This episode features an exclusive interview with Steve Whitmire! It’s not often that I get to meet our guests in person, so when I got the rare opportunity to meet Mr. Whitmire face to face at the Center for Puppetry Arts I was ecstatic! We covered a lot of ground in our talk, and I know you’ll enjoy hearing it. (more…)
Author: Steve Swanson
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Show #146 – January 24, 2010
This is the first of my two-part coverage of Steve Whitmire‘s special appearance at the Center for Puppetry Arts. His lecture/workshop event was titled “The Sentient Puppet”. It was an unforgettable opportunity not only to listen to Mr. Whitmire’s insights on what gives a puppet real life, but also for workshop participants to puppeteer right alongside him, benefiting from his valuable instruction. (more…)
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Show #145 – January 17, 2010
WARNING: THIS WEEK’S EPISODE IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN. I know this is a rare occurrence, but there are parts of this week’s show that aren’t family friendly. This week I’m out of town, so in place of the usual stuff I’ve included different pieces from Avenue Q, the award-winning musical that in many ways parodies and pays tribute to Sesame Street. In fact, many of the puppeteers from the original cast actually performed on the Street! How cool is that!! But the material in the show and its music could be considered vulgar and offensive to some, so I want to warn you here in the show notes, as well as in the podcast itself. As long as you’re okay with that, enjoy! (more…)
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Show #144 – January 10, 2010
Here it is, the 2009 Year In Review! With the help of Joe Hennes and Ryan Roe (who shares my birthday) from ToughPigs.com, we take a final look back at the Muppet news and events of the past year and have a grand old time talking about them. For a comprehensive listing of everything in the Muppet universe that took place in 2009, please see the 2009 Page on the Muppet Wiki. (more…)
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Show #143 – January 3, 2010
Welcome to the first show of 2010! To celebrate the new year we’ll look at a great Muppet TV special that aired in January of 1896, “The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years“. Sesame Street was less than 20 years old way back then, if you can believe it!
The MuppetCast Street Gang Giveaway Contest is now underway! Send an email to streetgangcontest@muppetcast.com to enter. Winners will be announced on shows 144 and 145. (more…)
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Show #142 – December 27, 2009
The final Christmas episode – and in fact the final episode of 2009 – sees us celebrating one more week with some great Muppet Christmas music. Special guest segments were provided by Rick Niesen, James Kemp, Michael Stork, and UnknownMuppet.
Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!
Have a great week!
-Steve
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Show #141 – December 20, 2009
I had a good portion of this episode planned out well in advance of recording, but as things tend to happen around Christmas, something better came along. So I’m proud to welcome musician Matt Suroweic (official website) back on to the show to discuss the re-release of his tribute to the music of Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas, and to jointly announce a new charity album he and I are undertaking in 2010!
The real topper to this week’s show is the debut of young Muppet fan Juliannah Wilson as she presents the first-ever Muppet Storytime segment. She provides our feature segment this week, gracing us with her reading of “Baby Kermit’s Christmas“.
The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!
The special introduction to this week’s show will hopefully be heard all around the Disney podosphere this Christmas. It’s a combined reading done by some of us of the well-known editorial piece “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”. I’d like to thank EVERYONE who helped bring this idea to a reality in the span of a few short days. The voices heard on the recording are:
Juliannah Wilson as Virginia
Paul Barrie – A Window to the Magic
Bryan Ripper & Jonathan Dichter – All About the Mouse
Gary Chambers – The Mouse Lounge
Clinton Alvord – Comedy4Cast
Tom Corless – WDW News Today
James Songster – WDW Cast Member
Scott & Tracey Morris – Disney, Indiana
Tairy Rich – Disney Tidbits
Steve Swanson – The MuppetCastThanks to Michael Stork for his Kermit impression and the Hawaiian Christmas tune!
The MuppetCast remembers actress Alaina Reed Hall, who passed away a few days ago at age 63. Ms. Hall played the part of Olivia on Sesame Street from 1976 to 1988, and many of us grew up knowing her as a familiar face on the Street. We celebrate her life this week.
CBS News recently featured the Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz on The Early Show, Saturday Edition. The hosts made their own whatnots!
If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you owe it to yourself to get the new “The Muppets Animal Drummer” app from the iTunes Store. For just $1.99 you can match skill with Animal, and even create your own original beats that Animal plays back to you!
Make sure to pick up the iPhone and iPod Touch-ready Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody (iTunes link) video for only $1.49. Normally I don’t buy the YouTube-released vids in iTunes, but I think you’ll agree that this is highly worth it.
The Muppets will appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on January 3 on ABC. Set your DVRs to see the Muppets pitch in and help a St. Paul, MN family save their home.
Sesame Workshop is set to begin making digital books starting in 2010. Check out their official eBook website!
Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter will not return to Goodspeed Opera House next holiday season. Instead, it may go out on tour, or find a different home in the Northeast US. Plans are still being made.
Carl Huster got the unique opportunity to work with Jim Henson very early in Jim’s career. If you’ve heard of the Southern Colnel Muppet character, Carl was working with Jim on the Southern Bread ad campaign, for which the Colnel was invented. Some great video on this site with rare Henson ad footage!
Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!
Have a great week!
-Steve
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Show #140 – December 13, 2009
We continue the Christmas 2009 series with a review of the Sesame Street special “Elmo Saves Christmas“. Along with the review, two special guests stop by: Michael Davis, author of “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street”, and Hervon McNeil of a capella group 14 Karat Soul!
The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!
You can follow Michael Davis and see where he’s appearing around the US at his official website.
See and hear 14 Karat Soul – a group with a long history with Sesame Street and other children’s shows – at their official website!
James Wojtal wanted everyone to know about Puppetworks and their participation in the Macy’s Herald Square Annual Puppet Show, titled “Miracle on 34th St.” It’s based on the film of the same name. Find the official Puppetworks website here.
The Swedish Chef as Santa Claus! Bork, bork, bork…I mean Ho, Ho, Ho!
The Muppets Studio released a new YouTube video recently, featuring the singing trio of the Swedish Chef, Beaker, and Animal as they sing the Christmas classic, Carol of the Bells. Nice work!
The Jim Henson Company also posted several new YouTube videos, all taken from “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter”, now playing at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Click here for tickets!
During this episode we played a game where the winner received an autographed first-edition hardcover copy of “Street Gang”, courtesy of Michael Davis. Listener Colbynfriends was the winner, so congratulations! Listen for even more ways to win signed books (and audiobooks) in the coming weeks!
Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!
Have a great week!
-Steve
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Show #139 – December 6, 2009
This week we look at a wonderful Muppet Christmas album featuring a dear Muppet friend. “John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together” was first released in 1979, and has seen several re-releases over the years. I think you’ll enjoy hearing the history – and yes, some of the music – from this album.
Also making an appearance is Dave Hulteen, an extremely talented Muppet fan artist. Dave’s work can be seen here on MuppetCast.com, as well as a recent feature article on ToughPigs.com! Dave has two Deviant art accounts, one featuring his premium work, and the other his Muppet work. Make sure to keep an eye out for Dave’s awesome artwork!
Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!
Have a great week!
-Steve
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Show #138 – November 29, 2009
I didn’t realize this until I posted the show, but we actually begin this episode with Thanksgiving and end with Christmas! Seems like a good idea, given that we’re kicking off the 2009 holiday season this week. Longtime listener BJ Wanlund is my guest, and in a new Muppet List segment we discuss a Muppet project near and dear to our hearts, Muppet Babies. (more…)