The Saugeen Times

Ryan and Friends a huge hit
in Kincardine
By Liz Dadson

A&E

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Pastor David Oppertshauser (L) shares a laugh with ventriloquist Ryan Bomgardner (R) and Jeffrey at the Ryan and Friends show Friday night at the Kincardine Pavilion

The crowd is fascinated by Ryan and Friends

Pastor David Oppertshauser (L) shakes Jeffrey's hand, with ventriloquist Ryan Bomgardner, after their portion of the show

Gauging from the audience reaction, Ryan and Friends were a huge hit at the Kincardine Pavilion Friday night.

Ventriloquist Ryan Bomgardner and his puppets brought some great family-friendly fun to the hour-long show, courtesy of the Bluewater Christian Fellowship. Affiliated with the Brethren in Christ, the fellowship meets Sunday afternoons at the Davidson Centre, with pastor David Oppertshauser who is also the pastor of the fellowship in Sauble Beach.

Bomgardner, 27, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has been a ventriloquist since he was 12 years old. He has performed all over the United States, and loves coming to Canada. "I will be in Alberta next month, and then British Columbia after that," he says.

His favourite puppet - if not the best-behaved - is Jeffrey, the ageless eight-year-old who is the self-proclaimed star of the show. They were joined by Oppertshauser to tell the Bible story of "David and Goliath," with humorous results.

Ewald Rothmaier, a member of the audience, helped Bomgardner put Jeffrey back in his case - while the puppet absolutely refused to comply.

Adam Carr joined Bomgardner on stage to work with one of the puppets, "Irene," in a sketch with "Harold," to learn the intricacies of being a ventriloquist. Of course, there was lots of fun and laughter throughout, including several harmless insults that made the audience roar with laughter.

And finally Bomgardner brought out "Ardy" the skunk and invited youngsters up to pet him "carefully" and talk to the shy puppet.

The show was hilarious from start to finish, with plenty of jokes, stories and songs. It captivated the audience and was a top-notch evening of entertainment.

At the end, Bomgardner answered several questions from the audience about his act.

He and his wife, Gail, receive 500 requests each year to perform the show. He does about 140-150 shows per year. For more information, check the website at www.ryanandfriends.com