Where is Steve Whitmire Petition

[Jamie B]

Kuriboh Man, John Tartaglia played Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q. You're probably thinking of Rick Lyon as Nicky. I'm pretty sure neither John nor Rick are still working with Sesame Street or the Muppets.

John was invited back to perform the lead character in Sesame's Pre-School Musical spoof as recently as Season 39 (alongside Stephanie D'Abruzzo as the female lead), so the door is seemingly still open for him.

 

[Blinky_Fish]

That's correct, Rick Lyon was blacklisted from ever performing on Sesame Street again due to violating another Muppet performer's private notes for a TV show pilot the particular performer was working on at the time. Very strange and scary indeed, but true.

Whatty What-na? 'splain yo' self

 

[muppetinsider]

It's true and happened back in the early 2000's. That's just one incident that happened with David Rudman, who at the time was working on a show idea. This is from the mouth of Rudman himself, I just know what I heard.
But let's stick to the topic which is Steve. Steve has a personal and private life as well, and it's really no ones business what happened to Steve Whitmire. I assure you all he is alive and well, but sometimes things come up just like with anyone else.
Artie did a terrific job for his first live appearance as Kermit, and in time will blossom into the Muppet family just beautifully. He has Jim's tone, and that's all you need to craft Kermit into the calm and collective sole that he really is.

 

[SarahOnBway]

It's true and happened back in the early 2000's. That's just one incident that happened with David Rudman, who at the time was working on a show idea. This is from the mouth of Rudman himself, I just know what I heard.
But let's stick to the topic which is Steve. Steve has a personal and private life as well, and it's really no ones business what happened to Steve Whitmire. I assure you all he is alive and well, but sometimes things come up just like with anyone else.
Artie did a terrific job for his first live appearance as Kermit, and in time will blossom into the Muppet family just beautifully. He has Jim's tone, and that's all you need to craft Kermit into the calm and collective sole that he really is.

Every time you come here you write as if Steve is over and done with and we should all just move on to Artie. I'm sorry, but most of us are just not ready to do that and, until we are given an explanation, will not accept Artie as the new Kermit. We're not butting into Steve's personal life, he doesn't owe us any more information than necessary. We'd just like to know the situation as it stands. As people who care about both the Muppets and their Muppeteers, when things like this happen, we get anxious and nervous for all parties involved. Kermit is a public figure: a performer change like this DEMANDS reasons and explanations.

 

[Rendal]

The Muppets are valuable and important properties to the Walt Disney Company. It would be foolish for Disney not to have understudies ready for all the characters. Perhaps this is just a case of the understudy filling in for the main guy. It's also important to have someone ready for when a transition does inevitably happen. Matt Vogel is the understudy to Carol Spinney and Jerry Nelson on Sesame Street.

That being said, I think it's a fair question to ask. Has the torch been passed or is this just a fill in type thing? The AGT and VMA appearances could have been last minute things, and he might not have been able to fly out for them.

The actor Topol has been doing his farewell tour in the theater production of Fiddler on the Roof. He apparently missed 5 shows during the LA run. People were upset. Not exactly the same, but still fans love Steve and when he wasn't there they were upset and concerned .

 

[frogboy4]

Artie did a terrific job for his first live appearance as Kermit, and in time will blossom into the Muppet family just beautifully. He has Jim's tone, and that's all you need to craft Kermit into the calm and collective sole that he really is.

I have to completely disagree with everything stated in this quoted portion.

IMHO, this new "Shmermit the Forg" is a hollow impersonation of what the performer perceives to be Jim Henson's Kermit instead of really trying to inhabit the frog himself and lend his own Kermitness to the role as Steve has done. I don't give it a failing grade, but I would give it a solid D. Basically this replacement frog is a stammering and unremarkable Kermit impersonation. I don't believe anything can be built or grown upon this impersonation tactic.

I miss Steve. Do you "know" that he's gone for good or are you speculating?

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

its been said before and again im not gonna single anyone out cause i dont know this is just theory, but i feel a few us on here know the real answer and whether it be contract or bias opinions on how you think kermit should sound , they are leaving us in the dark out a spite. no ones asking to spill your guts all we wanna know is where is steve, is he home, on vacation, ill? all simple questions

 

[Drtooth]

But let's stick to the topic which is Steve. Steve has a personal and private life as well, and it's really no ones business what happened to Steve Whitmire. I assure you all he is alive and well, but sometimes things come up just like with anyone else.

You know... I was just about to say that earlier this morning but... well... forgot. There could have been a personal reason why he was unable, and I think we're starting to get a little out of hand here. Unless Disney actually fired him for some reason, any other reason why he wasn't able to make it could very well be a private matter, and I wonder if we're going too far if it is indeed something in his personal life.

 

[JimmyDeanDog]

I wasn't harrassing ANYONE - and it 'wasn't' a receptionist...

My BEST GUESS here is that Steve is (or has) taken
some time off because of his 50th birthday coming up

A call to Henson's company in L.A. earlier in the week
DID have their receptionist indicate when I asked politely
that Steve IS still doing Kermie by 'their' understanding...

That's all I'm going to persue as I'm awaiting just a few
more e-mail replies -
- we'll hear about Steve - soon enough!

 

[CBPuppets]

Maybe it might be a mid-life Crisis Related thing. but your guess is as good as mine. It would be kinda useful if someone here could contact The People who worked with him like Dave Goelz or Eric Jacobson.