News Update: June 19, 2014

JUNE 19, 2014

The biggest news this week is that Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will be appearing on PBS's annual A Capitol Fourth special celebrating the 4th of July. Kermit and Piggy will perform "Rainbow Connection" with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Jack Everly. The appearance will be in conjunction with the promotion for Muppets Most Wanted on Blu-ray and DVD August 12th. A Capitol Fourth airs at 8:00pm EST on PBS on July 4th!

The O'Neill Puppetry Conference is one of, if not the most important puppetry conference and gathering of puppeteers. The Henson family, especially Jim and Jane Henson, were and are integral parts of the conference and have been since its inception. In honor of that, and Jim and Jane's influences on puppetry, The O'Neill Puppetry Conference will erect a new building named in honor of Jim and Jane Henson. According to our friends at ToughPigs.com, The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut is currently constructing a new building to dedicate to the Hensons, set to be unveiled in 2015.

Last week, we reported that The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper had been added to Netflix instant streaming. We also said that they should add the other Muppet movies to Netflix... and lo and behold, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island were added this week! Now, The Muppets, Muppets From Space, and Muppets Most Wanted are the only remaining Muppet features not on Netflix. Hopefully we'll see those and other Muppet productions will be added soon. But for now, you have no excuse not to watch Muppet movies!

As part of the promotional run for I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, The LA Times profiled Caroll in a wonderful new article. The article shows, once again, how truly incredible Caroll is, stating that there's no way his final season performing on Sesame Street is coming anytime soon. "If you rest, you rust," Caroll says in the article. The article also sheds more light on Caroll's understudy for Big Bird, Matt Vogel, and has more info on the documentary that Muppet fans are dying to see. Be sure to give the exceptional article a read.

Yesterday Sesame Workshop announced an exciting new development for the future of Sesame Street. For their 45th season, Sesame Street will air both 60-minute and 30-minute versions of the show daily on PBS. The 60-minute show will continue to air in the mornings, with the 30-minute show airing in the afternoon. This allows Sesame Street to be watched by kids at home both in the mornings and afternoons. Below is some info from the official press release:

Furthering a commitment to using the power of media to educate and entertain America’s children, PBS KIDS and SESAME STREET will introduce a bonus half-hour program this fall on-air and on digital platforms. Starting Monday, September 1, the additional half-hour program will air on weekday afternoons on PBS stations, complementing the one-hour series that airs weekday mornings (check local listings). For the first time, selected full episodes of the 30-minute show will also be available for free online at pbskids.org/video, on the PBS KIDS Video App and on the PBS KIDS Roku channel.  By offering this bonus half hour of SESAME STREET in an additional timeslot and through a growing number of digital services, PBS KIDS hopes to reach even more children with one of America’s most beloved and educationally powerful children’s series.

“We’re thrilled to extend our reach on PBS. What better way to celebrate our 45th anniversary season than to touch more children’s lives,” added Terry Fitzpatrick, Chief Content and Distribution Officer at Sesame Workshop. “These days, families expect to be able to connect with their favorite SESAME STREET friends at any time of day. The new afternoon show is a great complement to our continuing efforts to reach more kids with engaging lessons that will help them grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”

The half-hour version of SESAME STREET will help kids learn a variety of skills, including the school readiness skills – such as impulse control and socio-emotional lessons – for which parents are increasingly seeking resources.

Each half-hour episode of SESAME STREET is a shortened version of each one-hour program and will include a “Street Story,” a “Word on the Street” segment, a celebrity vocabulary segment, songs, spoofs, dance breaks and popular segments like “Cookie’s Crumby Pictures” or “Super Grover 2.0.”

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

News Update: May 30, 2014

MAY 30, 2014

On Wednesday night, Sesame Workshop held it's 12th Annual Gala honoring those who contribute to children's education. As always, the event was a Muppet and celebrity filled spectacular. Among the attendees were Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Michael Buble, and George Stephanopoulos. And of course, the Muppet performers, the Sesame Street Muppets, and Sesame Workshop personnel, such as Joan Ganz Cooney. Below are some of the pictures from the official Sesame Workshop Facebook page.

Joan Ganz Cooney, Michael Buble, and the Sesame Street Muppets (and their performers) 

Joan Ganz Cooney, Michael Buble, and the Sesame Street Muppets (and their performers) 

Barbara Walters and the Sesame Street Muppets

Joan Ganz Cooney and Michael Buble 

Diane Sawyer and the Sesame Street Muppets

Joan Ganz Cooney, Chloe Kimball, and Big Bird 

Michael Buble and Elmo

Ali Wentworth, George Stephanopoulos, and the Sesame Street Muppets

Every year, one person receives the special honor at the annual gala. This year, the recipient was the extremely deserving Joan Ganz Cooney. At the gala, the video below was played as part of Joan's recognition ceremony. It's a beautiful and moving video that is not to be missed.



Our friend John Burke is a talented musician and piano soloist. He recently composed and performed his own piano solo version of "Rainbow Connection." Luckily for us, John recorded himself playing the song on piano. It's beautiful and truly made my day when I first listened to it. Check it out below.



In extremely sad news, poet laureate and acclaimed author, poet, and thinker Maya Angelou passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86. Maya Angelou was a great friend to Sesame Street, appearing multiple times throughout the show's history and acting as narrator for 1996's Elmo Saves Christmas TV special. Beyond that, Maya Angelou was one of the most profound and respected writers of her era. Even till the end, Maya Angelou was spreading her message of love, acceptance, and equality. She will be very missed.

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

The Rainbow Connection: A Deeper Meaning

Mitchell Stein - This article was inspired by some entries to The Muppet Mindset's Great Muppet Survey. While reading through some of them, I noticed that most Muppet Fans’ favorite moment/song is the first scene in The Muppet Movie, "The Rainbow Connection."

What is it about this song that it touches the heart of so many of us? How did this song become such a classic moment in Muppet history?

It all started in 1978 when Jim Henson was searching for a composer to write the music to The Muppet Movie. Since being a good friend of Jim’s since his appearance on The Muppet Show, the young Paul Williams got the job. "Rainbow Connection" was written to be the song to the Muppets as "When You Wish Upon A Star" had been to Walt Disney. In many ways, "Rainbow Connection" is also very similar to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from Jim Henson's favorite film, The Wizard of Oz (1939), which was "an opening establishment driving urge for something more."

Rainbow Connection was the first Oscar nomination for the Muppets, at the 52nd Academy Awards. Sadly, the song lost to "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae. While the Muppets would gain various other nominations throughout the years, it would be another 32 years until the Muppets would win an Oscar for best song ("Man Or Muppet" in 2012).

The song has had over 30 covers by noted singers including Sarah McLachan, Judy Collins, the Carpenters, Weezer, Willie Nelson, Jason Mraz, and many others. It was also performed by the Muppets themselves in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, The Muppets, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, and many more.

For many, the song is truly about finding yourself and following your dreams. This is the beginning for most Muppet fans, and where it all started. It's where Kermit decides to leave the swamp and make millions of people happy, and the rest is history. Another reason might just be that Muppet fans know that they now have an entire screening of The Muppet Movie ahead of them.

This song gives the same message as Disney's Pinocchio gave, which is really in essence, to believe in yourself, and follow your dreams. It sounds a little cheesy when I explain it like that, but that’s how I feel about it personally.

At the end of the film, when Kermit builds his family of all his friends who believe in him and share his dream (after the set gets blown to pieces), a rainbow shines through the hole in the ceiling, showing that Kermit had finally found his "Rainbow Connection" and is exactly where he wanted to be.

What message do you think The Rainbow Connection is giving off? Send your thoughts to muppetmindset@gmail.com and we'll showcase it in a future article!

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

120 Awesome Muppet Songs, Part 8

Ryan Dosier - Can you believe it? The final installment of our 120 Awesome Muppet Songs series is finally here! It's been eight weeks since Part 1 was posted and we've come full circle with the 15 final songs on the list. I hope you've been able to keep up by creating a playlist of all these great songs, Muppet fans. It makes for some fantastic listening. Before we jump in to the final installment, don't miss out on Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7! Let's rock.

106.   “Saying Goodbye” from The Muppets Take Manhattan 
I'd bet if you asked 50 Muppet fans their opinion on the saddest Muppet moment ever, 45 of them would say this tear-inducing number in The Muppets Take Manhattan (and the other five would be reduced to blubbering messes thinking of this song). Each and every character sings with more deep sadness and longing than ever. It's truly heart breaking and a beautiful, beautiful song that echos feelings of old friends gone away. Favorite lyrics: "Saying goodbye, why is it sad/Makes us remember the good times we've had?/Much more to say, foolish to try/It's time for saying goodbye."

107.   “You and I and George” from The Muppet Show 
From the sad to the silly, we bring you now that timeless classic, "You and I and George." I honestly think Rowlf's introduction to this song might be funnier than the song itself. But then the song happens and it builds up sweetly and innocently... and then George falls in and drowns himself and it becomes pure hilarity. No Muppet could sing this the way Rowlf does. It's like it was tailor-made for him. "My own mother turns down her hearing aid when I sing this song!" is one of the greatest lines of all-time. Favorite lyrics: "Then we passed a brook/And George fell in and drowned himself/And floated out to sea/Leaving you alone with me!"

108.   “We’re Not Gonna Stop” from The Muppets at Walt Disney World 
This gem from the shockingly under-appreciated and relatively unknown 1990 special The Muppets at Walt Disney World is an amazing group number. Not only do we get Kermit and Piggy and the usuals, but Link Hogthrob, Beauregard, Robin, Fozzie's Ma, Bean Bunny, and more fantastic secondary characters. It's the perfect cap to the special and is a fantastic anthem for the entire Muppet oeuvre. Favorite lyrics: "When the curtain goes up/And we hear the applause/It's the moment we live for/And you were the cause/We're gonna keep on singin'/If you keep bringin'/Your laughter and mayhem/Wahoos and guffaws."

109.   “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie
How much can I really say about this classic, timeless, unbeatable song that hasn't already been said before? I can hear Kermit's banjo plunks in my head just after reading the name of the song. This song is forever tied to Jim Henson, Kermit, and the Muppets. It's a goal, it's a way of life, it's everything the Muppets represent. There is no song that more fully highlights the dreamy, wistful, beautiful ways of the Muppets than "Rainbow Connection." Favorite lyrics: "Who said that every wish/Would be heard and answered/When wished on the morning star/Somebody thought of that/And someone believed it/Look what it's done so far."
 
110.   “I Love Trash” from Sesame Street 
Ah, going from the sacred to the trashy. Oscar's anthem is, in my opinion, one of the great love songs ever written. There aren't many people who love something as much as Oscar loves trash! Caroll Spinney's purposeful poor singing as Oscar is fantastic here. You can tell he's having a tun of fun. This delightful song is another gem from Jeff Moss and truly one of the best. Favorite lyrics: "I have here some newspaper thirteen months old/I've wrapped fish inside and it's smelly and cold/But I wouldn't trade it for a big pot of gold/I love it because it's TRASH!"

111.   “Get Goin’” from Fraggle Rock 
Another brilliant Jerry Nelson song is this short, insanely catchy and fun little ditty from "Gobo's School for Explorers." Gobo sings the song to recruit Fraggles for his new-found school of exploring. Wembley helps (sort of), but it's this song that really ropes them in. If you've heard it, you'll understand why. It's so catchy and bouncy and fun. You can't really say no! Favorite lyrics: "There's a story goin' 'round 'bout a hero of history/Well I guess I better tell you that the hero of the story is me/And if you wanna understand all the hullabaloo/Then it's time that'cha heard what I'm sayin' to you."

112.   “ABC-DEF-GHI” from Sesame Street 
No one wrote nonsense songs like Joe Raposo, and this Big Bird standard is no exception to nonsense. Yet it is so in-character for Big Bird to think the alphabet is just one really long, hard to pronounce word. Early recordings still retain that "dumb" Big Bird voice that Caroll Spinney used in Season 1 of the show. But it's still so goofy and Big Bird-ish that it's hard to resist this one. Favorite lyrics: "It might be kind of an elephant/Or a funny kind of a kazoo/Or a strange, exotic turtle you never see in a zoo/Or maybe a kind of doggy/Or particular shade of blue/Or maybe a pretty flower!/Nah... not with a name like that."

113.   “The Kermambo” from Muppets.com 
Here's another strange choice for this list. "The Kermambo" is a rollicking dance number performed by a computer-generated Kermit for MuppetWorld.com back in 2000. Oddly enough, it was written by Michael Giacchino, now best known for his scores for films like The Incredibles, Up, and Mission: Impossible. Bet you didn't realize he wrote a lot of music for the Muppets too! (And quite frankly I didn't either.) Anyway... this song is delightful and Kermit is having a fantastic time, which is always fun to hear. Favorite lyrics: "I can no longer feel my lower thighs/And I've gone mad--look at my eyes!/The dance floor is completely mine/The bad news is I've wrenched my spine!"

114.   “Life’s a Happy Song” from The Muppets 
Yes, this is my favorite Muppet song from the post-Jim Henson era. I could not believe that this one wasn't nominated for the Academy Award last year. Yeah, the voting system was wonky, but I think this one is superior even to "Man or Muppet." But that's just me. The finale version with all of the Muppets is the better version, in my opinion. The opening is longer, yes, but it needs more Muppets. But really, both versions are completely perfect. The lyrics are fun and funny and uplifting, the music is equally uplifting, and it just screams Muppet. Favorite lyrics: "Everything is great, everything is grand/We've got the whole wide world in the palm of our hand/Everything is perfect, it's falling into place/I can't seem to wipe this smile off my face!"

115.   “Is It True?” from Fraggle Rock 
Never heard this incredible Richard Hunt-led song from "The Wizard of Fraggle Rock"? Stop reading and listen to it right now! It really is an amazing song and yet another example of Fraggle Rock's keen ability to tap into something deeper and more adult than its premise suggests. The lyrics ask truly hard questions and poses some interesting ideas--which any great song does. Favorite lyrics: "Is it true there is magic that we have never known?/Is it true there are powers that we can call our own?/Is it true there is someone whose wonders stand alone?/Is it true what they say, is it true?"

116.   “The Christmas Wish” from John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together 
Kermit and John Denver did a duet of this song in their 1979 Christmas TV special, but I much prefer the album version which is just Kermit solo. There are only a handful of Kermit songs that are as poignant, beautiful, and meaningful as this song. This is not only one of my favorite Kermit songs, but one of my favorite Christmas songs as well. I can honestly listen to it all year round. It is hopeful and deep and all-around wonderful. Favorite lyrics: "For the truth that binds us all together/I would like to say a simple prayer/That at this special time/You will have true peace of mind/And love to last throughout the coming year."


117.   “Six String Orchestra” from The Muppet Show 
Scooter doesn't have nearly enough great songs under his belt, but thank goodness he does have "Six String Orchestra." Scooter, alone in his room, practices guitar and imagines what it would be like to be a real rock star and his imaginations come to life with Floyd, Janice, Zoot, and Animal. In the end they're all wearing sparkly, colorful, overtly-70s outfits. It's charming and a side of Scooter I love to see. Favorite lyrics: "I'm taking guitar lessons/But my teacher just took leave/It was something about a breakdown/Or needing a reprieve/I know I'll find my future/So I will persevere/And hold on to my dream of making music to their ear."

118.   “Count it Higher” from Sesame Street 
I'm sure even Little Chrissy and his Alphabeats would be impressed by how high we've counted on this list. I'm sure he'd be even more impressed that his song was this high up. This rockin' number is one of those fun Sesame songs that is both educational and entertaining to sing. It's rock and roll, it's arithmetic, it's brilliant! The terrific Christopher Cerf is responsible for this great song. Favorite lyrics: "You went and counted higher, huh!/You really went and counted all the way to ten/You went and counted higher, huh/Now go back to one and start to count again!"

119.   “One Little Star” from Follow That Bird 
Boy, there sure are a lot of truly beautiful songs present on this list this week. This song sung between Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Olivia is one of many emotional highlights of Follow That Bird. The song communicates the plights of all three singers. Big Bird is lonely, Snuffy misses his best friend, Olivia is worried, and all of these emotions come through in one simple song about one little star. The song shines as brightly as that star. Favorite lyrics: "One little star in the darkening blue/Do you long for another/Just the way that I do?"

120.   “Hey a Movie!” from The Great Muppet Caper
Well, here we are, the final song on the list, the finale if you will. Funny that the last song is the first song in The Great Muppet Caper. This number might just be my favorite opening of any Muppet movie. It does an incredible amount plot-wise, introducing Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo as newspaper employees, stealing Lady Holiday's jewels, and showing off Nicky Holiday. Plus, Sweetums falls in a manhole, Richard Hunt drives a cab, and Gonzo takes a picture of a chicken. What more could you want?! Favorite lyrics: "There'll be spectacle, there'll be fantasy/There'll be daring-do and stuff like you would never see/Hey a movie!/Yeah, we're gonna be in a movie/Starring everybody--and me!"

And that's that! 120 Awesome Muppet Songs complete and ready for you to listen to forever and ever. For curious minds, I've run the numbers, and Jerry Nelson led or dueted in the most songs on the list (as I predicted last week), Jim Henson came in second, Steve Whitmire in third, and Frank Oz in fourth. Surprising? You tell me! Sound off in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter to tell us which awesome Muppet songs you're upset that we might have missed! Because with so many fantastic Muppet songs to choose from, I guarantee you we had to exclude at least one. Thanks for joining us in the fun, Muppet fans!





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

News Update: March 2, 2012

NEWS UPDATE: March 2, 2012

In news about something you should do right this second if you have Netflix: Go watch Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. The touching, heartwarming, beautiful documentary about Kevin Clash and his journey into the world of Jim Henson is now online for instant streaming on Netflix and you can watch it right this second. So why aren't you?! Work? School? Personal responsibilities? Fuh! Go watch! I finally got to see this wonderful film for myself last week and I was more than moved. I teared up, I had shivers, and I was blown away by how amazing Kevin's story truly is. Be sure to check this out for yourself if you can... but if not, Being Elmo will be available on DVD in April.

Major crazy/random news this week as everyone's favorite go-fer, Scooter, made an appearance and gave a speech at the TED Conference in Santa Barbara, California. Yes, that Scooter. By himself. Giving a speech. In 2012. I don't know how it happened either, but the TED Blog has a recap of the events and our pals at Muppet Wiki somehow found a video of the incredible appearance which you can watch below. But first... how awesome are Scooter, David Rudman, The Muppets Studio, and TED for making this happen? SO awesome.



As you all (probably) know, the Academy Awards were last weekend and The Muppets took home an Oscar for "Man or Muppet" (which was probably the most awesome thing since the movie). Well, you probably also know that there was a massive amount of pre-show content on both ABC and E! Well, on the latter, Kermit the Frog made an appearance with Glee's Darren Criss. The talented duo performed Kermit's classic "Rainbow Connection" before the Red Carpet began and... well, it was beautiful. You can watch and listen to the song on E! Online!

Speaking of the Oscars, you should also know that Kermit and Miss Piggy appeared at the ceremony to introduce Cirque du Soleil (we don't wanna talk about it). Well, the frog and the pig also made the red carpet rounds and appeared only very briefly on the red carpet telecasts. Their appearance caused such a fervor, however, that people all over Twitter mentioned Miss Piggy in their tweets with the hashtag "#bestdressed." So many people tweeted that Piggy was the best dressed, in fact, that she was the fifth most tweeted Best Dressed celebrity on the red carpet. Do you realize how major this is? Miss Piggy was voted the FIFTH BEST DRESSED ahead of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and countless other starlets. Also very much worth mentioning... the Best Original Song win for "Man or Muppet" was the fifth most tweeted about moment of the entire Oscars telecast. That's huge. Muppet domination isn't going anywhere, people!

And now, probably the biggest news since Scooter presented at the TED Conference (probably even bigger than that), according to huge entertainment resource, Vulture, The Walt Disney Company has tapped director of The Muppets James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller to write another Muppet movie!! This is MAJOR news. Literally less than six months after the release of The Muppets, another film has already been put into the works by Disney. If that doesn't spell confidence in the characters and the filmmakers and the performers, I don't know what does. You will, of course, notice that Jason Segel is not writing the script this go around--but not because Disney doesn't want him to. Jason is a star with huge commitments--currently starring in two feature films, writing another, and starring in his hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He is simply too busy to commit to writing another movie. There is no saying that Jason won't produce or appear in the movie, but it is far too soon to tell. Just don't get in an uproar, Muppet fans... unless it's an uproar about how unbelievably thrilled you are that another Muppet movie is in the works already!

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

What to Watch to See Muppets at the Oscars

Today's the big day! It's officially Oscar Sunday and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are officially scheduled to appear on and around the Academy Awards telecast tonight which starts at 8:30pm/7:30pm central on ABC. Still no word yet on what they're presenting, but with Kermit and Piggy it's sure to be fantastic. You can actually see Kermit and Piggy talking with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president, Tom Sherak, in an exclusive clip from Entertainment Weekly. Piggy grabs her Oscar... but she doesn't get to keep it.

Tonight is also a huge night for The Muppets (the movie) because, as you obviously know, "Man or Muppet" is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It only has one song ("Real in Rio" from Rio) as its competition, so confidence in the Muppets winning their first ever Oscar is running high. Song writer Bret McKenzie will be present at the ceremony, but there's no word on whether or not Jason Segel will be there as well. There are various rumors of a few "Muppet surprises" at the ceremony... but nothing specific has been mentioned. Either way, I'm sending all my support to Bret McKenzie and whoever else is there representing The Muppets as "Man or Muppet" goes up for its award!

But the Awards telecast isn't the only place you can see Muppets. Yesterday it was confirmed that Glee's talented singer Darren Criss would be performing "Rainbow Connection" with Kermit the Frog on E!'s Red Carpet coverage today as well. No word on when exactly Kermit and Darren are performing, however, because "E! Live from the Red Carpet," when they're performing, starts at 5:30pm/4:30pm central time and ends at 8:30pm/7:30pm central time. I've recorded the whole thing on my TiVo... so somehow I'll be seeing Kermit and Darren Criss perform! Criss actually has a fantastic voice, so this should be a great performance. You can see a live streaming of E!'s actual Red Carpet coverage on E! Online.

It has been confirmed (by a picture tweeted by Kelly Osbourne of all people) that Kermit and Miss Piggy are walking the Red Carpet tonight as well!! They'll probably appear on both ABC and E!'s coverage of the Red Carpet. ABC's Red Carpet coverage starts at 7:00pm/6:00pm central time. However, nothing is confirmed, so if you can only watch one, E! is probably the way to go.

So... in conclusion: Kermit and Piggy are presenting, "Man or Muppet" doesn't have much competition, and Kermit and Darren Criss are singing "Rainbow Connection" and it'll probably all be awesome.

Image of Kermit and Miss Piggy practicing their Red Carpet walk tweeted by Kelly Osbourne

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