So you want to audition for the Muppets?

[Kynan Barker]

One thing we must all remember is that the muppet characters are fictitious characters, the same way that The Phantom in The Phantom of the opera is...Granted that because of their history the Muppets have extremely well-developed characters, but they are fictitious ones nonetheless.

The Broadway analogy almost works, but not quite. All of those stage roles are parts written for an actor to interpret. That's how theater operates -- the writer writes the part, the director casts the part, and for the two hours between curtains, the audience believes that the actor is the part. But only for the two hours between curtains. The Phantom of the Opera doesn't make talk show appearances, and nobody pretends that Jean Valjean stays in character after the finale to have a couple beers with Cosette.

Gonzo wasn't written then cast. Gonzo is an alter ego who evolved from his performer. He came from Dave and he lives within Dave. Gonzo does appear on talk shows, and Gonzo does live a singular life between curtains. Fictitious, yes, but no less real in the audience's mind.

The correct analogy for the Muppet characters is much more akin to Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage. Dame Edna's a character, but she's Barry's character and only his. Perhaps when Barry retires, he'll want the character to live on. That's his decision. But for now, he doesn't expect anybody to accept multiple Ednas.

 

[BEAR]

The Broadway analogy almost works, but not quite. All of those stage roles are parts written for an actor to interpret. That's how theater operates -- the writer writes the part, the director casts the part, and for the two hours between curtains, the audience believes that the actor is the part. But only for the two hours between curtains. The Phantom of the Opera doesn't make talk show appearances, and nobody pretends that Jean Valjean stays in character after the finale to have a couple beers with Cosette.

Gonzo wasn't written then cast. Gonzo is an alter ego who evolved from his performer. He came from Dave and he lives within Dave. Gonzo does appear on talk shows, and Gonzo does live a singular life between curtains. Fictitious, yes, but no less real in the audience's mind.

The correct analogy for the Muppet characters is much more akin to Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage. Dame Edna's a character, but she's Barry's character and only his. Perhaps when Barry retires, he'll want the character to live on. That's his decision. But for now, he doesn't expect anybody to accept multiple Ednas.

Very Very well put.

 

[Kynan Barker]

There are already multiple Mickeys running around the theme parks. I haven't heard anyone complain about him being in two (or three or ten) places at once. As long as they don't run into each other... which they're very careful about.

Was Once Ernie, walkaround costumes are a whole different thing. Nobody's being asked to believe that it's the real thing. There's no possibility of a suit performer being mistaken for the "actual" animated Mickey Mouse. One Muppet, One Voice has no problem with walkaround Muppets, animatronic Muppets, ice-skating Muppets, cartoon Muppets, or any other incarnation of Muppets, provided the audience isn't told, This is the real Kermit. It's multiple, competing versions of the same character that constitute the danger to the Muppets and a fraud to the public.

On the other hand, if your position is that the Muppets died with Jim, then we may as well pack up and go home. That's an argument for Disney to do whatever the heck they want: Headbanger Kermit, Ms Kermit, Fire-breathing Kermit, Terrorist Kermit. What's it matter, Jim's already gone.

It's also a slap in the face to the talented artists who've been continuing Jim's vision for the past fifteen years. What have they been striving for? What, for that matter, are the puppeteers who are planning to audition striving for? If the Muppets are dead, then it's a waste of everybody's time. Trying to get the voices right, trying to get the character right, trying to keep the spirit alive -- everything goes out the window if you admit defeat as of May 1990.

But for me, and I'm sure for most of us here, as long as the Muppet name continues, it's worth fighting to keep Jim's spirit alive. And that means protecting the characters, not throwing them to the wolves. Jim wasn't against making money or being successful. MHC can have their cake and eat it too. They just need to do it with One Muppet, One Voice, not open season character assassination.

 

[OverUnderAround]

I learned a little bit more about the job openings.

Either the job title or job category is called “On-Call Live”

Two things that the Occasional Muppeteer might be called upon to do is:

1) Photo shoots
2) Disney Cruise ship


Photo shoots are no real threat to Muppeteers.

I have heard in the past that other cruise ship lines require on-ship performers to commit to 3 or 6-month contracts at sea. (I don’t know if Disney’s cruise ship has the same policy.) So I think one should ask themselves:
1) Do I get seasick?
2) Can I afford to be away at sea from my family/home/pets/job that long?

That’s something to think about if your planning to audition.

No mention of appearances at malls.
Personally, I can’t see Muppets appearing at malls. That’s not enough exposure to warrant Disney to spend money and time to send an Occasional Muppeteer to such a small venue.

 

[Voiceroy]

Since there is no possible way I can attend any of the 3 auditions, I called to inquire if they were considering auditioning in other major cities like Atlanta (where I live currently).

No one was available so I left a message. Took a day but "Todd" called me back to tell me that unfortunately they are only auditioning in LA, NYC, and Toronto.

He also said they are not accepting any audio/video demos for these auditions due to the nature of the work involved -- it's important for them to see how performers will react in a live setting.

Todd told me that since I already had experience both in puppetry and voiceovers (as well as having performed Kermit for some local events), that I would be a good candidate for this particular job in the Atlanta area if they found they had a need, and he said he would keep my name and contact info on-hand for future reference.

Thankfully, I do have somewhat of a "back door" possibility of still getting in on these auditions as I have an audition for a new Sesame Street character next week. I'm hoping the casting personnel will be aware of the Muppet Holdings audtions and that from my audition, word of mouth might possibly make it back to the right individuals.

I also have a nice bonus that the producers of "Kermit's Swamp Years" (Jim Lewis and Michael Polis) have heard my Kermit impression -- I won their Kermit impression contest at their San Diego Comic-Con panel. Both told me after the panel that my Kermit was "really good" and on the poster they signed for me, Jim wrote, "Steve Whitmire, Look out!"

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Was Once Ernie, walkaround costumes are a whole different thing. One Muppet, One Voice has no problem with walkaround Muppets, animatronic Muppets, ice-skating Muppets, cartoon Muppets, or any other incarnation of Muppets, provided the audience isn't told, This is the real Kermit. It's multiple, competing versions of the same character that constitute the danger to the Muppets and a fraud to the public.

There is no such thing as the REAL Kermit. As I said, the real Kermit died with Jim. You're trying to protect something that doesn't exist.

On the other hand, if your position is that the Muppets died with Jim, then we may as well pack up and go home.

I didn't say the Muppets died with Jim... I said the real Muppets died with Jim. The Muppets are very much alive, being performed by people who care about them.

It's also a slap in the face to the talented artists who've been continuing Jim's vision for the past fifteen years. What have they been striving for? What, for that matter, are the puppeteers who are planning to audition striving for?

What have they been striving for? To do the best job they can do. And that's what the people auditioning will be doing. Do they think they ARE Jim Henson? Of course not. Do they think they ARE Kermit the Frog? I hope not.

And it's not a slap in the face. I've talked to Steve Whitmire. He's doing his verison of Kermit. Granted, he's trying to get as close to Jim as he can, but it's still his version. I told him I was on the fence about what he was doing when I first heard it, but that I thought he had improved greatly. He was very humble and appreciative.

And I know exactly how he feels. I've done some voice matching for some of Daws Butler's characters. Some people liked what I did. Some hated it. But I wrote this dedication:

"Hanna-Barbera, The Greatest Cartoon Sound FX Ever is dedicated to the memory of Daws Butler. I studied acting with Daws for ten years. He was my mentor, my friend, and my West Coast father.

Daws created most of the characters on this album (all but Muttley, Fred Flintstone and Dino). Although he was a diminutive man, I would never attempt to fill his very big shoes. I hope that my impressions of his characters will stand as a tribute to one of the greatest human beings to ever inhabit this wacky planet."

And I believe that's what Steve and everyone who does someone else's characters are doing. A tribute to the originator.

But for me, and I'm sure for most of us here, as long as the Muppet name continues, it's worth fighting to keep Jim's spirit alive. And that means protecting the characters, not throwing them to the wolves. They just need to do it with One Muppet, One Voice, not open season character assassination.

I don't believe Disney is throwing them to the wolves. But I also don't think that One Muppet, One Voice has any meaning once you're already dealing with replacements. For that matter, what is Kermit's One Voice? Even when Jim was doing his own creation, Kermit had two different voices. For lack of better descriptions, I'll call them "the Kermit that sounds like Ernie" and "the Kermit that doesn't sound like Ernie". As late as "The Muppet Movie", he was still using both interpretations. Wanna hear it? Get the CD of the soundtrack of "The Muppet Movie". Play the first two cuts back to back (not difficult to do, since that's the way the first two cuts would actually play anyway). Listen to Kermit on "The Rainbow Connection", then on "Movin' Right Along". They're similar, but different. Which one is the real Kermit? And which one is Steve doing? I'd say he's doing a third one, his own. So, which Kermit will the Occasional Muppeteer do? Well, he'll do his own version. It will be close to one of Jim's versions or maybe it will be closer to Steve's version. It doesn't matter. If it's good and it's coming out of the frog puppet, people will buy it. For that matter, most people can't tell the difference between Jim's Kermit and Steve's. Most people don't care. They just like the character.

My opinion is that this whole uproar is coming from a rather small group of fanatics. The rest of the world just sees the frog and if he's funny, sounds pretty much the same and is performed well, they buy it. And in the end, that's all that matters.

 

[Kynan Barker]

Was Once Ernie, everything you've said is a perfect argument for One Muppet, One Voice. Whether you think of Steve's Kermit as the "real" Kermit or not, the point is, in Steve's hands he's a singular, evolving character. For purposes of argument, it doesn't matter that it's Steve. It matters that Kermit is in one person's hands.

All of the 'different Kermits' you cited from Jim's era just prove that Kermit is an evolving character. He aged and changed and grew as time went on. And since Jim passed away, Kermit has continued to evolve, as Steve has changed and grown and made the role his own.

Multiple concurrent casting takes Kermit out of Steve's hands and puts him into the competing hands of two or three or more performers. Each of whom will be doing their best to find the spirit of Kermit, and each of whom will be giving a different performance. The Kermits will evolve in four different directions, and each of them will relate differently to the other characters. (Each of whom, in turn, will be evolving in different directions!)

The end result is not unlike the Michael Keaton film Multiplicity: What initially seems like a neat idea eventually spirals out of control, the clones begin competing, there's no consistency, the film bombs at the box office, and Michael Keaton's film career is never quite the same.

I'm not doubting the integrity or the intentions of those who would audition. I believe that anybody who would put on a Kermit would so in full recognition of the legacy they carry. I'm just saying, as soon as more than one person does that at a time, the characters won't be characters anymore, and the legacy goes out the window.

 

[Kynan Barker]

Todd told me that since I already had experience both in puppetry and voiceovers (as well as having performed Kermit for some local events), that I would be a good candidate for this particular job

It bothers me that passing yourself off as Kermit could count as positive prior experience for this job.

Did you do this with the consent of the Henson Company?

 

[Was Once Ernie]

Multiple concurrent casting takes Kermit out of Steve's hands and puts him into the competing hands of two or three or more performers. Each of whom will be doing their best to find the spirit of Kermit, and each of whom will be giving a different performance. The Kermits will evolve in four different directions, and each of them will relate differently to the other characters. (Each of whom, in turn, will be evolving in different directions!)

I'm not doubting the integrity or the intentions of those who would audition. I believe that anybody who would put on a Kermit would so in full recognition of the legacy they carry. I'm just saying, as soon as more than one person does that at a time, the characters won't be characters anymore, and the legacy goes out the window.

I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree because I definitely disagree with your premise. I do not think the separate Kermits will be "evolving" into anything. Nobody but Steve will be doing the kind of performances where the character will need to evolve. And just like a writer who comes in on the fourth season of a series and has to take into account what has come before, if any changes take place in the main continuity, they can be passed along to the other performers. There aren't going to be rogue Kermits out there doing whatever they please. I'm certain they will be under strict guidelines.

 

[Whatever]

I'm betting on Kevin! (Memphis Kevin, and F'N'W too if he auditions)