The RHLC!

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Yeah darn it, I heard that skit on MC Radio once, but got distracted and completely missed the joke! Probably something fish-related though. ::nods:: lol

Between a tenor and a baritone? Not an easy thing, good combination!

Yeah, I put that in 'cause I'm still not exactly sure what Richard's voice type is. To my ears, for the most part, he sounds like he's on the low end of the tenor range, and he can hit all the high and low notes...but on the FR documentary, his voice sounds a lot different, and noticeably deeper.

Of course, that could have been because of the acoustics in the room, the microphones, both on the camera and on his shirt...and since it was probably taped in late winter or early spring, Richard might have been getting over a cold; he sounded a little stopped up.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Oh, by the way, interesting dream last night. In between some plot about having to make a cake for a former teacher, having to draw out a family tree and watching some guy get wiped out on a surfboard, there was some Muppet stuff.

I remember there was some chat about Sam the Eagle, and at one point, the Mayhem guys were sitting on the stairs (either the TMS backstage or the Happiness Hotel), chatting, and Zoot started saying this really depressed bit of verse...but he was reading it off a cereal box or something.

Now, down in the performers' trench, there's Richard (circa late 1980s-early 1990s) with Scooter, and a younger blonde woman performing a grownup Skeeter. And the woman is clearly identified as Amanda. (someone off camera was making a comment about both uncle and niece being down in the puppet trenches together)

My view shifts and I'm suddenly down there with them, holding a light blue Fraggle-like Muppet over my head. The three of us appear to be making our puppets do some kind of conga or cha-cha across the set, to the beat of some recorded music. (sounded like Kim Wilde's cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On")

 

[CensoredAlso]

Wow that's an interesting dream! Hehe, the Muppet trenches. Actually last night I had a dream that I finally found a screengrab from Oxford Blues, lol. Well maybe that's the next thing I'll try to get from Amazon!

Yeah, I put that in 'cause I'm still not exactly sure what Richard's voice type is. To my ears, for the most part, he sounds like he's on the low end of the tenor range, and he can hit all the high and low notes...but on the FR documentary, his voice sounds a lot different, and noticeably deeper.

Yeah, I don't really have the skill to identify people's vocal types. However, I know men are often able to easily go from deep to high when singing (at least better than women can.)

Oh and here's Jim Lewis' response to my question if he knew Richard at all:

"I did know Richard, though not as well as the folks who worked with him on “Sesame Street”. And I will kick myself forever for not having included his name in the pantheon of greats listed in “Before You Leap”. (I’m sure I forgot others, but that omission was especially numbskulled on my part.) As for my favorite memory of Richard, it’s not one single moment, but rather his utter abandon and unbridled willingness to upstage anyone and everyone for a better, bigger laugh. I get giddy just thinking about it. (Plus he was really nice to me, and that counts for lots.)"

I'm really glad he shared that with us here. It does make up for him forgetting Richard's name in his book. And he seems like a very nice and talented person.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

(up in heaven)

Jim: All right, Richard, Jim Lewis apologized. Now put the water balloons away.
Richard: (good-natured sigh) Rats. (puts full water balloon, with several others, in a metal tub marked 'Subtle Reminders.')

Sure, we know Richard was really kind to Jim Lewis, but I don't think he would have been above teasing and a few practical jokes. (and it looks like he only did that to people he liked)

 

[CensoredAlso]

Aw, it's OK Richard, we felt your pain! I'm sure we'll find someone else you can throw your balloon at. Hehe

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Yeah, can't get those water balloons go to waste! (quickly grabs an umbrella)

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Richard: Did you here that Jim? They feel my pain!
Jim: Great. I've got a splitting headache. Do you feel that too?

Sorry Erin. I know you're in charge of the dialogues; I just couldn't resist!


This dream is from the other day, and it's rather sad, and a little disturbing. Richard was dying from AIDS. Now, this wouldn't be so remarkable, except that it was the present day. So anyway, I was in my room watching Sesame Street on my portable DVD player, appearently it was a TV in my dream), and it was common knowledge that it was Richard's farewell preformance. Richard was preforming a humanoid muppet named Travis, who was also dying. The first scene was of him in a hospital bed, (depressing, no?), and I believe some of the adults were visiting him. Then we jump ahead a little, and it is evident that Travis has died, and everyone is trying, unsuccessfully, to go on with their lives. In the scene I see, Susan is trying to play some sort of game with a group of kids, and then someone says something about Travis, or does something to remind everyone of him, and she gets weepy and has to leave the room.
In the next scene, two children are walking into a school yard and talking. There are other kids milling around them, but the focus is just mainly on these two. One of them sees something and says something like "Look at this. It's a bright green textbook." It seems to have belonged to Travis, and apon looking inside it, one of the kids finds something. I can not see, nor do they say what it is, but it is obviously ssomething of Travis's that makes them sad as well. Strange, huh?

It's funny, because I was thinking to myself, "Okay, he's been here for the past few years, but before that he hasn't had a muppet for years." I was uncontiously thinking of course of his real death in 1992. I then started wondering about the future of SS without him, and comparing his death to that of Jim. Weird!

 

[Skye]

Oh goodness! What a sad dream, Kate! Very interesting how Richard had that character who was also dying as well. I do wonder what it was in the notebook of Travis' that they saw...

Wow, it is so interesting the things we dream sometimes. Thank you for sharing that one with us!

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Very true. And I think some psychologist would have a field day with some of our dreams. As for the book, it might have been a diary or something. And the episode about Travis sounds like it'd have been a tear-jerker for all concerned.

Come to think of it, not too long ago I dreamed that I saw Richard standing at a window, looking out onto a gray winter's day with ice and snow on the ground, and he was looking rather sad about something.

(pause) There's something wrong here. We're all having dreams about Richard dying or at least looking sad.

 

[Skye]

Wow, very sad and interesting dream of yours, too, Erin.

These really are some sad dreams 'round here. And as a psychology person I could try to analyze them, muahahaha .... but really, I'm not sure. That's probably one of the reasons why I think these dreams are so interesting, though. I would say part of it may be that the sadness exists in some of our dreams about him because of the fact that he's not with us anymore, but... that seems so obvious. Very understandable, but obvious. And he hasn't brought us much sadness in the things that he did throughout his life since he was so great and so talented in his work... so I'm not really sure. Definitely something interesting, though.

.... Hehe, I guess "interesting" is my favorite word in this post!