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 MuppetCast
Thanks 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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