By Melissa Heckscher, contributing writer
Wesley Williams — the man behind the “Puppy Pals” dog stunt show performing at the Norris Center in Rolling Hills Estates on April 13 — is allergic to dogs.
And Kenny Mikey, the comedic host of the show? He’s a cat person.
But that doesn’t stop either of them from running and hosting the popular dog stunt show, an act that made it to the quarter-finals of America’s Got Talent in 2020 and features a trio of impeccably-trained pups who do a whole lot more than “sit, stay, roll over” during the 90-minute show.
“I fell in love with these dogs,” said Mikey, a comedian and former Ringling Brothers Circus clown who has been hosting the dog show for about a year. “Still, I don’t think I’m a dog person yet. I definitely like my quiet, cute little cats.”
“Puppy Pals” stars three poodle mix pups (they’re poodles because of Williams’ allergies) — Rudy, Gizmo, and Cash — whose onstage antics include doing backflips, climbing ladders, jumping rope and driving small cars. You know, stuff dogs do.
Mikey said working with four-legged co-stars isn’t all that different than working with humans. The dogs might not talk a whole lot, he said, but they know their stuff.
“I haven’t been a clown for many years, but this is really the same kind of thing,” said Mikey, who keeps the show moving with running commentary while the dogs do their thing. “The dogs are just other comedians on stage with me.”
The puppy show was born in 2018, shortly before Williams — a longtime unicyclist — entered it into Season 15 of AGT.
Williams also performed his unicycling act for the judges that year, but it was his dogs who stole the show. Puppy Pals made it to the quarter-final round but lost to daredevil Jonathan Goodwin.
Since then, the show has grown to include three traveling casts of canines and their humans.
“I never really never set out to do an animal show; it’s just fallen into my lap,” Williams said. “It’s become much bigger than anything I thought it would be.”
Williams’ unicycling act has become bigger, too.
In 2022 he set a Guinness World Record title for riding “the World’s Tallest Rideable Unicycle” (31 feet). And, he isn’t on stage with “Puppy Pals” this year because he is currently touring as a featured unicyclist with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, which will be in LA this summer.
But he still runs the pups from afar.
“I’m really proud of the show,” Williams said. “You’d think in this day and age nobody wants to see a dog walk on their front legs, that nobody wants to see dogs do things like climb ladders or do backflips, but everybody loves dogs. It’s just a wholesome show.”
Of course, dogs aren’t always predictable, and that’s part of the fun. Stray treat on the ground? The hoops can wait. Someone in the audience has a hot dog? Focus, Gizmo, focus!
“Them being distracted is half the show, with me trying to work around that,” Mikey said. “I don’t care if they go off script, and to be honest, I think the audience loves it. They realize dogs are dogs and they’re going to do their own thing.”
“Gizmo is a little bit of a pain in the butt,” he added. “He’s always like, ‘’Did you drop a treat? Did you drop a treat?’ But the audience eats that up too.”
As for the talented team of dogs, it seems they love their job. After all, you can’t argue with a wagging tail.
“They thrive for a job,” said Williams, adding his dogs are trained using only positive reinforcement. “They love to work. It’s fun for them.”
IF YOU GO:
Puppy Pals
Norris Theatre
April 13: Shows at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets: $25 and up
Related Articles
Things to do in the San Fernando Valley, LA area, April 4-11
Torrance’s Cherry Blossom Cultural Festival returns on April 7
Community meetings in the San Fernando Valley, April 1-8
Photos: The Bunny Museum in Altadena offers a ‘hoppy’ Easter with thousands of bunnies
Historical Society opens new exhibit celebrating Long Beach’s Chicano history
