mallory lewis and lambchop in huntington

The first time I saw Mallory Lewis perform (with her puppet, Lambchop) was five years ago. Mallory was scheduled to do a show at Heckscher Park (where all the food is certified Kosher -- thanks, sis, for that awful joke) as part of the Huntington Summer Arts festival. Nature intervened, and there were hurricane conditions, which kind of make an outdoor performance a bit dicier. But we went anyway, and found that there were plenty of others who had braved the elements to come and watch the show. Well, for safety or equipment reasons, the show was cancelled. But Mallory didn't want to disappoint her fans. So she invited everyone into her dressing room where she could give an intimate show. In fact, there were too many people to fit, so she did two shows. I was very impressed by that display of appreciation for her fans.

And we were back last night, for another go. But this time with a twist. As I may or may not have mentioned on this blog (I'm too lazy to check), Ethan has gotten us involved with a charity called StackUp. StackUp supports our armed forces and veterans through videogames and gaming. Ethan and I are essentially co-leaders of the Queens chapter of StackUp. Since we were planning on going to the show, and we know that Mallory Lewis has a long history of supporting the troops (as did her mom before her), we figured that it would be a natural fit to turn the trip into a Stack event. An email or two later, and Mallory had agreed to give StackUp a shout out during her show.

In some ways it's funny. For a month or so, during the weekly StackUp meetings (I mean the online organizational meetings -- not the chapter meetings), they would mention this upcoming event. By the end, there would be comments about how it seems like this has been on the horizon forever.

Well, as a Stack event, this was better than we could have hoped for. Pretty much at the beginning of her act, Mallory talked about StackUp. She explained what the organization does, and she did it with humor. Meanwhile, somehow, Ethan was allowed to sit at a corner of the merchandise table and give away Stack-Up stickers and wristbands, and talk it up. I should note that, at this point, our role in the charity as a whole seems to be primarily to spread the word. And this worked well. Afterwards, Mallory took time to talk to us and take pictures of us. We tried to buy a couple of Lambchop puppets. But Mallory and her son, Jamie (who, BTW, is planning to attend the Air Force Academy) wouldn't take payment. Instead, they said to donate the cost to StackUp. So, Steve M, if you're reading this, Blair will be paypalling that to you. Or maybe mailing a check. I don't know which.

As for the show itself, it's an interesting tightrope she has to walk. By its nature, Lambchop is a an act designed for kids. But a big part of the attraction is nostalgia. Her natural audience consists of adults who remember Mallory's mom, Shari Lewis, and her shows with Lambchop. That's especially true of parents who want their children to have the Lambchop experience that they remember. What all this means is that she has to put on a show that kids will like but that has enough sophistication for adults. And she manages this balancing act remarkably well.

Part of how she does this is by varying things. This is not simply a puppet show; it's more a multimedia presentation including puppets in some segments. Mallory starts with some schtick, interacting with Lambchop. Then a salute to America with a medley of patriotic songs. Then a clip show tribute to Shari Lewis. Then a song in which she lists the presidents -- that one sounded like something out of Animaniacs. You get the idea.

One theme that was present in this show -- to a much greater extent, I think, than in the show five years ago -- was nostalgia for Mallory's mother. Aside from the reel of highlights, there were several extended segments showcasing Shari dancing, or singing. Mallorty was often talking about her mother and her mother's influence on her. And she ended with a film of Shari's last performance. Now, I need to admit that I didn't grow up watching Shari Lewis. I knew who she was, because I spent many afternoons after school at a friend's house, and the friend's younger brother often watched Shari on TV. So, not being familiar, I was wowed to realize how talented Shari Lewis actually was. In addition to ventriloquism, she sang and she danced. Particularly impressive were the dance routines where she was essentially attached to dummies so they moved with her. I found that amazing. And part of me now regrets not experiencing her when I was a kid. I am guessing (tough I don't have any inside knowledge) that Mallory shook things up for this particular show, since it was on the 18th anniversary of her mother's death. That made it a bittersweet experience.

Shari Lewis memorial video, put together by Mallory Lewis, and featuring Shari Lewis' final performance

On a personal note, Blair overheard her, after the show, mentioning that she wished there were someone there to say Kaddish for her mother. Well, we had a yarmulke in the car and I have a Siddur on my phone -- something I got when my father passed away nearly two years ago. So there I stood in Heckscher Park, saying Kaddish alone, while making sure to keep it in mind that this was for Shari Lewis. I'm not sure if that's halakhically acceptable, but I felt touched by it.