Save the Muppets

[Fozzie Bear]

also he doesn't say anything for the performers who got pick at the auditions for Sesame Street!

There's an article I read from Australia that is about the "new" SS shows where "cookies" are a sometimes food. We've already been subjected to those articles here.

The Australian article has a representative interviewed as saying the "One Muppet, One Voice," but apparently was either dumb to the fact, or just playing off someone else's miscommunication, that Sesame Workshop WAS there at the auditions and taking auditions. I think Kevin Clash was actually there for the SW folks.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

There's an article I read from Australia that is about the "new" SS shows where "cookies" are a sometimes food. We've already been subjected to those articles here.

The Australian article has a representative interviewed as saying the "One Muppet, One Voice," but apparently was either dumb to the fact, or just playing off someone else's miscommunication, that Sesame Workshop WAS there at the auditions and taking auditions. I think Kevin Clash was actually there for the SW folks.

yeah Kevin was there for SW, i talked to him for 3mins if that @ the NYC auditions! VERY nice guy! and yes... I know about the article

 

[Marky]

yeah Kevin was there for SW, i talked to him for 3mins if that @ the NYC auditions! VERY nice guy! and yes... I know about the article

Yes, he was in T.O., too. Him look bored. Him Jar-Jar.

 

[scarecroe]

Eric and Steve speak about "One Muppet. One Voice."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlp5WCZAMLQ

Also, for the full text on the article Kevin mentioned, see the last three paragraphs of this article:
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18389868-28377,00.html

 

[OverUnderAround]

The Simple Truth

The Simple Truth is this:
No Muppeteers are going to be replaced.
The Muppet Holding Company has found it's new Occasional Muppeteers that will do Fozzie, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo. Possible other auditions someday for other characters such as Janice, Floyd, etc.

These Occasional Muppeteers are marketing tools to expand the Muppet awareness to the general public by having them appear at certain events...nothing more.

Kynan (who is not a kid by the way) is either a friend of Muppet writer Jim Lewis or Steve or Dave or Bill Baretta. And through Kynan at least one of them is voicing their anger not that they are being replaced, but that they have to share the spotlight with someone else performing their character around the country. That's all it comes down to.

It seems like Steve, Dave and Bill have had their egos bruised.

What I can't figure out is why don't Steve, Dave and Bill want to be part of the upcoming marketing campaign? If there told (for example) to perform on a Disney cruise ship for 3-months why not? What else do they have to do? They can work that into their schedules.

They make union wage...just like the new Occasional Muppeteers that will fill in for them at some ventures.

So the new talent is union... just like the Muppeteers, so they are not cheap labor as Kynan had originally thought. And some of the Occasional Muppeteers hired are current Muppeteers so I'm told.

So from what I understand, most hired have worked for the Muppets before.

Anyway, the whole topic is old news and should just fade away.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Well, from a phone conversation I had recently with someone anonymous (because we all want to keep our jobs, don't we), the majority of those selected from the auditions HAVE worked with the Muppets before, and are from the field of puppetry entertainment from television to motion pictures.

None of the ones chosen were just fly-by-night puppeteers or amateurs, they're all professionals, all being trained by those who knew Jim Henson, and I don't think it's going to be a bad thing ultimately.

I wouldn't want to see the long-time Muppeteers pushed aside any more than the next fellow, and I honestly don't see that happening.

 

[lionsden]

The Simple Truth is this:
No Muppeteers are going to be replaced.
The Muppet Holding Company has found it's new Occasional Muppeteers that will do Fozzie, Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo. Possible other auditions someday for other characters such as Janice, Floyd, etc.

These Occasional Muppeteers are marketing tools to expand the Muppet awareness to the general public by having them appear at certain events...nothing more.

Kynan (who is not a kid by the way) is either a friend of Muppet writer Jim Lewis or Steve or Dave or Bill Baretta. And through Kynan at least one of them is voicing their anger not that they are being replaced, but that they have to share the spotlight with someone else performing their character around the country. That's all it comes down to.

It seems like Steve, Dave and Bill have had their egos bruised.

What I can't figure out is why don't Steve, Dave and Bill want to be part of the upcoming marketing campaign? If there told (for example) to perform on a Disney cruise ship for 3-months why not? What else do they have to do? They can work that into their schedules.

They make union wage...just like the new Occasional Muppeteers that will fill in for them at some ventures.

So the new talent is union... just like the Muppeteers, so they are not cheap labor as Kynan had originally thought. And some of the Occasional Muppeteers hired are current Muppeteers so I'm told.

So from what I understand, most hired have worked for the Muppets before.

Anyway, the whole topic is old news and should just fade away.

The amount of uninformed opinions on this matter is staggering. It's frightening to see so many people fall in line with a standpoint for which no one has any basis other than speculation.

The reality of multiple performers per character is very real. It's been talked about at Disney since the purchase. This has nothing to do with bruised egos, but with factual information as to the future of the Muppets. Decisions being made by the penny-pinchers who say what happens with the characters.

Read the mission statement at savethemuppets.com as it was written by someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Yea but this whole thing about Steve and Eric being fumed about this is really ridiculous; first of all neither of them are the original performers; and on top of that neither of them are any good at portraying the characters! Have you heard Piggy or Grover or Fozzie lately??? It's unwatchable! If Disney was smart they would replace him all together. And Steve's Kermit? Come on. I know a handfull of people who aren't even puppeteers who can do a better Kermit closer to Jim's. So these guys really aren't in any position to say anything. Except for Dave; it should really be up to him if he performs Gonzo or not.
Let's just hope that Steve and Eric will be replaced by someone who can voice the characters more accurately!

I have to respectfully disagree. I was part of the auditions in LA, and was hoping for that "dream job," but Steve and Eric and Bill are all great performers and do a great job.

Again, the whole process of the auditions were NOT to replace original performers.

Read the mission statement at savethemuppets.com as it was written by someone who knows what they're talking about.

From one side of the coin they may know something, but not everything. Those involved in the auditions and the casting of new puppeteers have said all along that this is not to replace the original performers.

It just won't happen. The Muppet fan base is too large for them to not listen. At the same time, it's a good idea to have folks on the sidelines and, with only the handful of people who made it to the final workshops I don't see 100's of Kermits floating around the world taking on a different personality each time.

These are all people that have worked with the Muppets, and even Jim Henson/Frank Oz/Steve/Dave/Bill at some point or another in the past. I think there my have been one out of the bunch that hasn't and from what I heard he's a great performer.

There will always be two sides to every issue and we will hear plenty from one side, but I really wish Diz would send in their MHC folks here to disspell any rumors or set straight just what the plans are so everyone could rest easy.

 

[Philip Kippel]

From one side of the coin they may know something, but not everything. Those involved in the auditions and the casting of new puppeteers have said all along that this is not to replace the original performers.

Unfortunately, the idiots at ToughPigs.com still don't get it!

I don't go to the ToughPigs forum anymore because of most of the members' illogical and imbecillic behaviors.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

Unfortunately, the idiots at ToughPigs.com still don't get it!

I don't go to the ToughPigs forum anymore because of most of the members' illogical and imbecillic behaviors.

yeah same here!