i would LOVE to see the church...but talk about a logistical nightmare. can you imagine the kind of crap Palisades would get for making a CHURCH...the religious people would get upset because it's not being used like a church, and the non-religious people would be upset that a church was made as a playset. someone would inevitably complain, and loudly.
furthermore, in regards to the stage playset. if we were still ONLY getting Muppet Show figures, i would absolutely say, "bring on the deluxe stage". however, with the addition of the movie licenses, the playing field has been changed. the entire "hook" to the deluxe stage is being able to put the other playsets in it so you can re-enact the Muppet Show. so where does the EM Bus fit into that? or the ship? or Happiness Hotel? you see where i'm going with this?
if you're going to have a hook, you'd better make sure you're using the right bait...the movie stuff just doesn't fit with the stage concept, making the idea self-limiting. i think Gumby may be on to something though in making the actual stage the "back wall" of the set. Palisades could even include a platform that raises whichever playset you're using to stage level fairly cheaply...with maybe a fake wall that you can move back and forth, or even remove depending on what you're doing at the time. to echo what others have said though, i have YET to be disappointed with Palisades, and i'm sure that whatever they do it's going to be excellent. i'm just thrilled they had the...commitment to ask the fans for input. you don't see that very often.