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My day with Caroll Spinney in Framingham MA today!

Kevin Knight

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hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much I've had performances to deal with and vocal issues, along with rennovations to my home, etc. I just e-mailed Steve about the Muppet cast interview. So I think for the sake of keeping you interested I won't divuldge the story. You'll just have to tune in. How did i do Steve?

From what CS told me it was Fred Roger's who suggested the taking off the puppet so that viewers could see how Carrol works inside the puppet. The having Big Bird be in the land of make believe. Jim wouldn't let it happen. I'll go into greater detail but this is what Carrol was refferring to when he said in his opinion "things are taken a little more seriously over" on the Street, than in the Muppet theater. Same thing back in the Muppet heyday of The Muppet Movie and Caperl; Jim was very very protective over him and Kermit not being seen together, and people seeing/hearing Kermit's voice coming out of Jim. The same was true of Jim's feelings about any of the characters. Caroll referred to it as "the magic." Caroll was also upset when he found out people had video of him 50/50 in the bird that was used in the Jim Henson A&E documentary. What is this Sesame "Unpaved" book?
 

doctort13

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Great to read about your meeting Carroll. He is THE GREATEST!

I have met him a few times in my life, and he is so friendly and cool to talk to.

He is the reason I am a puppeteer.
 

Kevin Knight

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Just spoke to Steve Swanson and we will be conducting our interview on Dec 30th. I though it was weird but Caroll was a bit like Santa Claus. He actually smelled like Gingerbread, made me feel like a child even more so.

Kevin
 

KerMatttheFrog

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Kevin,

I am definitely envious. I am hoping to meet Carroll at some time in the near future.

I don't know if it has been touched on at the forum, but my mom cut out a newspaper article about him. I guess there was a child who was dying of cancer. Carroll called him and talked with him on the phone as Big Bird for some time. As the boy was about to expire, his mother was crying. He told her not to cry "because Big Bird is my friend now".

That was the story in a nutshell, but reading the actual story brought major tears to my eyes. I think it just demonstrates the amazing influence and connection that Spinney has built with his audience.
 
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