Billy Bunny's Animal Songs

Billy Bunny's Animal Songs was released direct-to-video on May 21, 1993. It was the first of the titles in the Muppet Sing-Alongs series.

Kevin Clash played the starring role of Billy Bunny, who sings his way through the forest as he runs across a swamp full of frogs, a cave full of rapping bears and a singing porcupine (and even an appearance by one of the ever-present Muppet penguins). Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Fran Brill performed various animals of the forest, and Carmen Osbahr is credited in one of her first productions with the Muppets.

This special was notable at the time for being the first video release featuring Steve Whitmire performing Kermit. (The Muppet Christmas Carol was released on video later in the year.) It was also the first production filmed after Jim Henson's death in 1990 and was immediately followed by production on The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. This was also one of the last projects Muppeteer Richard Hunt participated in. The video was released over a year after Hunt's passing.

Song List

Characters

	Billy Bunny Performer: Kevin Clash Press release description “Billy is a happy, playful, energetic bunny who loves to laugh, sing and play. He comes from a family of three brothers and sisters, 14 aunts and uncles, and 36 cousins (at last count -- they are still multiplying). He lives in a house in the forest beneath a hollow tree with his parents, brothers and sisters, who display a natural passion for carrots. Unfortunately, Billy only knows one song which he sings day and night, driving his family crazy. Billy's eagerness to learn and his natural curiosity will help him learn more songs.”
	Gophers Performers: Jim Martin, David Rudman, Carmen Osbahr, Kathryn Mullen When Billy begins his trip through the forest, he first stops at Gopher Ville, where he meets several gophers who sing about how different they are, despite that they all look the same.
	Cecil, Percival, and Edgar Bear Performers: Jerry Nelson, David Rudman, Richard Hunt Press release description “These three triplets were born to forest socialites Mr. and Mrs. Cornelious Bear. After being sent to all of the best schools in the forest (and hibernating in all the right caves), the triplets, not surprisingly, turned out to be extremely polite and even developed a taste for tea, much to the delight of their parents. At first they seem quiet, but they really roar when they do their rap song.” Note The puppets were originally generic bears who appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
	The Termite Performer: David Rudman Press release description “Underneath those shades, the Termite is the tiniest, coolest, hippest insect in the forest. In his early days he played the piano in an all-termite jazz band. They were doing very well until they ate their instruments and the concert hall one night during a performance. Now the Termite sings about his favorite pastime -- chomping on wood.” Note A miniature puppet of the Termite is used in medium shots with Billy, while close-ups have a larger hand puppet on a chroma-keyed background, to allow freer movements with his six rodded hands.
	The Porcupine Performer: Fran Brill Press release description “The Porcupine that Billy meets along the way has a terrific singing voice and she also plays the saxophone. Her parents wanted her to be an accountant, but she resisted for the lure of show business and her dream of becoming the most famous singing porcupine in the world. She displays a sharp sense of humor and always gets to the point.” Note The Porcupine also appeared in The Muppet Christmas Carol, performed by Dave Goelz.
	Raccoons Performers: Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson In a darker part of the forest, Billy encounters a pair of raccoons who are so secretive, they conceal what they're doing and even the fact that they're animals. They elaborate on their secret ways in the song, "I Have A Secret".
	Frogs Performers: Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, Fran Brill, Jerry Nelson, David Rudman, Kathryn Mullen A family of amphibians sing a song about talking in frog.
	The Turtle Performer: Jerry Nelson Press release description “A slow and steady character, the Turtle has lived in the forest for many years. In his early days, Turtle was a cross country runner and holds several Tortoise-Hare Invitational Tournament championships. Now taking it easy, the Turtle's favorite thing to do is sit on a rock and watch the world go by. Turtle doesn't have a song of his own, but Billy helps him make one up.” Note The turtle puppet has since been used on Muppets Tonight, in episode 208 as a patient in E-I-E-I-OR, and on Sesame Street, including in the Elmo's World episode "Fast and Slow", acting as the Tortoise to the Hare (the Billy Bunny puppet).