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| A Full-Bodied Humanoid gets slapped by Rita Moreno | |
| DEBUT | 1976 |
A group of full-bodied human-looking Muppets were featured in early episodes of The Muppet Show. Two male and two female dancers appear in the first season of the show. The characters do not speak and only communicate through pantomime and dance.
The most prominently featured dancer was a black-haired, mustachioed man dressed in a striped shirt and beret. He appeared in episode 105 where he played Rita Moreno's boyfriend and performed an Apache dance in the opening number, "I Get Ideas." Rita picks a fight with him in a bar after she catches him flirting with Miss Piggy. Moreno flings him around like a rag doll; a gag achieved by switching between a walk-around character and a stuffed puppet. The character re-appeared briefly with Sandy Duncan in "A Nice Girl Like Me," the opening number on episode 114, hanging out in a similar barroom setting. The puppet was built and performed by John Lovelady.
All four dancers (dressed in formalwear) appeared in episode 109, dancing in the background while Charles Aznavour sang "Old Fashioned Way" to Mildred Huxtetter.
Earlier versions of similar full-bodied characters appeared in Hey Cinderella! as the Musicians at Prince Charming's Ball. The full-bodied dancers were not seen beyond the first season of The Muppet Show; the roll of full-bodied back-up dancers and dance partners were replaced by The Mutations, Trolls, Clowns, Birds, and other full-bodied characters.
Notes[]
- An inside joke in The Muppet Movie includes a couple at The El Sleezo Cafe dressed similar to Rita Moreno and her dance partner from the apache-style number on The Muppet Show.