Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: The Elvises

Today's article was written by our frequent contributor Kyle Mahoney.

THE ELVISES

Performed by...
Various

First appearance...
Muppet Classic Theater (1994)

Most recent appearance...
It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

Quotes…
“Thank you, thank you very much. I’d like to thank the both of you.”

“Don’t make me use my karate on you.”

Ben Franklin: I have just discovered electricity!
Elvis: Rockin’ news! Now we can play these electric guitars!

WHO ARE THE ELVISES?
The Elvises are a group of guys who may or may not be Elvis Presley. They all look and sound and act like him, but last time we at The Muppet Mindset checked, there was only one Elvis Presley. But this doesn’t stop these guys.

The Elvises first appeared with the Muppets in Muppet Classic Theater. Due to Rizzo mishearing Gonzo state the title of the next story of "The Elves and the Shoemaker" as "The Elvises and the Shoemaker," when the titular magical creatures come to help Kermit and Robin’s shoe shop, they appear as a group of Elvises (much to Gonzo’s surprise). As in the original story the Elves make a bunch of amazing shoes for the cobbler, but since these are Elvises, they not only sang a rockin’ tune, they created a whole mess of Blue Suede Shoes. In thanks for their help, Kermit and Robin made the Elvises white sequin jump suits and, according to Rizzo, they went to Las Vegas where they play "The Big Room" at The Palace.

After their stint in Las Vegas, the Elvises returned in 1996 for the Muppets Tonight recurring segment "Great Moments in Elvis History" where amazing moments in history are retold the way god intended them… with Elvises. These moments include The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, The King and his Round Table, Elvis of Arabia, Tarzan of Graceland, Sir Elvis Newton, and the death of Elvis Ceasar.

In their last onscreen appearance, The Elvises were featured in the full version of "Moulin Scrooge" in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. There, they briefly sing "Jingle Bells," interrupting Miss Piggy’s big "Santa Baby" number.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED THE ELVISES?
One thing that makes the Elvises special is that they are solely based on a human and yet they are recurring which doesn’t happen often in the Muppets. Although they don’t do much, they are a funny group of impersonators who I wish would pop up again.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppet Retro Reviews: Muppet Classic Theater

Kyle Mahoney - Muppet Classic Theater was a straight to VHS feature-length production released in 1994. In a similar vein to the previously released film The Muppet Christmas Carol, the Muppets are retelling classic stories. It takes place in the Muppet Theater where Gonzo and Rizzo once again become the narrators as the rest of the gang act the story on stage.

The six stories told are The Three Little Pigs, The Midas Touch, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, (followed by a brief intermission) then Rumpelstilskin, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Elves and the Shoemaker. This production was significant in that it was one of Bill Barretta’s first Muppet productions. This also was the debut of some Muppets Tonight faces: Andy Pig, Randy Pig, and the Elvises.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo, Fozzie, and even Robin the Frog each take the stage, some in several roles, bringing their own flair and classic breaking the fourth wall into these timeless tales. Each story featured one original song by Philip Balsam, Dennis Lee (both of Fraggle Rock fame), Mark Radice, and Michael and Patricia Silversher.

Some of the best moments of the video include Miss Piggy sending the Big Bad Wolf into orbit via fireworks, Gonzo (as a Satyr) taking a nap in King Kermit’s rose bush, and Norman the Ox thwarting another wolf. Other hilarious moments are Piggy finding out Rumplestiltskin's name by looking at the name his mother had sewn into his clothes, Robin revealing that Emperor Fozzie was scammed and is in his underpants, and lastly the Elvis Elves receiving Sequin Jumpsuits as thanks.

One of the writers, Jim Lewis, had this to say about the project:

"My personal favorite among my own projects is Muppet Classic Theater which I co-wrote with Bill Prady. It was done relatively soon after Jim's passing, and it was in many ways a re-gathering of the clan. It was fun. Plus it's just silly, with no great message. I'm fond of it and hope it sees the light of DVD someday."

Although Muppet Classic Theater has only been released on VHS, you can watch it all right HERE with this link to Part 1.

All in all Muppet Classic Theater is an absolute delight. The songs are catchy and the script is fantastic in giving the Muppets their classic humor while also giving respect to the original stories.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com