The report on covering the red carpet for SHARI AND LAMB CHOP at DOC NYC

On Saturday I met Lamb Chop and Mallory Lewis, who took over being Lamb Chop’s companion. It was a day of craziness, only some of which I can share. I say that because there were a couple of things that were kind of outside of the public view that should remain there.

The meeting was the result of my covering the Red Carpet for the World Premiere of the film Shari and Lamb Chop about Mallory’s mom and her best know buddy.

I arrived early at New York’s Village East and after trying to find out where to go I was shuttle down stairs where I met Barbara Okun, Shari Lewis’s sister and a woman, who I have completely forgotten  the name of. We fell into a conversation about Shari, Mallory and Lamb Chop. Mostly I was asked to take pictures of the ladies with each other and Mallory because they wanted a keepsake.

Mallory arrived and we fell into a conversation. After instructions on how to shoot Lamb Chop she produced one of my heros from childhood and I began to lose it. It isn’t often you get to meet some you admired as a kid and have them turn out as something wonderful as you hoped. I got a kiss on the cheek and then had to pause taking pictures as I was overcome with emotion. (SadlyI never had the opportunity to get a picture with Lamb Chop)

I was shooting pictures like crazy with the family and kibutzing with them. It was delight.

And then we were all called over to the Red Carpet…. And then it got even crazier as the family and friends was expanded by the filmmakers, PR people, City Officials, members of the press and assorted other all wanting to have their picture taken with Mallory and Lamb Chop. I shot pictures of everyone, even after the other photographers  stopped.  I had to because Lamb Chop kept yelling to me..”Are you getting these pictures Steve?”  How could I not?

While I was hoping to get an interview with Lamb Chop it didn’t happen because too many people wanted to meet the little one. DJ Biggs started an interview that probably ran five minutes and took the netter part of an half an hour to do because everyone pulled Lamb Chop away. Yes the Festival got a minute long interview but that was because it was a just over a minutes.

Eventually everyone got pulled upstairs to the screening.

I didn’t go because I didn’t have a ticket and while I know I could have gotten into the Q&A I went home instead since I could get home at a reasonable hour if I did. (I got home about the time the Q&A would have ended)

Yes I am leaving details out. Partly because I don’t remember a few things, but mostly because some of it was just interacting “with family” . (None of it was bad)

I had a blast. Everyone was so welcoming.

While there is much I will remember about that night, I will always have the memory of Lamb Chop calling to me by name to make sure I got the shot. There is something magical about that.