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When we bought tickets for this year’s Sesame Street Live, "Can't Stop Singing," we figured it would be a bland, very loud hour of entertainment for us that Sam would love. And he did love it. To our surprise, though, we loved it as well. It was still Sesame Street Live, which is pitched bigger than the show, and to a younger audience. But there were more clever jokes this time around, the story was more engaging and the music was better. It’s nowhere near as good as an average episode of Sesame Street, but as a live experience with a two-year old, it almost exceeded our expectations.
The plot, as with many great plots, was borrowed loosely from the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The cast enters singing a song and dancing and having a ball. Elmo wants to keep singing and dancing, but everyone is rushing off to do the pressing things Sesame Street Muppets do with their lives. Elmo wanders off and runs into Hoots the Owl(!) and also finds Abby’s wand. Hoots warns him not to use the wand, since magic is very powerful and who knows what darkness one can conjure if one isn’t careful. Okay, he doesn’t really say that, but he warns Elmo not to use the wand.
So, of course, Elmo uses the wand and casts a spell that makes everyone sing and dance uncontrollably. He visits Grover waiting tables (not, sadly, to Mr. Johnson) and by chanting, “Magic, magic, magic!” causes Grover and Baby Bear to sing an ode to porridge. Ernie (in a more obscure reference to the Buffy musical) has a stain on shirt, and in a parody of Shout, asks Bert the musical question, “Will you launder my shirt?” Eventually, Abby realizes her wand is missing, and coincidentally notices the Sesame gang are all singing much more than normal. Then they have a 15-minute intermission to sell $10 balloons.
At this point, Elmo runs into Hoots the Owl again. Hoots realizes that, instead of giving Abby back her wand or at least returning it to Ollivander’s for store credit, Elmo’s conjured up the dark forces of music. It was at this point, almost an hour and a half in, that Sam began saying bye-bye to Elmo and Abby, and subject to the whims of a two-year old, we left. So, we didn’t see the end of the show, but I imagine Abby gets her wand back and reverses the spell. Then the Sesame gang, tired of singing, say good night and there’s no big closing number. Just the Sesame Street characters standing on stage, fatigued and waving at the audience like the end of Saturday Night Live. I’m almost positive that’s how it ends.
The first season of Creature Shop Challenge was a major, major triumph. Not only did the premiere episode set a ratings record for Syfy, it was also creatively in line with the Henson spirit and is perhaps the best project out of The Jim Henson Company in twenty years. The show not only highlighted the history of the company (with the Skeksis Creature Brief in the best episode of the season) while also showing how the company and the Creature Shop are still relevant today. The team of artists assembled as contestants on the show are unendingly talented. The outpouring of creativity and fun on display in every episode every week was phenomenal and unlike anything else on television.
My favorite aspect of the show was the fact that we got to see Brian Henson and Kirk Thatcher and other important Creature Shop personnel on TV every week. It was really cool to get to know influential Creature Shop designers and builders through the show with the Master Sessions and guest judges every week. But how can you resist seeing and hearing from Brian Henson every week? The show only highlighted how incredibly brilliant, wise, and fun he is. I didn't realize how much I loved hearing Brian Henson's perspective on things until I was getting it every week. But the real MVP of the season was Kirk Thatcher, master Muppet director and creature designer, who showed up every week with a huge smile on his face, a goofy piece of wardrobe, and some sage-like advice for every contestant. He's a joy and I'm so glad this show has brought him into the mainstream.
The contestants on the show were all such unique, wonderful personalities that it made it hard to say goodbye to any of them when one would be eliminated. It was such a blast to see each of these creature designers in their element, rocking the buzz-saw or the sculpting tool or the paintbrush to create magic. The creature they made week to week were pure magic. They came alive and they were real--just like all great Creature Shop creations. Quite frankly, all of the contestants deserve to work at the Creature Shop and that's what made it so hard every time one of them was eliminated. The pool of talent assembled for this show was simply unreal.
My favorite creature designer, and seemingly everyone's favorite, was Melissa. She embodies the Henson spirit extremely well. She is optimistic, happy, talented, and never says die. I was very disappointed that she didn't win the job, but I'm hoping that somewhere down the line she is hired by Henson before somewhere else snaps her up. She's a joy and would bring so much to The Jim Henson Company stable. Plus, her talent is undeniable. Her creatures were almost always my favorite every week, with her swamp creature and her black-light bird standing out the most in my mind. I'm still incredibly impressed by the winner of the Challenge, Robert, who brought an intense talent week after week. All of his work was top notch from beginning to end.
While I adore the show, it isn't perfect. The biggest offense, to me, is that every week a horde of super talented "professional puppeteers" came to help perform the designers' creatures, and every week the names of these puppeteers was never mentioned. This is a slap in the face to these hugely talented individuals who gave life to the creatures. A simple name tag added in front of the puppeteers when they come onscreen would've been enough for me. What's worse is that it seemed like the producers actively avoided mentioning the names of the puppeteers. During the talking head interviews, the creature designers always referred to them as "my puppeteer" or "my professional puppeteer" and it seemed rather forced. This is the main issue I would fix if the show returns for a second season.
I would also love it if the show could somehow showcase other aspects of The Jim Henson Company. Yes, it is the Creature Shop Challenge, but I think it would be really exciting to show off the digital puppetry, regular puppetry, and other departments of the Henson Company. I'm sure that this season of the show really helped define for people what exactly The Jim Henson Company does, but expanding beyond the Creature Shop in a potential next season would help that even more. It would also be nice for host Gigi Edgley to have more to do. She's a delight and only seeing her once or twice an episode for a few minutes isn't enough.
Today, I sat down with my 13 month-old daughter, a Fraggle Rock fan in her own right, to watch these seven episodes. Within the first seconds of the program we were whisked away to a Smurfs-like eco-friendly environment known as Doozer Creek, via a theme song that is vaguely reminiscent of the original Fraggle Rock tune in both beat and chord structure (sing the original Fraggle Rock theme along with this and you won’t miss a beat). FYI: check out the corresponding “Doozer Creek” app for your smart phone, you won’t regret it.
Yes, I said it, fun. These Doozers aren’t the no nonsense 6” green creatures of our youth. They aren’t fixated with building geometric Doozer Stick (though they're called Radish Sticks in this series) architecture to feed Fraggles; no, this new batch of Doozers have progressed. They are inspired by nature and the world around them utilizing such in their designs and constructions. Also, the Doozers don’t solely build and design anymore; they’ve expanded their ambitions and have become bakers, doctors, professors, artists,
The Doozers have also stepped up their tech knowhow and have a seemingly innate aptitude for IT. The Pod Squad are outfitted with newer imaginative tech more relatable to today’s digital world and the contemporary youth. For instance, Molly Bolt and Spike each utilize touch screen devices, the whole squad wears wrist communicators, Flex has a mulit-functional “Doo-Driver,” Daisy has a ladybug inspired jet pack and a pair on “Animal-oculars” that give her the sight of various types of animals. I guess they somehow figured out how to hydroelectrically power all their handheld devices over the past couple decades.
The interstitial montage segments within each episode features memorable and upbeat music that you and your kids will be singing as you work from here on out. And, as with all Henson experiences, the show includes some fun for the adults too; i.e. The Doozers shop at the “Doozer Depot” for supplies, tools and other mechanisms are integrated into the Doozer’s clothing (Prof. Gimbal’s tie is a monkey wrench), there is also some fun everyday-life moments in each episode (watch for a great “wasn’t me” moment between Daisy Wheel, Flex, and Spike in Episode 3 - Detective Doozers).
Leslie introduces us to the CD and to her brain, which she has named "Doyle." Doyle has a habit of keeping Leslie up at night, so she puts Doyle on a leash. That way, her mind can wander. The title track "Wake Up Your Weird" is simply about celebrating the joy of weirdness and getting it out there through music, art and stories. We all know it's fun to be weird. (Hey, we're all Muppet fans here!)
After this track, the main story begins. Lolly is excited to attend her first "Dolly Circle." Think of it as sort of a Show-and-Tell, but with a specific fanbase. Lolly, with the help of her Granny Dot, created a "Lolly Dolly": a doll of her own design. Lolly doesn't give much thought to the way dolls are "supposed" to look (i.e. Barbie). Lolly just decided to use her imagination and create something totally new. The members of the Dolly Circle approve of Lolly's doll, which can do anything (including bark).
Lolly, once happy, proud and optimistic, is now crushed by Pristina's bullying. The rest of the members of the Dolly Circle decide that Pristina must be right (with her being popular and all) and further criticize Lolly. The song "My Heart is Blue" expresses Lolly's self-reflection and struggle with her self-confidence. Momentarily, the bad thoughts take over. In "Pristina's Tease," the scene from the earlier Dolly Circle is played out like a bad dream, emphasizing the "importance" of following the crowd. Negative thoughts enter Lolly's mind: "Leave your imagination, check it at the door. Never do anything new unless it's been done before."
At this point on the CD, it seems that the plot involving Lolly and the Dolly Circle has ended. But this is merely half of the music! The last half of the CD contains my favorite tracks. "A Storm of Many Colors" is sung by Velvet, a six foot tall, blue lamb who would feel right at home onstage with Aretha Franklin (She is also Lolly's fairy godmother). In this number, Velvet reminds us that "you can't have a rainbow without a storm." This is one of Leslie's best musical numbers!
"With a Little Bit of Inspiration"
"Slax Swing"
"Wake Up Your Weird" holds a deep significance. It teaches children (and us grownups, too) the importance of individuality and joy. It also has a powerful anti-bullying message. Bullying can damage and even destroy that sense of self-worth. Leslie's music is a reminder that even though bullying is out there, it is extremely important to never lose one's self-confidence, even through the tough times. With guidance, rethinking one's thinking and realizing one's uniqueness, joy will prevail. If you know anyone, young or old, that has been bullied because they weren't "just like everyone else," introduce them to "Wake Up Your Weird."
Josh Hankemeier - Well Muppet fans, the holidays are long over, and we're still in the middle of the "winter blahs." It's still cold enough out there to freeze your Winnebago, but the days seem to drag on with overcast skies even duller and grayer than Bert's oatmeal. Muppets Most Wanted isn't here yet, and it's way too late to watch any Muppet Christmas specials. So, what are Muppet fans supposed to do to add joy to these cold, dreary days? The answer is simple: "Spunkinsass" and "Wake Up Your Weird," courtesy of Leslie Carrara-Rudolph!
Besides Abby, there is another character just as dear to Leslie's heart. This character has never appeared on Sesame Street (mostly due to her restraining order). She's five years old, she loves candy, expeditions to Cracker Barrel Country Stores and she believes in celebrating joy through creativity and individuality. Her name is Lolly Lardpop, the star of Leslie's theatre show "Wake Up Your Weird", the CD of the same name, and the CD "Spunkinsass". Both albums are available at CD Baby. "Spunkinsass," currently, is only available as a download, but the physical CD may come back in print. "Wake Up Your Weird" is available in both CD and in download form. I have them in my collection and they make great companion pieces to Jerry Nelson's "Truro Daydreams".
Granny Dot: a feisty, vibrant, active 99 year old who enjoys aqua aerobics. Granny Dot is one of those "cool" senior citizens, not unlike Fozzie's mom or the grandma from "A Garfield Christmas."
1. Pure Imagination
4. Spunkinsass
8. Bessie The Heifer (w/ Grant Baciocco)
11. Thankful Diaria (dialogue)
Ryan Dosier - Tomorrow sees the release of The Great Muppet Caper and Muppet Treasure Island on a dual Blu-ray. The odd pairing doesn't make much sense, but there's no denying that putting two in one will probably sell more copies than individual releases. The release tactic is frustrating for Muppet fans, because we know both of these films deserve individual releases and it makes displaying the Muppet movies in chronological order incredibly difficult. (Or is that just me?)
The bonus features for the release are incredibly sparse. In fact, the only feature for The Great Muppet Caper is two "Frog-E-Oke" tracks. Would it have been too much to ask for new commentary from the Muppets or the Muppet performers? Why not include The Muppets Go to the Movies, the TV special produced to tie into the film? It's incredibly disheartening that Jim Henson's feature directorial debut gets so little in the way of bonus features. Muppet Treasure Island fares slightly better, with one "Frog-E-Oke" track, old Brian Henson commentary, the old "Tale Behind the Tail" feature, and a "Let the Good Shine Out" music video from the Muppet Treasure Island sing-along tape. Why they didn't just include the whole tape, I'll never know.
The release is presented with both films on one Blu-ray disc and two individual DVDs, which is a great deal for the price and very handy for those who want the new release but don't have a Blu-ray player handy. The disc menus are very, very well done--especially Caper--and give the release some legitimacy. In fact, the menus for these films are better than the Blu-ray menus for the recent Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Movie Blu-ray releases.
Overall this release is worth your time for the gorgeous high-definition presentation of both of these wonderful films. If you own them on DVD already, I highly recommend upgrading to the Blu-ray if you have the ability. Plus, it comes with DVD copies so it's a win-win. The sparse bonus features are incredibly frustrating, but Muppet fans are unfortunately used to that by now. This release will be a great addition to any Muppet movie collection and makes a great Christmas gift for the Muppet fan in your life!
Ryan Dosier - With the major success of 2011's The Muppets both in theaters and in home entertainment release, it should come as a surprise to no one that Disney is re-releasing the other Muppet movies on Blu-ray. Disney's expertise lies in using new home entertainment formats to preserve its franchises, so it's nice to see the Muppets get the Blu-ray treatment too. We saw it first with The Muppet Christmas Carol last fall and now The Muppet Movie is finally releasing in high definition glory. I was extremely lucky to receive a copy of the Blu-ray early from Disney, and I'm happy to say that it is a very worthwhile release.
I'm going to carry on in this review assuming that everyone reading knows the story of the very first Muppet movie. Everyone knows how Kermit sang "Rainbow Connection" and set out from humble swamp beginnings to become a movie star in Hollywood. Along the way, Kermit befriends Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, the Electric Mayhem, Rowlf the Dog, Scooter, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and the divine Miss Piggy and sweeps them all into his dream. Along the way there is laughter and singing and loving galore. If you've never seen The Muppet Movie... well, you're crazy and you should amend that immediately.
The Muppet Movie possesses some really gorgeous visuals on the new high definition transfer. Just like every other Muppet movie Blu-ray, the colors here are simply astounding. Kermit's green shines, the Electric Mayhem radiates neon beauty, and the entire movie looks like it was crisply fine tuned to perfection. The most spectacular sequences in The Muppet Movie are even more spectacular on Blu-ray. The "Rainbow Connection" moment is especially gorgeous, as is the beautiful scenery shown during "Movin' Right Along" and "America." The Blu-ray transfer is wonderful and a magnificent step-up in visual quality. The sound is also amped up a notch for high definition. I noticed some little dialogue asides that I had never heard in my countless viewings, so I think that's saying something.
The bonus features for the release are quite good, but there could have (and arguably should have) been so much more. As with the Blu-ray releases of The Muppets and The Muppet Christmas Carol, once again, the Disney Intermission feature is present. When you pause the movie, the Muppets do things to keep you entertained. In this case, the new "Frog-E-Oke" feature plays on a loop. Which brings me to "Frog-E-Oke," which at first I disliked, but after awhile I enjoyed. The feature is basically just animated, repurposed music videos for "Rainbow Connection," "Movin' Right Along," and "Can You Picture That?" The effort the graphics and design team put into these videos is great, but no new Muppet material was shot. It would have been nice to see some new stuff, but the feature is decent.
The other bonus features are not new, but they are excellent. My favorite by far is the Jim Frawley Camera Tests, first seen on the first DVD release of The Muppet Movie. If you haven't seen these infamous camera tests, they are hysterical, 100% ad-libbed bits with Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and Sweetums out about London to see how the puppets look in the real world. Jim Henson and Frank Oz are bafflingly funny in these bits and I was laughing like a fool for 14 whole minutes. Another awesome (albeit short) feature is Doc Hopper's Commercial, which is the original footage from the commercial Doc Hopper shows Kermit and Fozzie. It's hilarious, charming, and a beautiful tribute to the late Charles Durning. The final feature is the "Pepe Profiles" piece spotlighting Kermit that was new on the 2005 DVD release. It's still funny, but not nearly as funny or sharp as the Muppets are eight years later.
Overall, the bonus features are fun and Muppety, plus there is a new, moving menu on the Blu-ray home screen with foam cut-out Muppets. It's pretty adorable and well done. But there are some huge missed opportunities on the bonus feature side. Audio commentary with Jim Frawley, Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, and Steve Whitmire would have been incredible. Or even commentary from some of the Muppets would have been nice. However, the biggest oversight is the lack of The Muppets Go Hollywood TV special made to promote the movie. There is no better place to release this special than alongside The Muppet Movie, and it's a major shame that it is not included.
But on the whole, The Muppet Movie Blu-ray is well worth your time. The release is only $20 (currently), which is more than fair for spectacular high definition transfer of the Muppets' greatest film. The bonus features could have been more impressive (although I say that about every Muppet release), but what is here is wonderful. Owning the Jim Frawley Camera Tests is yet another reason to buy this release. You won't want to miss your opportunity to own The Muppet Movie in high definition!
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