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SPEAKER_03: Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanika. This month we're talking about comediennees, women throughout history who've made us laugh. They transgressed societal norms through comedy and often spoke out against injustice using their sharp wit. Today we're talking about a woman who charmed television audiences with her warmth, musical talent, and incredible skill as a ventriloquist. But we can't talk about comedian Sheri Lewis without talking about her favorite stage partner, a sock puppet named Lambchop.
SPEAKER_06: Presenting my favorite supporting act, Miss... What are you shaking? I am not your supporting act! Oh, she kills me. She said, I don't support you, you support me! These people did not come here to see you, they came to see me, right? Right? Tell her, tell her! What?
SPEAKER_03: Sheri Lewis was born Phyllis Hurwitz on January 17, 1933 to a Jewish family in New York City. Her father was a professor at Yeshiva University and a magician. Sheri's mother was a skilled pianist. She began giving her daughter lessons when Sheri was two years old. Sheri also learned violin, acrobatics, juggling, dance, and acting. With her father's help, Sheri practiced magic tricks too, learning to pull a rabbit out of a hat. As the story goes, one day Sheri's dad walked by Sheri's closet. He was convinced he could hear a voice coming from behind the door. He was startled to find it was really just his daughter who'd figured out how to throw her voice there. He was impressed, and he wanted to help foster her natural talent. So he hired former vaudeville performer John Cooper to teach Sheri. By adulthood, Sheri had developed into a talented stage performer. She was earning roles in touring companies and summer stock productions of Damn Yankees, Bye Bye Birdie, and Funny Girl. But Sheri's big break came in 1952 when she won first place for her puppetry performance on Arthur Godfrey's TV show Talent Scouts. Later in the 1950s, Sheri brought her puppet friend Lamb Chop to television audiences for the first time on NBC's Captain Kangaroo. The 18-inch sock puppet of a white lamb came alive in Sheri's arms, marking the beginning of an enduring partnership.
SPEAKER_06: Really?
SPEAKER_03: Really.
SPEAKER_06: After all, Lamb Chop, what am I without you? Nothing. I feel the same way about you.
SPEAKER_03: Soon Sheri got her own show on NBC, The Sheri Lewis Show. It ran from 1960 to 1963. The program also featured beloved friends Charlie Horse and Hushpuppi. Sheri delighted audiences with her infectious smile and silly and stubborn puppet characters. Here's Sheri and Hushpuppi having a laugh together.
SPEAKER_06: What were the rooms? Oh, well there was a bedroom. Yeah. And a henway. What's a henway? About three pounds. Oh, you can suck at these city slickers and do that kind of joke anytime. City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it?
SPEAKER_03: City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? City slicker, isn't it? What you didn't see is what made Sheri and her act so incredible. She had a smile fixed on her face while her puppet gabbed and laughed and shouted and whispered next to her. The puppet became the star, the focus, and Sheri's mouth didn't move an inch. You could barely tell that the voice was coming entirely from her, even when they quickly traded jokes and jabs. In 1968, Sheri and her puppets packed up and moved to London. They starred in a television series on the BBC for the next eight years, with specials in Canada and Australia as well. In the early 1990s, Sheri returned to American television with her PBS children's series, Lamb Chops Play Along. She aimed for the series to be anti-couch potato programming, encouraging kids to get up and play along with the characters on screen. The show also helped its young viewers work through common problems, like what to do when you don't get invited to a party. Sheri's approach with child viewers was to meet them at their level. She explained, I never play teacher. I never play parent. I play older playmate. In addition to her television work, Sheri wrote 60 children's books, including Magic for Non-Magicians and One-Minute Bedtime Stories. Sheri was invited to the White House several times for special holiday performances. Through it all, one of Sheri's biggest goals was to get kids excited about playing music. She believed learning to play an instrument was great for children's development. She explained it like this, Musical training teaches something that is seldom learned in any other manner, namely that if you stick to what you're trying to do, you will eventually get it. Sheri used her television shows to educate kids about different kinds of musical instruments and composers, and she was featured as a guest conductor in dozens of orchestras, including the National Symphonies of the United States, Canada, and Japan. Sheri's comedic appeal also translated to other audiences. She wasn't just a children's performer. She also loved to perform in nightclubs, often appearing with actor Donald O'Connor. Sheri would even bring Lamb Chop to join in on more adult fun. Oh, would you look who's here!
SPEAKER_06: Hello, Sheri! Lamb Chop? How the heck are you? Wowee! Have you got alcohol on your breath? That's right. Have you been drinking? No, I just gave my tongue a rubdown. Sheri's final TV program, a Charlie Horse Music Pizza, debuted on PBS in January of
SPEAKER_03: 1998. Sheri died that same year, on August 2, from complications from uterine cancer. She was 65 years old. By the time of her death, Sheri had won 12 Emmys. She had also earned a Peabody Award and the John F. Kennedy Center Award for Excellence in Creativity. Today, Sheri's legacy lives on through her daughter Mallory, who still tours and performs with Lamb Chop. All month we're talking about comedienne's. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram, at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
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