Comedian ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has big advice for anyone thinking of venturing onto his chosen career path - focus on the funny.

“Focus on the comedy first. People forget you have to learn how to be funny,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday. “You have to be a good standup comic. You have to learn (to be a ventriloquist). It's not difficult.”

Dunham, whose Comedy Central special “Arguing With Myself” is available on DVD, will perform with his “suitcase posse” - Walter, Peanut, Jalapeno on a Stick and others - at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Capitol Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 with valid Western Kentucky University identification, limit two. The Western tickets must be purchased in person at the Capitol box office.

More than 650 tickets have been sold so far, according to Capitol Arts Alliance executive director Mike Thomas. The Capitol seats about 800.

“We have some single seats available on the main floor,” he said. “The rest of the seats are in the balcony.”

The Alliance is presenting the show with Western's Campus Activities Board. The two organizations have hosted other acts, including bluegrass band Nickel Creek, poet and author Maya Angelou and a showing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” in the past year.

“It's an effort to get more Western students into the community,” Thomas said. “We want to put on a variety of entertainment. Jeff Dunham is one of the hottest comedians today.”

The Los Angeles-based Dunham said he has been doing ventriloquism since he was 8 years old. It started when he saw a dummy in a toy store.

“It just fascinated me. I got my first one for Christmas,” he said. “I went to the local library to get books (about ventriloquism). I got records about it. I did book reports about it.”

Dunham took his act on the road - sort of.

“I started performing at churches and Cub Scout banquets,” he said. “It turned into a great profession.”

In the early 1970s when he first started in ventriloquism, there was next to no one on television doing it, Dunham said. He managed to find one hero, though - Edgar Bergen, best known for his act with character Charlie McCarthy.

“He had the Number 1 radio show during the Depression. He was Seinfeld of that era,” Dunham said. “I used to type out dialogue between him and Charlie McCarthy.”

Dunham has been on a variety of shows, including “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno and “Late Show with David Letterman.” Although he plans to show new characters - Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Melvin the Superhero Guy - at the Capitol performance, there are three who are regulars: Walter, Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick and Peanut.

“Walter is a cranky old curmudgeon. Everyone can identify with that. He's the one who has been on TV the most,” he said. “Jose ... I don't know why people like him. He does jalapeno jokes and stick jokes and that's it.”

Dunham describes Peanut as “wacky.”

“He gets away with saying anything to anybody,” he said. “That's what I like about ventriloquism - you're saying stuff no human could say.”

- For more information about Dunham, visit jeffdunham.com or onastick.com. For more information about the show, call 782-2787.