I was ten feet from KERMIT yesterday!

[Vic Romano]

About filming with the muppeteer in view. Jim Henson talked about this and said alot of people feel uncomfortable when they see the puppeteer controlling the puppet but he doesnt try to hide the fact that he is making the puppet talk, they'll always pay more attention to kermit than him. (Non muppet fans anyway, lol) He said that in a documentary I have about the life of jim henson.

Would that be the Great Performances thing from PBS? A GREAT video and a must for all fans. Mr. Oz says that one special thing he really adored about Jim was how there was no sickening adoration for the physical puppets, it's not like they were careful and precious with them, but rather chaotic and spontanious and never went out of there way to hide the puppeteer. He said that the characters themselves were so charismatic and exceptional that kids and adults alike were so enthralled with them that they actually focused on the puppet as if it were alive and real and actually continue to talk directly to the puppet even between and after takes, completely forgetting there was someone just below operating them.

And as for you pennyring, I envy you more then any human being alive right now!!!

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH lol , oMG OMG OMG guys remeber I've been askin this ALL year loooong since Disney got the Muppets!? WOW!!! soooo cool is all i can say! First Bear and NOW Kermit, Piggy AND Gonzo too! Ahhhh SWEET!!!!!

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

They acted like it was just Kermit, Piggy and Gonzo, but who knows??? They were filming different segments of the parade on different days, so its certainly possible. We got the feeling it was just Kermit, Piggy and Gonzo though. They were the only ones there that day. However, they're also filming the parade in Walt Disney World, so perhaps more of the Muppets will be broadcasting from there? Seems silly to have some of them in California and some in Florida though.

I know Ashanti is going to perform (she filmed Sunday in Disneyland) and Regis is also hosting (perhaps he's the host in Walt Disney World?? Not sure.)

At different points in the filming the director would give us different cues. He would read one of Regis' or Ashanti's lines and Kermit would reply. When Kermit introduced Ashanti's performance we were supposed to clap and cheer, etc. We're all, "Ashanti who?" Haha.. it was fun anyway. Kermit and Piggy also talked about making the Wizard of Oz with Ashanti, etc.

It was really interesting to see what parts of the Disneyland Christmas Parade will be broadcast. It is truly a neutered version of the actual parade. For continuity's sake, you can't have Mickey or Santa in both parades, so the DisneyLAND version had only a few characters. Pluto, Clarabelle, Ariel, Pinocchio and Gepetto are the only characters I remember seeing on the floats.

Missing characters normally in the parade include Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Max, Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Reindeer, Buzz Lightyear and Woody. Frosty the snowman was on Chip and Dale's float (they were MIA) and the entire Princess float (including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderlla, Belle and all their Princes and dancers) was also missing. I'm guessing they will all be on the Walt Disney World floats when the parade is broadcast.

Yeah some one here menched that a Bear in the Big blue house segment was beeing flim when they where in Walt Disney World in FL. Every year Regis and Kelly both host and then they say somthing like "Ok and now where going to the DisneyLand resort in CA", and a host (normaly some one from one of Disney ABC shows) will show up show some stuff from the parade there in CA. Mannnnnnnnn, lol Im STILL worked up about Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo beeing there! Ha, i know i'll be taping it, well i tape them every year but man...The Muppets are gonna be there!

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

Would that be the Great Performances thing from PBS? A GREAT video and a must for all fans. Mr. Oz says that one special thing he really adored about Jim was how there was no sickening adoration for the physical puppets, it's not like they were careful and precious with them, but rather chaotic and spontanious and never went out of there way to hide the puppeteer. He said that the characters themselves were so charismatic and exceptional that kids and adults alike were so enthralled with them that they actually focused on the puppet as if it were alive and real and actually continue to talk directly to the puppet even between and after takes, completely forgetting there was someone just below operating them.

And as for you pennyring, I envy you more then any human being alive right now!!!

I think thats the one. I have a VHS tape that was available widely here in Australia at one time and its entitled "The World of Jim Henson" and its a documentary of his life so im pretty sure it would be the same one. I recommend this to any fan, it made me even more of a fan, I love it and sometimes even get a bit emotional at the end in the funeral part.

 

[McFraggle]

That's a nice story. I'm glad to see Disney is using the Muppets as much as they can.

 

[sarah_yzma]

oh I can't wait to see the parade!!! I saw the WDW Christmas parade in person last year (not when it was taped) and it made all the times I had watched in on TV even MORE special...and now with the Muppets! wow!

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I wonder if this will be seen on Australian TV or Australian pay TV! If it is on pay TV I'll have to get someone to record it to tape or DVD for me.

 

[Xela]

AHH!!! That is so cool!