Lots to cover in this episode! Some incredible things are happening this summer in Muppets, and we talk about all of it this week!
First of all, congratulations to the Jim Henson Company as they open Puppet Up Uncensored at the Venetian in Las Vegas! Call (702) 414-9000 for tickets, or visit Venetian.com/Puppet-Up.
Bob McGrath recently announced that he, along with the rest of the original human cast members of Sesame Street, have been let go from the show (special thanks to Guy Hutchinson for the audio). The entire MuppetCast audience thanks Bob and the entire cast for decades of memories, and countless lessons we and our children have learned from them. The Street will never, ever be the same.
Get ready for PizzeRizzo, coming soon to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Pizza Planet will soon be replaced by the new Muppet-themed eatery. Exciting Disney Park news!
Brian Henson will produce Wee Free Men, a feature film adaptation of author Terry Pratchett’s first book in the Discworld series. No casting or release date news to report, but Pratchett fans will definitely be looking forward to this.
The Jim Henson Company will host an evening raising funds for the Center for Puppetry Arts and celebrating the career of longtime puppeteer and MuppetCast guest Dave Goelz! Stay tuned for ticket information.
Thanks to Darrin Granter (name spelled correctly) for these pics, accompanying his story on the show about meeting Caroll and Debra Spinney!
Thanks also to Renee Angely for sending links to John Denver’s last song, “Yellowstone (Coming Home).”
This is the documentary the song was written for:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWf4pvWS0c
The music from this episode came from the YouTube channel showing video from the recent event “54 Below Celebrates the Muppets.” Click to watch some of Broadway’s best sing the most Muppetational songs ever!
Longtime listener Katherine Hannaford joins me in person to discuss her recent experiences at the 2016 Beyond the Sock puppetry workshop. This was Katherine’s second year attending the workshop, and we go into great detail about exactly what happens in this professional-grade experience.
About Beyond the Sock
Beyond the Sock is a workshop co-hosted by the University of North Texas Department of Radio, TV and Film and Department of Dance and Theatre. This four and a half day intensive workshop will allow attendees to learn techniques for performing with “hand and rod” style puppets similar to those found in some of entertainment’s most endearing television series and films. Over the course of the workshop attendees will learn the vocal and physical techniques vital to creating compelling performances from two of the top names in the field.
This is the second of a 2-part series documenting The MuppetCast road trip to Cleveland, OH for the show Electric Mayhem: A Musical Tribute to Jim Henson. This episode features live performances from Act II of the show. The Cleveland Stage Alliance is posting video of many of the songs on their YouTube channel.
Song-wise, Electric Mayhem had a little bit of everything. Whatever your favorite Muppet movie or TV show, it was included in this spectacular musical evening. An audience of adults turned into little children again as “Mahna-Mahna”, “Rainbow Connection”, and even the Fraggle Rock theme song sprung from the stage. Classics and newer Muppet songs yielded surprises around every turn, punctuated by uproarious laughter and applause. Jim would have been proud.
The Cleveland Stage Alliance
The Cleveland Stage Alliance is an organization dedicated to providing theatergoers with up-to-date information regarding any and all locally produced theatre in the Northeast Ohio region. They have a weekly newsletter containing updates on everything going on in Cleveland theatre.
Tim Dale and Joseph Foy join me this week to discuss their new book “Jim Henson and Philosophy: Imagination and the Magic of Mayhem.” We dive deep into discussions of all of Jim Henson’s properties, including the Muppets, Labyrinth, Sesame Street, and everything else. They wrote such a great book, they already want to do a second one, and we all had such a great time, that I can’t wait to have them on again! (more…)
The Muppet Newsflash Podcast (which is sort a running joke between JD Hansel and I) makes an admirable effort this week. Meaning, JD and I make Muppet podcast magic once again as we bring everyone up to date on what’s happening in the Muppet world. Lots of news, some great Frank Oz clips, and even more links to check out! (more…)
The New York wing of The MuppetCast (Jarrid and Teresa) takes over this week, presenting the audio from a recent screening event at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI). The event is called “Jim Henson and the Music of Joe Raposo” and is just fantastic. Mr. Raposo’s son Nick also joins presenter Craig Shemin to speak about his father. For more information on MoMI and the Henson screening events, visit their website(more…)
After a brief pause in production due to a zapped computer, The MuppetCast is back in action! This week we name the winner of the final leg of the Great Muppet Haiku Contest of 2015. That, and a lot of Muppet news makes this a packed episode that I think you’ll really love! (more…)
Guy Hutchinson joins me this week to talk about his new book, a history of Sesame Place. Guy is extremely well-versed in the history of the park, and we talk at length about a wide range of topics (meaning, we got off track a lot!). Guy is also a writer, and the co-host of the Drunk on Disney Podcast, and you should really subscribe and listen to it!
This week the show is all about YOU! The entire show is made up of your awesome #MuppetHaikus and emails, and all the Muppet pieces I could think of that relate to them. I had a great time putting the show together, so I hope you enjoy listening! (more…)
The MuppetCast celebrates its 250th episode – and observes 25 years since Jim Henson’s passing – in style this week with a huge new Muppet List segment! Jon Soble (The MuppetCast news man) joins me for an in-depth discussion of Muppet songs from the movies.
It’s Kermit the Frog‘s 60th birthday, and we’re celebrating with MuppetCast listeners and their Muppet haikus. Hey, Jim always said, take what ya got and fly with it! The first winner in the Great Muppet Haiku Contest is named, and the second contest also starts today, with this episode! (more…)
The MuppetCast NYC Wing reports in this week, with a new audio experience to share from the Big City. The Jim Henson Legacy recently presented a screening event titled “Sell, Sell, Sell: The Commercials of Jim Henson” The event included commercials and industrial films created by Jim in the 1950s and 1960s, and Jarrid Crespo was there to capture all of it for you.
The Great Muppet Haiku Contest Part I continues this week, and several haikus are read on the show. Have you written yours yet? Remember to include the hashtag #muppethaiku and post it for all the world to see! Win yourself a Muppet T-shirt from Studio One (aka “The Muppet Store”) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
The MuppetCast is back in full force! This week we make our post-tournament return with a great interview with Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker from Copper Pot Pictures. Dave and Chad are the filmmakers behind the new documentary “I Am Big Bird Movie“, which will soon be released on multiple VOD (video on demand) platforms, as well as cinemas all over the U.S. Dave and Chad were guests on The MuppetCast in 2012, when they were still campaigning for funds through Kickstarter, and were in the beginning stages of making the movie, and this week we talk about what life is like now, on the other side of that process. (more…)
This is the official 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament Championship episode. JD Hansel joins me in a celebration of the two finalists in this year’s tournament: The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. Lots of mad Muppet fun featuring some of the very best moments from these pals and costars. Be sure to check out our other good friend and cohost Sam at Sam’s Disney Diary too! (more…)
The game marches on! It’s the Elite Eight edition of the 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament. The cast of characters this week include JD Hansel, Sam from Sam’s Disney Diary, and FrogFan76. Make sure you listen to the end, there’s an amazing twist! (more…)
What a humongous week it has been! Round 2 is officially open, and I am joined by not one, not two, but three superstar co-hosts to run down, up, and sideways over this Muppet lineup. Special thanks to Sam Marraccini, JT Hankslayben, and the inimitable FrogFan76 for lending their unmatchable talents to these matchups. (more…)
This is a quick announcement show to give a quick update on an important update! Don’t miss this, and be sure to tune in this Sunday for the official 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament Round 2 episode.
As always, you can email me@muppetcast.com with any comments or questions about the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else. Tweet me @muppetcast, the Muppet Madness Tournament @Muppets2015, and Pechoolo Casino @pechoolo. They made me say that.
Round 1 of the 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament is officially open! You can now vote every 5 minutes for your favorite Muppet characters in each matchup. (more…)
The 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament Mad Dash is in the books! Thanks to your votes, an incredible game awaits us this year when Round 1 voting starts, in one more week. JD Hansel and Sam Maraccinni join me to run down the results from your first votes in this year’s game. (more…)
The 2015 Muppet Madness Tournament is officially started! Officially! This episode covers the opening of the brand new “Mad Dash” part of the game, in which a metric ton of Muppet characters are put up for your votes, to see just who will be admitted into the brackets for Round 1. My co-host JD Hansel (host of Eleven Point Collar podcast, a Muppet fan podcast you should also listen to) and I welcome you to the tournament, and talk about the characters in the Mad Dash. FrogFan76 even gets into the action! (more…)
Welcome back to the show! It’s been a very, very long time but the podcast is back again. It’s time for the Muppet Madness Tournament! This is the official announcement that the tournament will begin on March 1. At this point, that’s all I know. More information to come very soon (hopefully) from The Owners of Pechoolo Casino. (more…)
Back with another one! This time it’s all about Muppet Madness, as the 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament has kicked off to a rousing success.
Thinking about moving to Florida? Want to know more about how Ashley & I are handling this monstrous task? Let me know and I’ll keep you posted as we gear up for the big move, coming up in just a few short weeks.
Lots of great Muppet stuff going on, so let’s keep the conversation going! Tweet @muppetcast, @muppettourney, or email me@muppetcast.com.
Let’s hop in the car and talk some Muppets! In between “normal” episodes of the show, this is the launch of a new experimental show, titled “After The Sax”. Think of it as an informal chat just between us about the Muppets, and even life in general.
I’m so happy to welcome my friends Banks Lee and JeniLynn Knopp to the show this week! Banks & JeniLynn host the hit YouTube show “Attractions – The Show“, which you can subscribe to and should be following! I appeared on the show in late 2012, and we couldn’t wait for another opportunity to talk! You’re gonna love this!
Thanks for downloading and listening this and every week! It means the world to me that you’re here. For any questions or comments concerning the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else, email me@muppetcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about the show too!
We delve into the musical catalog of Joe Raposo this week (okay we actually only scratch the surface, given the vast body of work Raposo generated), with the help of listener and MuppetCast newsman Jon Soble.
Muppet Trivia this week is about the great Frank Oz, whose father Michael was, in fact, the Telephone Pole.
In Muppetology we discuss the Jim Henson Company Archives, which in either New York or L.A., would make for a fun afternoon of digging around, wouldn’t it!
Thanks for downloading and listening this and every week! It means the world to me that you’re here. For any questions or comments concerning the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else, email me@muppetcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about the show too!
Which 5 episodes of The Muppet Show would you show someone who had never seen it before? We answer that question this week, along with Muppetology, news, and more!
Thanks for downloading and listening this and every week! It means the world to me that you’re here. For any questions or comments concerning the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else, email me@muppetcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about the show too!
To cap off the holiday season, I’m very pleased to present a conversation I recorded recently with my good friend Nic Lemon. Nic is the owner of Lemon Productions, Inc., and along with being an incredibly talented and hard-working puppeteer, he’s also a very insightful and engaging person to speak to. I always enjoy these segments with Nic, because every time we talk, I learn something new, and learn a new way to look at puppetry, entertainment, or just life itself.
I make mention of the previous show Nic appears in, which happens to be Show #220. You can click directly to it here.
Thank you so much for downloading and listening this and every week! It means the world to me that you’re here. For any questions or comments concerning the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else, email me@muppetcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about the show too!
Merry Christmas from The MuppetCast! To top off the holiday season we celebrate with a few special annual favorites I’ve held back until this final show. Some of my favorites and, evidently, yours too! Including The Bells of Fraggle Rock, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, and the very emotionally touching Dinosaurs episode “Refrigerator Day.” (more…)
We continue the 2012 Holiday Season with a special introduction to a new Muppet cover band: Gordon Golly and the Gollywonkers (@Gollywonkers)! Their debut song, along with all the great Muppet Christmas music we enjoy this time of year, makes for another great MuppetCast Holiday show. (more…)
As we continue these special holiday shows, this week’s installment is titled “Scenes from Christmas.” Along with the wonderful Muppet holiday songs we know and love, there are so many funny, deep, and quotable lines from these shows that it seems fitting to include entire scenes, not just songs! So here’s a first attempt at that idea. (more…)
It’s the 2012 Holiday Kickoff show! This year I’m joined by Ceris Thomas of The Lovers, The Dreamers, and You (Facebook) (Twitter) for a very unique edition of Made-Up Muppet Show: Christmas Special Edition. Get ready to watch the most entertaining, fun-filled, hilarious Muppet Christmas special you’ve never seen! (more…)
Imagine you actually get to meet the Muppets in Walt Disney World. Where would you go? What rides would you have to catch? Where would you eat? We answer these important questions, and more, on this week’s episode. (more…)
Chase Beecher joins me this week to talk about some Muppet celebrity lookalikes, the likes of which you may never have considered before. We reference certain images throughout our talk, and here they are below: (more…)
Josh Hankemeier joins me for Scary Muppet Moments in this week’s Muppet List segment. Lots of interesting and obscure picks this week. I know you’ll screeeeam with delight! (more…)
Pop Quiz: in which episode of The Muppet Show did John Candy appear? Trick question! He never did, until now! Listener Whitney Grace returns to The MuppetCast this week in an all-new “Made-Up Muppet Show” as we speculate (i.e., make up as we go along) what might have happened if the fabulously funny Mr. Candy had appeared on The Muppet Show. (more…)
Good golly, it’s great to see you back for another great MuppetCast episode! This week it’s all about the letter G, as @HeadshotHeather joins me for a Muppet List segment devoted to Muppets whose names begin with G. Good times abound! (more…)
I’m very happy to welcome listener Millie Tirk to the show to talk about her relationship to Sesame Street. No, she’s not a puppeteer, nor have you ever probably met her. But you’ll meet her this week on the show, and by the end you’ll be so glad you did.
Thank you so much for downloading and listening this and every week! It means the world to me that you’re here. For any questions or comments concerning the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else, email me@muppetcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about the show too!
The New York wing of The MuppetCast (Jarrid and Teresa) takes over this week, presenting the audio from a recent screening event at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI). The event is called “