Episode 508: Señor Wences

The Muppet Show
Guest	Señor Wences
Production	April 28 - May 2, 1980
Premiere	UK: November 23, 1980 NYC: February 16, 1981
Releases	Best of the Muppet Show
(TRANSCRIPT)

In honor of Señor Wences and his puppets, Kermit decides to do something new -- a puppet show! Fozzie wants to do a marionette act with a Dancing Clown puppet, but the marionette eventually pulls Fozzie down on the stage with him and takes control of the strings himself.

Songs/Sketches

• "Puppet Man"
• Veterinarian's Hospital: Pinocchio
• Bruce Schwartz performs a Japanese ghost story with bunraku puppets.
• The Swedish Chef: Swedish Lump Bread Puppetry "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
• UK Spot: Beauregard's puppet show
• Fozzie's Comedy Act: "Fozzie's Puppet Show" / "The Teddy Bears' Picnic" (instr.)
• Señor Wences performs his classic characters, Johnny and Pedro.

Notes

• The UK Spot was included in John Landis's An American Werewolf in London. In the film, the main character has a dream where he is forced to witness Nazi zombies massacre his family while watching The Muppet Show.
• Though the episode was filmed in this season, Señor Wences was hinted to be a guest star as early as Episode 412 in Scooter's guest-star list.

Episode

Picture	Description
	Cold Open: Pops meets guest star Señor Wences. He introduces himself as a ventriloquist and a juggler, and shows off the latter talent with some nearby oranges.
	"The Muppet Show Theme": Gonzo plays the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on his trumpet. "What were you expecting, Rachmaninoff?"
	Pinocchio and a host of other puppets and dolls sing "Puppet Man" for Gepetto (as played by Pops).
	Backstage, Kermit the Frog is excited for the show tonight - the idea of an all puppet show is "not too shabby". However, when Fozzie Bear announces his intention to do a puppet act, Kermit is prepared for disaster. It is a certain disaster when Fozzie asks Gonzo to join the act. Gonzo has no idea what a puppet is, and when Kermit explains that it is a doll made to look alive by wiggling it, Gonzo asks, "Who wants to watch dolls wiggle? Doll wiggling, talk about boring!"
	Señor Wences performs his act with his characters Johnny and Pedro. Johnny sings and Pedro vocalizes for Wences. Wences closes his act by spinning a silver platter on a cue - with commentary by Johnny and Pedro.
	Veterinarian's Hospital: Pinocchio - Pinocchio wants a nose job.
	The Swedish Chef performs his own puppet made of bread dough to the tune of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".
	Lew Zealand goes to the Guest Star's Dressing Room to inform Señor Wences that the telephone is not working. Wences shows Lew that it is, and performs a ventriloquist act with the phone.
	UK Spot: Beauregard performs a Punch and Judy style puppet show for Kermit. Miss Piggy catches this and takes offense that "dolls" have been booked on the show instead of her song. They argue the validity of puppetry as an art form - Piggy claiming that the puppets are just violent. When Kermit tries to defend the puppet act, Miss Piggy shows him some truly violent behavior.
	Kermit introduces one of the world's great puppeteers. Fozzie naturally assumes that's his cue.
	Bruce Schwartz performs a Japanese ghost story with bunraku puppets.
	Backstage, Fozzie introduces Kermit to his marionette, Gumdrop the Gorilla! Unfortunately, Gumdrop's become tangled up in his own strings, so Fozzie quickly cuts him from his act. But the show will go on!
	Fozzie's Comedy Acts: Fozzie opens with The Dancing Clown and is thrilled at the control he has over the puppet. It doesn't last, however, and the Dancing Clown fights back, pulling Fozzie down from his perch.
	Upon seeing the disaster of Fozzie's performance, Gonzo concludes that puppets are a great idea for an act!
	The Muppets gather to watch Señor Wences' final act. Lew seems particularly excited, and Kermit has to remind him, "Well, you won't get to see it unless you show a little respect and hush up." Scooter has to remind Kermit, "We won't get to see him if you don't show a little respect and go out and introduce him!"
	Señor Wences performs with Cecilia Chicken. Through the act, Wences juggles all of his characters' voices, including the telephone. The Muppets rush the stage when he is through to show their appreciation.
	At the closing, Señor Wences reveals that he enjoyed Fozzie's failed puppet act. Fozzie returns to the stage to show that he has changed the act - now he is the marionette with the Dancing Clown pulling his strings.
	Statler and Waldorf play with puppets of their own, but ultimately decide to abandon them over the edge of the theater box.

Cast

Muppets:

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Animal, Pops, Lew Zealand, the Dancing Clown, Janice, Beauregard, Pinocchio, Rizzo the Rat

Background Muppets

Punch and Judy puppets, Floyd Pepper, Gaffer, Toy Soldiers

Wences' Characters

Johnny, Pedro, Cecilia

Performers

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Waldorf and the Swedish Chef

Frank Oz as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Animal

Jerry Nelson as Pops, Lew Zealand, Dancing Clown and the Announcer

Richard Hunt as Scooter, Statler and Janice

Dave Goelz as Gonzo and Beauregard

Steve Whitmire as Pinocchio and Rizzo the Rat

Louise Gold

Kathy Mullen as Gaffer

Betsy Baytos

Karen Prell

Bruce Schwartz, guest puppeteer

Gallery

Sources

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