Muppet Voice Comparisons

[Drtooth]

To be fair, I'm not sure anyone could completely match Richard's enthusiasm!

Richard was one of a kind, and he had an amazing and unique voice. Fraggle Rock Animated's Junior Gorg proved that (difference here, at least these guys are TRYING to sound like Richard).

David has been recast in a LOT of Richard's roles, going far back as the Cosby Show where he performed Sweetums while Richard was a sandwich.

When it comes down to a performance, there's several things to consider... personality should always come first, availability a close section. Sounding the same is important, sure, but not as the others. That's why certain other characters bounce back and forth from performer to performer and some never even get a major recast. I remember Dr. Teeth going through several performers, and only for one line at a time in projects. A character is a very personal thing, and sometimes you luck out and find someone who can do both a voice and a personality...

I am grateful for recasting... I believe we should have new characters, but keep the old as best we can. When someone leaves or passes, those characters cause a gap... and a lot of characters get created and lost to fill that out. Sesame Street to be sure... that's one of the reasons there's so much Elmo...

 

[CensoredAlso]

When it comes down to a performance, there's several things to consider... personality should always come first, availability a close section.

But see none of that matters if the writing isn't what it should be.

 

[dwmckim]

But see none of that matters if the writing isn't what it should be.

Hmm...well good point but while writing can play a part with how well a recast is received (i do think half of the criticism with Steve's Kermit during his first decade has to do more with his writing than Steve's performance), a good recast can transcend that given (a) many times the Muppeteer's performances make a script better - either helping a weaker script still come off better or making a great script incredible and (b) many times a Muppet will work without a script such as in interviews and the recast must be able to improv the character well enough if that situation - another reason why Muppeteers are more than the voices.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hmm...well good point but while writing can play a part with how well a recast is received (i do think half of the criticism with Steve's Kermit during his first decade has to do more with his writing than Steve's performance), a good recast can transcend that given (a) many times the Muppeteer's performances make a script better - either helping a weaker script still come off better or making a great script incredible and (b) many times a Muppet will work without a script such as in interviews and the recast must be able to improv the character well enough if that situation - another reason why Muppeteers are more than the voices.

In my experience it is very difficult for even excellent actors to save a badly written script.

I'm going to be honest and say a lot of the recent Muppet improv interviews have contained far too many tasteless jokes for my liking. Improv can be wonderful, or it can crash and burn. It's pure hit or miss.

 

[Drtooth]

Hmm...well good point but while writing can play a part with how well a recast is received (i do think half of the criticism with Steve's Kermit during his first decade has to do more with his writing than Steve's performance), a good recast can transcend that given (a) many times the Muppeteer's performances make a script better - either helping a weaker script still come off better or making a great script incredible and (b) many times a Muppet will work without a script such as in interviews and the recast must be able to improv the character well enough if that situation - another reason why Muppeteers are more than the voices.

You cannot blame an actor trying to act the heck out of a bad script. Oz was a terrible idea period, but the performers gave it their all, even though Ashanti's lack of acting and chemistry made the entire thing feel awkward. So far, I still feel that was the worst project to date, and the only thing that was a true disappointment... I still didn't see KSY, but it has to be real horrid to be worse than that. As for the other things, MCC, MTI had great scripts, MFS had a good one that was put through a shredder by the director, VMX was a product of its time, and doesn't age well, but still had some great moments, LTS needed more time in gestation, and we're not going to know about TM until it comes out.

As for the improving... yeah, the Kermit and Piggy caustic relationship bit? I swear someone in charge goads the puppeteers into that. When the conversation goes away from the lame caustic relationship (now I'm wishing they DID marry Kermit and Piggy off), the improv is great and organic... it clearly seems forced by some higher up because someone gets the impression that's constantly funny.

I have nothing BUT respect for Steve's Kermit, especially after hearing stories about how he just couldn't bring himself to do it for a while. But someone IS swaying the conversation towards those old jokes, and I doubt it's him.

 

[Canadian Fan]

And now, everyone's favorite lab assistant, Beaker!

(Richard Hunt & Steve Whitmire)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZoj6JaevPo

To answer dwmckim's question, the one posting these has posted several clips of each performer in the clip (there's a few that I just posted links because there wasn't a composite video available).

 

[beakerboy12]

Now for everyone's favorite ogre/monster/club wielder/Richard Hunt-performed monster, Sweetums!

(Carl Banas, Richard Hunt, John Henson, David Rudman, & Noel MacNeal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPFjAKpRuQc&feature=channel_video_title

And here's another Floyd Pepper , this time including John Kennedy's Floyd!

(Jerry Nelson, John Henson, & Matt Vogel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLzB-i5SwK0&feature=channel_video_title

 

[Canadian Fan]

The previous videos that I've posted links for are now on this channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuppetVoicesAndMore#p/u/4/gLzB-i5SwK0

Rowlf (Jim Henson & Bill Barretta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx3Y6mqDi_s

 

[mr3urious]

It's really hard to screw up something as simple as a "meep" for Beaker, so Steve did a perfect job here.

 

[Canadian Fan]

Here's Miss Piggy! (Jerry Nelson, Fran Brill, Richard Hunt, Frank Oz, and Eric Jacobson)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtm6bDKtyT4