A Ventriloquist in Vancouver:

Fun for the whole family with Master Ventriloquist Don Bryan

With special guests: Ventriloquist Kellie Haines and Magrau the Bird! 

 
 

Children of all ages (and those young at heart) are invited for a special presentation with Master Ventriloquist and craftsman Don Bryan. Don has had a lucrative career spanning 40 years in the local and international ventriloquism community and entertainment business. Come hear Don (and his associate Mr. Noseworthy) give a brief introduction to the craft and culture of this unique artform and share their stories of Don’s mentor local Ventriloquism legend, John Steinman. The museum is proud to steward some of Mr. Steinman’s dummies.  

Come and hear Don and Noseworthy bring this little-known part of history to life! 

A family-friendly interactive Q&A will follow the presentation.  

Date: Monday, February 20, 2023

Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm 

Tickets: $25 for ages 12 and up; $15 for ages 12 and under. (A service fee, processing fee and GST is also applied to ticket sales)

Spaces are limited. Register early. Masks are recommended but not required.

If you are having trouble using the embedded form above, please try to reserve your ticket directly on Eventbrite here.

For general inquiries regarding the workshop, please contact Program Manager, Alyssa Sy de Jesus HERE.  

 
 

Highlight Video

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

French Caption

Voici quelques temps forts du Jour de la Famille au MOV le mois dernier !🤩⁠

Nous espérons que vous avez aimé nous rejoindre pour des animations captivantes avec des conteurs locaux pleins de talent. 📖✨

Quelques temps forts de la journée :

🎭 Le matin, nous avons découvert l’art des marionnettes avec l’incroyable ventriloque Kellie Haines (@kelliehaines) au cours de l’atelier “Les Marionnettes racontent des histoires”.

🌳 Des histoires captivantes présentées  dans le triptyque « Temíxw » de Chef Ian Campbell (@chief_ian_campbell) ont été partagées dans l'après-midi.

✨ L’expert en ventriloquie Don Bryan (@donbryan21) et son associé Mr. Noseworthy ont partagé une courte introduction sur le métier et la culture de cette forme d’art unique, et ont partagé leurs histoires au cours du spectacle du soir. Avec, en invités d’honneur, la ventriloque Kellie Haines et Magrau l’Oiseau ! 🦜⁠

Nous avons hâte de vous retrouver pour le Jour de la Famille l’an prochain !

Cliquez sur le lien dans la bio pour en apprendre davantage sur nos prochains événements au MOV !

Bios

Don bryan, Ventriloquist

With over 45 years as a professional ventriloquist Don Bryan has performed as the opening act for BB King, Dolly Parton, Eddy Murphy, Jack Jones, to name a few. Featured at the international Ventriloquists Convention where Don was presented as the premiere Canadian ventriloquist. In addition to cruises and fairs, he has appeared in Las Vegas MGM Grand, The Silver Legacy in Reno. His own hand carved dummies are sought after by collectors and professionals alike. The show features hilarious interaction with the audience and a remarkable skill and ability to create the illusion that you’re hearing two voices at one time. He is a world class performer and a gifted artist, a fun show not to be missed.

 

mr. noseworthy, Puppet

The original Mr. Noseworthy Figure was built by Don in 1964 and was smaller, with soft-formed legs, typical of most puppets. Noseworthy was and is an example of how Don was inspired by his mentor, Mr. Steinman – one of the first figure builders to utilize flexible standing legs! 

The name “Noseworthy” is a common Newfoundland name and is also indicative of Noseworthy’s most prominent facial feature. Every family tree has its sap, and Noseworthy readily admits that he is that sap. Everything in Noseworthy’s world is fair game for having fun with, and he takes the “mickey” out of them (that is an English expression, meaning to make fun of). Noseworthy loves meeting kids and dogs - so as long as they don’t mistake him for a tree! 

Noseworthy, is an combination of personalities Don has encountered in his life. He is in some ways, a tribute to the people who challenge Don’s beliefs and inspire his imagination.  

Noseworthy’s Quote of the Day: “If I can make one person smile or pee their pants, then my day was not wasted.”  

 
 
 

kellie haines, Ventriloquist

Kellie Haines started talking to her puppets at the age of 8, and when they started talking back she knew she had a show.  Now a seasoned ventriloquist, puppeteer and family entertainer, Kellie’s shows combine witty repartee with puppet characters everyone can relate to. 

Puppets have stories to tell and they can bring out voices and characters from inside us that we didn’t know were there!  Kellie was invited to consult, perform and present workshops at the Museum of Anthropology in BC during their exhibition of  Shadows, Strings and Other Things. She performs at festivals, and in schools and theatres across Canada. She has also shared her puppetry talents on TV productions. Kellie’s technical skills with ventriloquism invites her audiences to experience storytelling in a unique and magical way.  

 

magrau the bird, Puppet

Magrau the bird is twelve and a half years old and has been performing all of his life. He met Kellie when she was 8 and Magrau was her birthday present. Together they have been through many adventures and have performed to the delight of audiences young and old. Magrau enjoys riding his tricycle, roller disco, arts and crafts and gazing wistfully out the window. Magrau’s favourite saying is “never give up!” Recently he teamed up with Kellie and the pediatric team from Peach Arch Hospital in White Rock to produce a series of videos to help kids get ready for medical procedures. Magrau sometimes wakes himself up singing songs he has written. His favourite foods are worms and granola bars.