Muppets!

copyright Disney/Muppets Holding Company, LLC.

I am really excited about the new Muppets film that is coming out soon.  Knowing a true fan, actor Jason Segel, has a big hand in it is a plus (who can forget "Dracula's Lament" from Forgetting Sarah Marshall!), although my excitement is tempered by the addition of Amy Adams, who I think has overplayed her innocent/naive character. 

Although the looks of some of the classic muppet characters seem to be brightened up too much and voices previously done by Jim Hensen and Frank Oz has lost some of their spark, I hope this revival will be just that and spark another generation to know and love the witty humor that is the Muppets!

Here are a couple fun things you might enjoy:

A Jim Henson based museum exhibit is currently showing in New York City.  I was fortunate to catch this in Chicago, although the New York show has additional events (Henson's workshop was based in NYC).

Disney, who owns the majority of the Muppet characters (i.e, anything not Sesame Street), commissioned new musical artists to cover classic Muppet songs to help promote the upcoming film.  Some like Mahna Mahna don't vary from the original, but I really like Ok Go's rendition of The Muppet Show Theme and Alkaline Trio's new beat on Movin' RIght Along.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey is going around to various art theatre houses right now.  It profiles Kevin Clash, who puppets/voices the very popular character Elmo.