Gonzo

 Performer: Dave Goelz

Gonzo the Great is The Muppet Show's daredevil performance artist. He's an odd looking, unclassifiable creature -- with blue fur, bug eyes and a long hooked nose. He takes pride in his uniqueness, and he enjoys everything that he does -- no matter how painful or ill-advised it may be.

His most well-known running gag is playing the final trumpet note of the opening Muppet Show theme and having some strange thing happen--the bell of the instrument explodes, sprays water, has an inflating balloon in it, et cetera. In the first season, Gonzo did not use a trumpet, but instead attempted to hit the white space within the "O" in the "Muppet Show" sign like a gong, usually with bad results.

He has several memorable performances, such as his song from The Muppet Movie, "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday", and his affecting rendition of "My Way" that he sang as his finale when he decided to leave the Muppet Theater in Episode 411: Lola Falana.

Gonzo fans would also recognise this quote: "I shall now eat a rubber tire to the music of 'The Flight of the Bumblebee'...music, maestro!" Another famous performance is best summed up by his quote, "I shall now defuse this highly explosive bomb while simultaneously, and at the same time, reciting from the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley." Other acts include: dancing "Top Hat" in a vat of oatmeal, hypnotizing chickens and being hammered feet first into a railway tie by two American Gladiators.

What is Gonzo?
A long-running gag related to Gonzo is that it's not clear what species he is supposed to be.

In Episode 223, John Cleese refers to Gonzo as "the ugly, disgusting little blue creature who catches cannonballs."

In The Great Muppet Caper, Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo are shipped to England in crates. Kermit's crate is labeled "Frog", Fozzie's is "Bear", and Gonzo's crate says "Whatever".

In the late 90's, the question was posed in the Ask Henson.com web column, "What exactly is Gonzo?" Dave Goelz responded: "Nobody knows except his parents, and they're not talking. It was always one of those taboo subjects around the dinner table."

In the 1999 film Muppets From Space, it was revealed that Gonzo is an alien.

Gonzo and Rizzo
Starting with the 1992 movie The Muppet Christmas Carol, Gonzo has been paired with Rizzo the Rat, who has become his best friend. Gonzo and Rizzo have appeared as a team in later projects, especially Muppet Treasure Island, Muppet Classic Theater and Muppets From Space.

Performing Gonzo
Gonzo first appeared as Snarl the Cigar Box Frackle in the 1970 special The Great Santa Claus Switch, where he was performed by Daniel Seagren. Since then, he has only been performed by Dave Goelz.

In the first season of The Muppet Show, the character was underplayed with a permanently sad look. The producers noticed that he worked better in a more energetic form, so Dave Goelz modified the eyes to have movable eyelids which helped make him a more active character. As such, he became one of the principal characters in the series.

According to Jerry Juhl on many occasions, Gonzo was his favorite character to write for and develop. He said he had a special connection with the blue weirdo.