So you want to audition for the Muppets?

[ToasterBoy]

Hey, as I said, I was just playing Devil's Advocate. I want nothing but the best for the Muppets!

Grant

 

[BEAR]

The current Muppeteers won't be replaced. That's silly. What would the point be in that, unless they died or retired or something. Bill Barretta is still new to the Muppets and Eric Jacobson just joined the main performers. Steve Whitmire is far from retiring.

 

[TopperFraggle]

Disney's so careful nowadays with their own characters- making sure that there's total consistency throughout the company, that I'm surprised that they would be so cavalier with their new acquisitions, the Muppets. Back in the 70's and 80's, there was a main voice for Mickey but he really only did the film stuff. When the parks needed a Mickey voice they just had somebody impersonate it, and it really wasn't that great. I have an old commercial for the electrical parade with the same person doing Mickey, Donald, and Goofy and it's alwful! You can totally tell it's the same guy. It wasn't until the mid 80's that they really reigned that in and made sure that there was 1 Mickey, 1 Donald, 1 Goofy. While I'd love to do this Muppet thing, I think it would be best for Disney to be consistent with the Muppets.

 

[ToasterBoy]

The current Muppeteers won't be replaced. That's silly.

But isn't that, in some sorta way, what's happening with these auditions?

Again, just bringing it up for discussion.

Grant

 

[BEAR]

I dunno. They must have their reasons for it. It just occured to me though that this sorta sounds like hiring all those mall Santas.

 

[BEAR]

But isn't that, in some sorta way, what's happening with these auditions?

Again, just bringing it up for discussion.

Grant

Oh, I totally am understanding what you are saying.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

I don't believe this is about replacing any of the current Muppeteers in any sort of way.

It seems like they want the Muppet characters to be able to make personal appearances when the main guys aren't available or it isn't practical to send them.

And Disney may have locked in on one set of actors to play the Fab Five, but they haven't with others. The current Snow White voice in the Disneyland fireworks show is terrible. Sounds nothing like her.

And Warner Bros. has gone one step farther. They don't have one actor assigned to any of Mel Blanc's or Daws Butler's characters anymore. They don't want to be caught with their pants down again when a single actor dies and takes their whole stable of characters with him.

This Muppet thing seems to be more along those lines. If one of the main performers dies or retires, they'll have trained people ready to step in, rather than having to start from scratch. Which, now that I read this back, kind of negates my first sentence. Maybe this IS about replacing the current guys... IF THERE'S A DISASTER!

 

[Jinx]

Again, to invoke the broadway scenario, The Phantom of the Opera has been playing on broadway for nearly 18 years now, and many actors/actresses have played the leads in that show. Those are cast replacements. But the tour is also playing simultaneously, so they need other performers for the tour. it seems to me like this is more of an "other" casting, not a "replacement" casting situation.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Again, to invoke the broadway scenario, The Phantom of the Opera has been playing on broadway for nearly 18 years now, and many actors/actresses have played the leads in that show. Those are cast replacements. But the tour is also playing simultaneously, so they need other performers for the tour. It seems to me like this is more of an "other" casting, not a "replacement" casting situation.

I think you've hit the nail on the head exactly! Very well put.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

That, AND there's no performer for Jerry's characters now, either. As far as I know, anyhow.