If you grew up in Phoenix in the 60s, 70s and 80s, The Wallace & Ladmo Show was part of your life. If you came to Phoenix in the 90s or 2000s, your question might be, “Who the hell are Wallace and Ladmo?”
If you’re looking for an answer to the latter and want to revisit the former, then Hub Kapp and The Wheels will provide the ride when Actors Theatre and Desert Foothills Theater present 14 performances of “The Wallace & Ladmo Show” at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe, from June 1-17. The show is part of Actors Theatre’s new Summer Stage lineup.
For the uninitiated, The Wallace & Ladmo Show ran for 35 years on what was then the Valley’s independent TV station, KPHO-TV (today a CBS affiliate).
Hub Kapp and the Wheels was a mock-rock-and-roll band created for the show. The band, featuring Pat McMahon as Hub Kapp (when he wasn’t playing Gerald and other assorted characters on the show like Marshall Good, Aunt Maud and Captain Super), became an overnight sensation. In 1964, its debut single, “Work, Work,” outsold The Beatles in Phoenix, landed the group a Capitol Records contract and resulted in appearances at Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip and on The Steve Allen Show and The Joey Bishop Show.
It’s all part of the iconic television show’s remarkable history and influence on people like Steven Spielberg and Alice Cooper through a comedic and timely format that engaged and attracted audiences through topical, but appropriate, humor wrapped in characters that appealed to both children and adults.
Over the course of its run, the show attracted celebrity appearances from Don Rickles, the Monkees and Willie Mays to Muhammad Ali (who appeared on the show three times) and Soupy Sales, among others.
“In the same breath you talk about The Wallace & Ladmo Show, you can talk about Bozo the Clown and Romper Room, two nationally syndicated iconic children’s shows in the early years of television that were no less influential in their reach,” said Matthew Wiener, producing artistic director for Actors Theatre. “And if you talk to people like Steven Spielberg and Alice Cooper, they will tell you of the show’s influence on them.”
Written and directed by Ben Tyler, executive director of the Centennial Theatre Foundation, The Wallace & Ladmo Show features Michael Kary as Pat McMahon, Kirby Soderberg as Ladmo and Wallace’s grandson, Billy Lowry, as Wallace. The rest of the Wheels are portrayed by Christian Miller (Rip Kord), Eric Zaklukiewicz (Terry Kloth), Steve Scally (Rye Krisp) and Aaron Jacobson (Tie Klip). Cathy Dresbach appears in several roles including as Rita Davenport, an icon in her own right as a KPHO-TV television host.
The real members of the band, Mike Condello (Rip Kord), Bob Dearborn (Rye Krisp), Rich Post (Ty Klip) and Ted Harpchak (Terry Kloth), are all deceased. Condello also was the musical director for The Wallace and Ladmo Show.
Adult single ticket prices are $24 to $40. Tickets for children 12 and under are $20. Family 4-packs are available for $100 for performances on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Tickets are available online at www.actorstheatrephx.org or at the Herberger Theater Center Box Office.
For more information about the show and Actors Theatre, visit www.actorstheatrephx.org. For more information about Desert Foothills Theater, visit www.desertfoothillstheater.com. For more information about the Centennial Theatre Foundation, visit www.centennialtheatrefoundation.com.
About Actors Theatre of Phoenix
Actors Theatre presents passionate, thought-provoking theatre designed to add to the social dialogue of the community. Our mission is to create contemporary professional theatre that amplifies the cultural conversation of our communities with powerful and innovative programming.The ideas and themes embedded in the work we produce are the framework for civic dialogue within our community. We have built a reputation as the company that takes the most risks and consistently delivers thought-provoking theatre. Actors Theatre performs exclusively at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Actors Theatre has been named Producing Theatre Company of the Year by the Arizona Theatre Alliance and Arts Organization of the Year by the Arts and Business Council of Greater Phoenix
