#RenewtheMuppets ABC, seriously! (and a little on Jim Henson too!)

At the time I write this blog, the renewing the new show The Muppets is up in the air. Some say it it is renewed, while others are not so convinced.

There was some hesitancy here, Dear Readers.

The Muppets new show has met with mixed feelings.  I do admit that I had some hesitancy early on in the season. I wasn't sure if I liked it, but I kept watching. I chanced my mind, there was a charm with the show. Its been an quandary all across the internet whether this modern spin on the Muppets would survive to see a season 2. I was concerned that it wouldn't happen. If The Muppets would not be picked up for a second season, what would happen next?  As of April 26th it appears that The Muppets are currently "staying alive", according to Variety.

The final decision for renewal or cancellation won't be handed out until May 16th, though.

So what are we to do until then?

Suggestions from Tough Pigs-which is a prime source for Muppet news-is to stream episodes on ABC's website, buy the episodes on Amazon and Hulu, and spread the word about The Muppets by using the hashtag, #RenewtheMuppets on social media.

Let's get the attention of ABC execs to officially renew The Muppets.

See, Dear Readers, there are a number of reasons to renew The Muppets.
        *They are the Muppets! The are an institution. They are a staple to entertainment, from Sesame Street to the The Muppet Show, and have been around for forever, When the first Muppet Show came out it was in prime time and geared more for adults, but also had kid sensibilities. You see Jim Henson's original idea for the Muppets were to showcase puppets for adults and he spent many years trying to prove that to TV producers and execs. He started doing puppetry in the in college,  and got a chance to do bits on a local station WRC-TV, Sam and Friends (1955) became a time. That later became commercials selling coffee and various guest spots on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jimmy Dean Show, these became the precursor to The Muppet Show and what would become The Muppets. Henson's strong desire to make puppets adult based was always present, so, it is not surprising that the current incarnation is a more adult oriented show.

        *The Muppets are relevant again. Its been a few years since the last Muppet related show. Oh, there have been movies and specials, but now there is a new show with new stories. Something new for them play in, new stories to tell, and also they have brought back long forgotten characters like Uncle Deadly. He is now a household name, and he is a personal favourite of mine. There is of course Kermit and Piggy, center stage in a fantastic story of love and loss. Even I can admit the chemistry has been different, but good, more so since the mid-season re-vamp. I was rooting for Kermit and Denise in the beginning (I was always bothered by Kermit and Piggy as a thing), but after the mid-season I could see that Kermit and Piggy were just as powerful after all these years.

Chip and other Muppets

Muppet Newman

           











               Other characters not part of the main line up that have been brought back and are now becoming A and B-list Muppet characters include the Muppet Newsman (The Muppet Show), Big Mean Carl (from Muppets Tonight!), Chip (Jim Henson Hour - 1989, Muppets Tonight, and some of the recent movies), and Yolanda (Rizzo's girlfriend). Also, they are utilizing characters to a fuller potential and comedy gold, such as Rizzo and Pepe (the King Prawn, okay?).

Big Mean Carl

These characters are becoming the new backbone for the series, and with new stories it is not surprising that many are piqued by the prospect of more Muppets. It is something different, yes, but that isn't bad. They are also using the main characters we know and love. It makes me rather excited for the potential of season 2, since the chances to the show at mid-season, making more skits and musical numbers part of the show.

Fun fact: Uncle Deadly first appeared in the Vincent Price episode of The Muppet Show in 1976 as his beautiful assistant, but not formally introduced until the Twiggy episode (#119) as the Phantom of the Muppet Show (he claims to be a deceased actor killed by acting critics). Then in 1979, Deadly was featured in Muppet Madness (or Muppet Show Annual in the UK) as the evil step-father in a Cinderella parody featuring Kermit, and in a board game in the publication. He didn't reappear until the movie The Muppets (2011) as one of Tex Richman's goons for hire along with Bobo the Bear. "Maniacal Laugh, Maniacal Laugh..." And the best part is Deadly with little Gloria Estefan the penguin.

Uncle Deadly and Gloria Estefan

          The show has improved. See, Dear Readers, earlier on it seemed that lots of people were surprised and maybe slightly disillusioned by the new format. But, when they changed the show runner and starting writing more for The Muppets, there was  pleasant shift in the episodes. Almost hearkening back to something of The Muppet Show in a way. There were more skits and songs, and better use of the guest stars. More Muppet characters were returning, adding to a fuller feeling to to show. And the there's the Piggy problem. I have always had a love/hate relationship with Piggy, and I never really liked the Kermit and Piggy thing. It drove me crazy, but then when it wasn't a thing anymore I realized I missed it. Now its a show about the Muppets (as real people) with real struggles, and I am okay with that. There is something entertaining about that. It works and thus ABC should renew it.

          *The Muppets are not going anywhere. The good thing about Disney owning the Muppets are that Disney's will (hopefully) not let them disappear. They are currently on YouTube, check out their site, here. There are also YouTube channels for Statler and Waldorf, Swedish Chef, Fozzie, Sam the Eagle, Beeker, and Gonzo. I am not sure how often those channels are update, but check them out anyway, there is some good stuff there.
           But the Muppets, they can do live appearances which makes them very versatile. So I think they, will be around for a long time. So, Dear Readers, let's get the attention of those at ABC and tell them we want more Muppets, and this will also show Disney that Muppets are loved and need to be utilized in more ways.

I am sure there will be specials and movies. You can't let something that was a labour of love for a man with dreams of making wonderful things, and creatures that blow up or are eaten as Jim Henson just disappear. That was Jim's favourite part of the Muppets, ending a skit or a commercial, involved some Muppet either getting eaten or blown up. The biography, Jim Henson, written by Brian Jay Jones is really a fascinating read. I have learned more about Jim Henson in that one book than I even knew of him before, and I am only halfway finish with it. Well at the time this blog was written.

Fact: Jim Henson loved making movies, but not always with Muppets or puppets. He was an experimental film maker and made a couple of movie featuring new and different film and animation techniques, including Youth 68, Time Piece, and  The Cube (thee are clips). Also, check out The Jim Henson Company YouTube channel for bits on some of his other works, Muppet or not.

Fact: Jim Henson wanted to design sets and do production work for theatre. That was in major in college, theatrical design.

Fact: He just picked up a book on puppetry and taught himself as a means to get on TV.

Fact: Jim Henson was a spiritual man and was into transcendental mediation, reincarnation, and new age thoughts. He was brought up in the Christian Science faith, but I think he saw the world as bigger than religion and faith.

Remember to support the Muppets and leave me some love in the comments. What is your favourite Muppet related thing? Favourite non-Muppet thing? Was Jim Henson a big part of your childhood, your life?

Essay - How to Audition

It's a bit surreal when you do something that you haven't done before.

Auditioning! Its not something new, truthfully. But....

Audition: 1. a trial hearing given to a singer, actor, or other performer to test suitability for employment, professional training or competition, etc.; 2. a reading or other simplified rendering of a theatrical work, performed before a potential backer, producer, etc.

A trial is definitely what is was. Funny that after all this time I am seeing like that. 

I have auditioned for a number of shows over the years and each one has a story: a few of the memorable ones were Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (that didn't go well, still got a chorus part), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (did go well, was asked to be the back stage manager. I was still pleased with my performance), and Beauty and the Beast (my first musical and I was scared out of my mind, also got chorus). This past weekend I attended auditions for a local production of Shakespeare's MacBeth with The Keuka Lake Players (out of Bath/Hammondsport area). This is there third Shakespeare production I am going to be involved with, the first being A Midsummer's Night Dream in 2012, I played Bottom and then two year laters in 201, I played Trinculo in The Tempest. Dear Readers, you probably have read out some of my exploits in the theatre world on this blog. This is about my most recent foray into Shakespeare, specifically about the audition process and what I discovered.

A trial is something you have to go through to see that what you do has purpose. An audition has purpose, to get you to show your best for the role you want. I knew what I wanted, or did I?

You see, Dear Readers, I guess I never really took auditions quite so seriously before. Often I would go in and just do a cold read of the scene for the part I wanted. If it was a straight play, no singing or Shakespeare I would just go and read. When it came to Shakespeare I was much more unsure that I could just do a cold read. For the past two shows I would I read the show all the way through, so i would at least know the show, if i hadn't already read it. With Midsummer I focused more on how I could be Puck (by reading and re-reading the Puck parts), and to  think like Puck (this was the part I wanted). I remember during Midsummer auditions I tried to take what the director suggested and  give her what she wanted. i hadn't prepared anything, I just knew the show (is my favourite Shakespeare show). Thus, I did not get the part I wanted, but I ended up getting cast as Nicholas Bottom, the Ass. I loved the role of Bottom. As proof, I still have the head! 'Twas a good time.

Me in the Asshat!! (The only time this term is accurate)

When it came to The Tempest, I had much less time and wasn't as prepared. I never worked on a monologue, nor did I the show more than once prior to the audition. I wanted Ariel. I wanted Ariel bad. But i wasn't prepared when I read for Ariel, thusly, I did not get it. True story, Tara who did get Ariel was perfect. I was cast as Trinculo the drunken clown and cast alongside Sara as Stephano and David as Caliban. It was the best time and The Tempest is a new favourite!

What have I learned?

Hang on, I'm getting there.

So somewhere in the middle of the last two year my brain decided that after Tempest I needed to try something different. For MacBeth, I was asked to prepare a monologue from an non-MacBeth show and something from Macbeth. This meant that I had to actually do some research and work. I took it  much more seriously.

Try: to attempt to do or accomplish.

Something I never realized before about auditions is that they are hard work, especially if you want that part. Audition are just as important as when you get the part, spend time rehearsing, and performing. Auditions really are the foundation on which you build a show. I wanted to be Lady MacBeth. I wanted it. I wanted it bad. I found my Midsummer script and prepared my old Pyramus monologue from the play within the play, "Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beam; I thank thee moon for shining now so bright; for by thy gracious, golden glittering gleams; I trust to take of truest Thisby's sight..." It was surprisingly easy to return to Bottom. I had an old copy of the script. Also, I bought a new copy of MacBeth and picked out a scene to learn


Dear Readers, when I chose to do that I made a commitment to myself to do what I could to get that part. I purchased the FEAR NOT version of MacBeth that had 2 versions, the regular Shakespeare version and the modern language version. Act 1 Scene 5 is what I read, over and over, looking for cadence, emotions, and tamber.  I looked into the deeper meanings, trying to figure out who Lady MacBeth was.This is what I studied. I looked up scenes online for further development in Lady MacBeth's character. I did this to see what makes her tick. The power and passion under her persona. "O, never shall the sun the morrow shall see. Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters...Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't...and you shall put this night's great business into my dispatch...give solely sovereign saway and masterdom."


Commitment: a pledge or promise; obligation.

I was scared out of my mind when I went to Thursday (the first night of auditions). But, I stood up and performed my Bottom monologue in front of those at auditions (many who were my friends). That went well (except that I messed up a line and had to start over, probably because I overthought it at first). Bottom lived and flowed off my tongue in an overzealous spree. It was glorious! That was the easy part. When the time came to do my 1-5 scene, I was paired with Ryan, an English teacher who has taught this play for years in his class room (and husband to Sara. And no, it wasn't awkward either, Dear Readers.Yes, I have to tell you that). I wasn't off book, but I performed the scene. It is vastly different doing a scene with someone then by yourself, which is what I had been doing. Suddenly there was chemistry, elecrticity flowing through me and Ryan. I could feel myself becoming Lady MacBeth.

Transform: to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.


The downside, I second guessed myself and I didn't push past and complete the circuit to make the transformation complete. I knew I hadn't done everything. The rest of the audition included reading with Kevin and Ryan in other scenes and finally reading the "Out Damned Spot" scene. I left feeling good, but disconnected, and now I had to wait.

Sara said that anyone reading for a lead should come back Saturday for callbacks. I vowed to return. I vowed to start what  I finished. This was the upside.

Downside, I had to wait a whole day and a half before I could get there.

Upside, more time to find the Lady MacBeth in me.

Friday was more studying and keeping busy, a good three hours at my local coffee shop Soulful Cup where I found this page and the quiz. I took it and got a 5 out of 5. And when Saturday arrived I was wired, nervous, excited, and probably several other emotions hanging out in my head. It was a long day and equally long night. A three hour audition turned into a 4 and half hour audition where I waited the first 90 minutes before I could read. There was suddenly a slew of new people auditioning that needed to go first. So, I waited. The talent of Thursday was amazing. But Saturday's blew me away, and I was only auditioning. And I waited.

To wait: to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often followed by for, till, or until.

Whence I got to perform, and it truly felt like a performance. I read against Ryan for 1-5, 1-7, and 2-2. Also read for more Witch scenes too. But when I was Lady MacBeth I felt the room move away from me and time become real only for Ryan and myself. In 1-5, after MacBeth enters and Lady MacBeth sees him, she is suddenly full of life, blood, passion, and desire.  I felt I was loving on my husband, the great provider, the new Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. I could feel Lady MacBeth's passion for MacBeth, her power and her sex flowing through me. In a split second, right when I had pause (merely a millisecond) I was kissing him in my audition, doing what I had wanted to do on Thursday, but has second guessed myself, living the scene as if it was my life. I had become Lady MacBeth and I had sold it. I brought it! "Only look up clear. To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me." It wasn't a fluke as when Ryan and I read 1-7, the passion was equally there and another kiss. I still cannot believe it, but I can, because I did it. I made those choices to make that scene as realistic as possible, to show the love, passion, and insanity that is Lady MacBeth.

I was floating. It was wonderful.

Note: Lady MacBeth is a very fun character to portray, but also physically demanding.

After the casting, my friend Lisa(h)-yes I added an H-told me afterward that even if you do not get the part or job, you should still "sell to the room". Lisa(h) was my biggest competition for Lady MacBeth and a close friend. We had joked between us earlier that it was a battle and it was no hard feelings between. And there aren't. She won Lady MacBeth fair and square. This audition was my battle to win or lose, mine alone. I fought. i fought hard. And while I didn't win Lady MacBeth, but not for trying,I don't feel I lost. Seriously, it was that close. I still won. I sold the room and for those brief moments I WAS Lady MacBeth. (Even when there was giggles and Ryan had started giggling during scene 1-5). We finished three scene strong and proved to the room that both of us could do it.

We were MacBeth and Lady MacBeth.

I am very proud to say that I am playing Witch #1, Lisa(h) is Lady MacBeth, Ryan is MacDuff, and David is MacBeth. The whole cast is filled with phenomenal actors and my theatre family. We are going to make something amazing and awesome. And I got to prove to myself and to others that I am force to be reckoned with.

I also have set the bar pretty high for myself. I cannot just go to an audition and expect to get a part on a cold read. Yes, sometimes it happens, but no always. If I want something I have to fight for it.

Win: to succeed by striving or effort.