Stars of the AVT #21: Carla Rhodes

A Duo Made in Country Heaven: Carla Rhodes and Cecil. Photo by Hanna Torreson

This post is one of a series profiling the hundreds of performers I’ve presented through my American Vaudeville Theatre in celebration of its 15th anniversary. Don’t miss the American Vaudeville Theatre’s 15th Anniversary ExTRAVaganza in the New York International Fringe Festival this August!

I first met Carla Rhodes via Myspace, I believe, an antiquated medium to be sure, but an appropriate one, as the only thing that still lives there these days seems to be rock and roll. She is that most oxymoronic of creatures — a cool ventriloquist. I’ve raved about her here on this site numerous time, namely here, here, and here. She’s been on 30 Rock, Last Comic Standing, and even got a shout out as one of the top five ventriloquists on the Late Show with David Letterman. She’s also had massive amounts of press, including a listing in New York Magazine as one of the “Ten New Comedians that Funny People Find Funny”.

Says Carla, “At the tender age of 9, I saw Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop on television. I was strangely attracted to them both and decided that I wanted to be a ventriloquist! I proceeded by finding stage time here, there and everywhere. As a teen I was performing regularly at a local magic shop (and helping a magician pre-load doves into his coat) and comedy clubs. Upon graduation from Middle Tennessee University, I hoofed it to NYC. I continued doing spots here, there and everywhere. I’d been living in New York City’s East Village for a few years whilst struggling as an “artist”… Walking home one day I found a discarded, dusty steamer trunk on the corner. Something inside of me told me to open it (while the other part of me totally disregarded my fear of the bedbug epidemic)… When I opened it up, there he was; Cecil Sinclaire!”

“Shari Lewis was my absolute biggest inspiration… And I am still inspired by her today! I was even lucky enough to be mentored by her. Other huge inspirations are The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, Jim Henson, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Monty Python, Joan Rivers, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Steve Martin, Gilda Radner, Emo Phillips, Lucille Ball, Neil Hamburger, Pee Wee Herman and a plethora of other interesting folks.”

Carla performed at the American Vaudeville Theatre with her partner Cecil at Theatre for the New City in 2008 and again in 2009. One of her routines, a song about Salt water Taffy, literally made sob with laughter.

Here she is another one of her other favorite partners, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones:

To learn more about vaudeville past and present, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever nutty books are sold.