Muppeteer Fran Brill's official retirement

[cjd874]

My first memory of seeing one of Fran's characters was when I watched the video I'm Glad I'm Me. It had Prairie Dawn's face pageant sketch in it. I grew up watching Zoe and Prairie a lot on SS, as they were featured prominently in the mid-1990s. I will definitely miss hearing Zoe's laugh, and Prairie's groans of exasperation. Fran brought great humor, poignance, and acting chops to every Henson-related project she was involved in. God bless you Fran, and we all wish you the best.

I just found this photo and thought I'd post it here.

My thoughts on this photo (taken at the Daytime Emmys in 1974):
1) Three of these people have passed away. Caroll is the only one who still performs regularly on the show. That hit me hard.
2) Fran is a beauty, no? But is she really that short?
3) Caroll, Jerry, and Richard's hair is just too much.

Anyway Fran, you will be deeply missed! It's been quite a journey, and we thank you for your services to Sesame Street and generations of kids around the world.

 

[D'Snowth]

3) Caroll, Jerry, and Richard's hair is just too much.

Jim was quite the trend setter.

 

[mbmfrog]

Mrs. Brill deserved her retirement. Her work for Sesame Street will be missed.

Kind of feel bad that we never got to see how Prairie Dawn would react to meeting Abby Cadabby.

Still, here's the best wishes to a wonderful lady in Muppet history.

 

[MelissaY1]

Considering that he isn't listed as a performer this season, I almost want to think that he's just too busy with Disney at the moment.

There was a different performer definitely playing Ernie when I watched the show last week. It was an episode where Bert needed his bike fixed and Luis was helping him fix it.

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

There was a different performer definitely playing Ernie when I watched the show last week. It was an episode where Bert needed his bike fixed and Luis was helping him fix it.

That's the point I was making. If Ernie has a new performer and Steve isn't listed in the credits, then it's fair to assume that Steve is no longer performing on the show.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

As for Frank and Steve, Frank is no longer with SST in any kind of official capacity, as they, "Can't afford him," but he does devote one day of the year to perform on the show, "For fun," meanwhile yeah, I think it's pretty much the accepted theory right now that Steve is too involved with the Classic Muppets to work on SST right now... even though back in the day, with all the various different projects he had going on all over the world, Jim was able to give SST a week out of the year of his time (same with Frank and Jerry and the rest of them).

That's the point I was making. If Ernie has a new performer and Steve isn't listed in the credits, then it's fair to assume that Steve is no longer performing on the show.

Well, thanks for that info Snowth and Muppetfan. So I'm guessing it will be Billy doing Ernie in next Friday's ep. That's sad, but it's understandable. I'm sure we'll still hear Steve as and. I guess we have to accept the fact that with a long-running show like "Sesame Street" not all Muppeteers will be around forever.

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

I guess we have to accept the fact that with a long-running show like "Sesame Street" not all Muppeteers will be around forever.

I have a real hunch that we're gonna lose Caroll when we least expect it.

 

[fozzieisfunny]

I have a real hunch that we're gonna lose Caroll when we least expect it.

God, I hope we don't. That would be terrible.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Season 46 hasn´t been taped, they are expecting to start production of the new season in january..

So by then, for Fran and Steve, it's "go bye bye!"

I have a real hunch that we're gonna lose Caroll when we least expect it.

Well as I mentioned in an earlier thread, Carroll has been quoted as stating that he would perform BB until he can no longer hold up the head, so I really think whenever it happens, we'd see it coming. So far I don't see any signs of that aside from Matt doing the Bird at the end of the "Proud to be Me" segment, but that happens every once in a while, especially since JTE is no longer on the show. They need to get Matt's Big Bird on the show every once in a while.

The funny thing is that Carroll is the one who had an understudy and he's still active as Big Bird. On the other hand, Fran's never really had anyone perform her characters when she wasn't available and as for Billy Backhurst as Ernie I didn't know about him until I saw "Bert's Training Wheels." So this is obviously a new thing as well. I missed out on the SSL productions sadly. Anyway, just thought I'd point out that bit of irony there.

 

[mbmfrog]

I have a real hunch that we're gonna lose Caroll when we least expect it.

The day that happens will be a true heartbreaking for me and almost everyone who grew up with the Bird and the Grouch.