Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! Review: Touching

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, ventriloquist Jay Johnson was a household name. Co-starring on the hit TV show “Soap” and appearing on countless others the likes of “The Love Boat,” “Gimme a Break!,” “The Facts of Life” and “Empty Nest,” Johnson, for the lack of a better term, was that generation’s Jeff Dunham.

The DVD version of his Tony Award winning show, “The Two and Only!,” filmed on September 15, 2012 in Thalian Hall in Wilmington, NC, is a perfect invitation into his comedic genius, a reminder that his star hasn’t faded at all.

In a way that is entertaining, educational and inspiring, Johnson shares his soul on stage. Starting with the origins of ventriloquism in a way that would make Billy Nye “The Science Guy” envious, Johnson eventually gets personal, sharing his experiences as a child in Lubbock, Texas, as well as his relationship with mentor Arthur Sieving. If you had any idea what this show was supposed to be by simply looking at the DVD case, you’re in for a wild ride. Emotional, sophisticated and eventually downright silly, Johnson covers a gamut of material and never forgets to touch your heart and tickle your funny bone.

Bryan W. Simon’s directing also brings out Johnson’s quirky and sincere style with shots that showcase his wide smile. At others, the shot selection adds some extra uniqueness. At one point in the show, Simon takes us the inside of one of Johnson’s doll’s cases. A rarely seen shot, it caps off an incredibly dramatic segment in a way that can only be compared to a cherry on top of a fudge sundae. Always in the right place at the right time, Simon’s work on this production is both well-executed and well-edited.

Away from the serious and touching moments, Johnson doesn’t forget to laugh. Using his wide variety of puppets and friends, Johnson gets a plethora of laughs. Although some characters (Amigo and Nethernore in particular) don’t resonate as well as others, Darwin, Bob and of course, Squeaky steal the show with Johnson’s signature comedy and add another layer to the show.

One part emotional one-man show, another part silly stand-up comedy, Johnson maintains a balancing act that a tight rope walker would be jealous of. For nearly two hours, you’ll often wonder which part is coming next, but you’ll never appreciate one more than the other. For that reason alone, Johnson’s “The Two and Only” is a production that grabs hold of your entire heart.

“The Two and Only” will be available on Pay Per View and Download to own August 1 and DVD December 16.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13821 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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