In these troubled times when patriotism is open to congressional scrutiny, Who really loves America? Lamb Chop!
The late Shari Lewis's beloved sock puppet lives on as the star of Lamb Chop Loves America, a performance celebrating American history from the Pilgrims to the present and utilizing magic, music, multi-media backgrounds and audience participation. And by the way, the show also stars Lewis's other daughter, Mallory Lewis.
"It's a new show for performing arts centers, a 'curriculum show' for kindergarten through 5th grade," says Lewis, who also goes by Mally. "American history as told by Lamb Chop, who, by the way, is convinced that lambs discovered America."
Lamb Chop, continues Lewis, is also convinced that all famous Americans are lambs--including George Lambington and Abraham Lambcon.
"In her irresistible, irrepressible self, she's even convinced that lambs discovered America and were the first in space," adds Lewis, who is starring with Lamb Chop in Florida at the Pasco Country Fair, outside Tampa, through Feb. 26. "We're traveling around the country doing state and county fairs and performing arts centers--and do a great deal of work for the USO."
Lewis and Lamb Chop perform in several show configurations--fair shows, performing arts center shows (also including A Lamb Chop Celebation and A Very Lamb Chop Holiday), and variety shows ("for the grown-up kids"). They've been out on the road together for 12 years, since Shari Lewis died in 1998.
"It never occurred to me my mother would die!" Lewis says of her celebrated 12-time Emmy Award-winning mom, whose 1960s network program The Shari Lewis Show introduced Lamb Chop and pals Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy to a delighted national audience of baby boomers.
"I didn’t think I was going to be here when I grew up," she admits. "I had no plans to do Lamb Chop, but when my mother passed away I realized that if I didn’t, there would be no more Lamb Chop--and that was an unacceptable option! So here I am keeping up the tradition and having a really good time with it."
Lewis started out as her mother's head writer and producer, "so I always worked with Lamb Chop," she says. "I just had no intention of being an on-camera person! But I was Mom's support team--and that turned out to be the ultimate support team in that I filled in for her when she could no longer do the job."
She performs today "exactly as Mom did," Lewis says, "but I never really learned ventriloquism. I just seemed to know it! I have no explanation for why or how--and I don't want to think about it much because it's not broken!"
And as Lewis learned from her mom, her 12 year-old son, "who is a straight-A student, I might add--and really a good kid," travels with her and sets up her equipment and calls her music cues.
"We do the show very much like my mom--filled with music as well as comedy and dancing and all that fun stuff," says Lewis.
Asked what makes Lamb Chop still so special to so many generations, Lewis quotes someone who was with her the other day on Tampa's Daytime TV show.
"Lamb Chop is like mashed potatoes--a comfort food--and that's why she's still so famous to this day," she says. "I thought that was extremely apt: She is mashed potatoes!"
Lewis adds: "She's such a fabulous character that kids who haven't met her, love her. She's comfort food for people in a very uncomfortable time in everybody's life. Lamb Chop reminds us of a time that was innocent and safe, when things were funny and not quite so scary as they are today. Good clean fun."
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