you say, just practice like lots of other things.

SWEASY: That's right.

KELLAR: Practice, practice, practice.

You brought another friend with you?

SKEETER: I did, she's -- Well, I don't want to deal with her.

Like I said, she's crazy to me.

And she ain't my girlfriend neither.

KELLAR: Okay, well, we know that.

Okay.

SKEETER: And Lisa, I'll be calling you someday.

SWEASY: I know you will.

SKEETER: Now you still running the museum?

SWEASY: I am still running the museum.

SKEETER: You just reopened?

BAKER: Yes.

SWEASY: Yes, we just reopened.

SKEETER: I'm talking to Lisa right now.

BAKER: Okay.

Sorry.

KELLAR: Okay.

SKEETER: You just reopened.

So you got more space, right?

SWEASY: Yes, Yes, we have more space.

SKEETER: You got space for a dummy like me?

SWEASY: I do, but not yet.

SKEETER: Not yet?

No, you've got a lot of things to do first.

KELLAR: Okay.

SKEETER: What do you mean by that?

SWEASY: You've got shows to do and places to go.

SKEETER: I mean, I can kill him off.

I'll be there next week.

BAKER: Thanks a lot.

SKEETER: I'm just joking.

So I guess you're going to put me away?

BAKER: I'm going to put you away and we're going to bring Tricia out here in just a minute.

SKEETER: All right.

Is it -- Is that what you want me to do, Ms. Barbara?

KELLAR: Yes, I do.

I do.

And we don't want to run out of time here.

SKEETER: No, no, no, no.

We don't want to run out of time.

No, no, no.

All right.

Well, it's nice meeting you.

KELLAR: Oh, nice to see you.

SKEETER: And you folks -- BAKER: No.

SKEETER: What?

BAKER: You're not supposed to look at the cameras.

SKEETER: I didn't even know there was cameras there.

See, I was playing along.

BAKER: That was good.

Yeah.

SKEETER: Always good seeing you.

SWEASY: You too, Skeeter.

SKEETER: Especially being your favorite.

SWEASY: You know, you are.

SKEETER: You know I'm her favorite.

Our hair's the same color.

I'm out of here.

BAKER: All right, I'll put Skeeter away for a minute.

KELLAR: Thanks for coming.

SKEETER: Well this is awkward.

BAKER: Yes, that is awkward.

Thanks for coming.

Okay.

All right.

So that was Skeeter.

I've had him for about close to 15 years, I would say.

KELLAR: Really?

BAKER: Not that puppet.

That's the second generation.

If you go to the museum, you'll see there's -- as ventriloquist grow and stick with the art form, they get series of characters, wouldn't you say yes?

SWEASY: Yes.

KELLAR: So that's part of your job, is thinking of the characters.

BAKER: Right, and my growth through that, starting at age ten, smaller, I had my first character was a Charlie McCarthy, which goes back.

Are they even for sale?

Probably online.

SWEASY: Probably online, yeah, for sure.

BAKER: It was just a toy.

SWEASY: On eBay.

BAKER: Which was a spinoff from Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, of course.

But then I decided I wanted something on my own, my own character to develop.

So somebody took one of those store bought Charlie McCarthy's and converted it into more mechanized head with moving eyes.

Still, the traditional ventriloquist dummy that you'll see.

There's a bunch of -- I would say for the years that's been the tool of the art form, wouldn't you say?

SWEASY: I would say so, yes, I agree.

BAKER: Which goes back how far?

SWEASY: Ventriloquism?

BAKER: Yeah, with dummies.

SWEASY: Oh, about to the mid 19th century.

BAKER: So the art form goes way back, but that traditional character, or dummy, let's just call it, figure would be the right way, that's been the tool for years and years.

Some full body dummies you'll see over there, all different, just single heads too.

I mean, there's.

SWEASY: Yeah.

BAKER: And each one has a story too, which is cool.

SWEASY: That's the best part, each one has a story.

KELLAR: Do you have shows?

SWEASY: Oh, we are actually able to now.

We are in a new facility that just opened in May.

So we actually we have a performance space now that seats 60 people and that we're very excited to move into that space and begin to have performances.

KELLAR: Are there other ventriloquists in this area?

BAKER: In the Cincinnati area, there may be some starters.

We have some young people in the area.

SWEASY: We do.

KELLAR: But I mean full blown.

BAKER: When you get up towards Dayton and Columbus there's some guys that perform the same type work that I do.

And down in Lexington or -- Yeah, Laurie's in Lexington, yeah.

KELLAR: Can we meet your other friend?

BAKER: Sure, sure.

Now, this is Tricia.

She's probably been in the show for 25 years, close to 20 maybe.

And she comes out in not every show that I do.

TRICIA: Oh, my gosh.

BAKER: What?

TRICIA: What are you doing?

I'm so embarrassed.

BAKER: You're embarrassed?

Yeah, I didn't tell you.

TRICIA: What?

BAKER: We're on television.

TRICIA: What?

You didn't -- Oh, my hair looks terrible.

BAKER: I think you'll be fine.

You know Lisa at least.

TRICIA: Who?

BAKER: Lisa.

Lisa is right next to you.

TRICIA: Oh.

SWEASY: Hi, Trish.

TRICIA: How are you?

SWEASY: Good.

How are you?

TRICIA: Good.

SWEASY: Good to see you.

TRICIA: What are we doing here?

SWEASY: Well, we're being interviewed by the lovely Barbara here.

TRICIA: Like on a TV thing?

SWEASY: Like on a TV thing.

BAKER: I told you that.

TRICIA: Yeah, just now.

BAKER: Okay.

TRICIA: I'm so glad you're here.

Is this okay if I sit here?

SWEASY: Absolutely.

TRICIA: I'm not intruding.

SWEASY: No, I love it.

TRICIA: Who's this over here?

SWEASY: This is Barbara Keller.

She's our hostess today.

TRICIA: Oh, hi, Barb.

Can I call you Barb?

KELLAR: You know what?

I don't like, Barb.

TRICIA: Oh, well he said it.

BAKER: Okay.

TRICIA: That's why I ask.

KELLAR: Thank you for asking.

I like Barbara.

TRICIA: Barbara.

KELLAR: Yes.

TRICIA: All right.

KELLAR: And your first name is?

TRICIA: Tricia.

KELLAR: Tricia for Patricia?

TRICIA: Sure.

KELLAR: But just Tricia.

And you've known Denny how long?

TRICIA: Too long.

KELLAR: Too long.

BAKER: You've been in the show for about 20 years, probably.

TRICIA: Close to it.

KELLAR: And are you -- is that your profession as a show person that you stick with him?

TRICIA: Stuck with him.

KELLAR: Stuck with him.

TRICIA: Let's get it right.

KELLAR: Okay.

That's easy for you to say.

Right, stuck.

TRICIA: Yes.

Yes.

KELLAR: That's one of you.

Yeah, well, you look like you're ready for a show.

TRICIA: I mean, I tried to dress up.

KELLAR: The hair, the makeup, the outfit.

TRICIA: And you?

Oh, my gosh.

BAKER: What?

TRICIA: You've got makeup on?

KELLAR: Oh, no, no, no.

TRICIA: Did you put makeup on him?

KELLAR: Just, well -- TRICIA: How embarrassing.

BAKER: No, it's for the lights.

KELLAR: No, it's not embarrassing.

BAKER: It's for the lights and everything.

KELLAR: It's for high definition TV.

Which if we didn't have a little smack of makeup, we could look like ghosts.

TRICIA: It ain't working.

BAKER: It's not working.

Okay.

TRICIA: He needs more makeup.

BAKER: Thanks.

KELLAR: No, he doesn't.

He does not need anything.

I think you're being very critical.

TRICIA: That's my job.

I'm a woman.

KELLAR: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

That's not -- That's -- TRICIA: I'm just joking.

I'm joking, Barb, that's my job.

BAKER: That's your job.

KELLAR: That is your job to put him down?

SWEASY: Yes.

KELLAR: So he knows his place.

TRICIA: That's right.

Yeah.

KELLAR: Well, I think you're doing a good job of it.

TRICIA: Thank you, Barbara.

KELLAR: Yes.

Well, is it a difficult job to be with him?

TRICIA: Oh, you don't even want to know.

We don't have enough time, Barbara.

We don't have enough time.

KELLAR: Okay.

You know what?

We really don't have enough time.

And I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you and your friends, Lisa and Denny.

And I think that a lot of people will have fun going and seeing you at the Vent Haven.

Tell us exactly where it is.

SWEASY: It's 33 West Maple Avenue in Fort Mitchell.

And it's open by appointment.

People can email me at curator@venthaven.org.

They can phone me or they can register for a visit online.

Our website is venthaven.org.

TRICIA: And you give the tours.

SWEASY: I do, I give the tours.

TRICIA: She knows it all.

KELLAR: Okay.

We wish you wonderful, wonderful luck with your new theater.

SWEASY: Thank you.

KELLAR: Lots of people to come.

And Denny, you're welcome any time as a firefighter or a ventriloquist.

TRICIA: That's so nice.

What about me, Barbara?

Can I come back?

KELLAR: Yes.

Yes, you can come any time.

And I'll -- Will you have a new outfit, a new hairdo?

TRICIA: Probably not.

KELLAR: Are you pretty much stuck with the basics?

TRICIA: I've been stuck with this for a long time.

Yeah, will I get a new outfit if I come back, hmm?

KELLAR: No.

Maybe.

TRICIA: It's terrible.

Terrible life.

KELLAR: Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming.

TRICIA: Thank you for having us.

KELLAR: I loved having you.

BAKER: Thank you for having us.

SWEASY: Thank you for having us here.

KELLAR: This was really wonderful.

TRICIA: And come see us at Vent Haven.

KELLAR: I will, if I can.

SWEASY: Thank you so much.

ANNOUNCER: Join us next week for another episode of Showcase with Barbara Kellar right here on CET.

Captions: Maverick Captioning CIN OH maverickcaptioning.com