Lamb Chop's "sister" picks up the sock their mother put down

[thatcrazycajun]

While my local paper doesn't seem to have the story online for some reason, it reports in its dead-tree edition today that an old childhood friend of mine—and of former kids all over the U.S. of A.—is coming to town...when she had been thought as dead as lots of folks wish disco was. Lamb Chop, the insufferably cute sock-puppet "child" of the late puppeteer Shari Lewis, has a new life courtesy of Lewis' human daughter and longtime assistant/producer Mallory. Although Lewis mére died 11 years ago, Mallory (who was born with her dad's surname of Tarcher, but changed it to honor Shari's memory) has proven just as talented as her illustrious parent in bringing her wooly "sister" to life...although, as the paper reports, Mal's ungulate sibling tends to be a tad "brattier" to her than she was to Mom, as sisters are wont to be.

The lady and puppet are appearing in Atlanta and Gainesville, GA as part of a month-long event sponsored by local arts councils and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors' Bureau (the ones responsible for the "Every Day Is An Opening Day" ad campaign) called Puppets Take Atlanta...and Beyond. The event features performances, workshops, exhibits (including the recently installed Jim Henson exhibit at the Center for Puppetry Arts, not too far from where I live) and other attractions from today until month's end. If you live or happen to be in the area, check it out (and let me know if you do, should you desire company). I plan to go say hi to an old fabric friend or two myself sometime soon; I suspect I will be far from the only adult there...and the parents of young children among them will probably bring them. too.

Comments

[supergee.livejournal.com]

I liked Shari Lewis so much I didn't even mind that she was vivacious.

[luscious-words.livejournal.com]

What a fun day that would be. Too bad I'm so far away. :(

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

A friend who is a professional soundman once did the sound for a Congressional hearing at which Shari Lewis testified. He says she really did talk to Lamb Chop as if he/she (Lewis always refused to specify, so all kids could imagine Lamb Chop was the same gender as they) were a real & discrete entity, even seeming surprised by some of Lamb Chop's comments. He's been a theater geek all his life & doesn't believe she was acting -- the character was just that real to her. No wonder it was always so real to kids.

There was another puppet named Hush Puppy who disappeared along the way. I always wondered why since as a kid I had a puppet of him. He looked rather like a dachshund or beagle. For some reason, the puppet was blue, but no clue if that's the color he really was on black & white TV.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

My familiar Loiosh (see icon) surprises me with some of his comments, which are all, mm, telepathic. And like his namesake, he's usually right.