Here Come the Muppets

Muppets_show_at_Disney_MGM_Studios_(1990) — Muppets show at Disney MGM Studios (1990)

Behind the Scenes Rowlf — Behind the Scenes of the Rowlf and Sam pre-show area video

Here come the muppets opening — The Henson family and Michael Eisner at the opening of the attraction.

Here Come the Muppets was a live show featuring walk-around versions of the Muppets at the Disney-MGM Studios in Walt Disney World, Florida.

The show had its official grand opening on June 15, 1990,^[1] and it ran until September 2, 1991, later being replaced in that location by Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Two weeks after the show closed, a second live Muppet show, Muppets on Location: Days of Swine and Roses, opened in another location in the park, right next to Muppet*Vision 3D.

The pre-show area featured a specially recorded video of Rowlf playing the piano and singing, with interruptions from Sam the Eagle.

Summary[]

Kermit the Frog is onstage, but the other Muppets are late. Kermit gets a call from Mickey Mouse on the videophone. Mickey is checking on how the show is going, and Kermit assures him that it's going fine despite the others not being there yet.

Kermit calls the operator (Lily Tomlin as her Ernestine character from Laugh-In) and asks to get Miss Piggy on the phone. Miss Piggy is wearing a robe and has mud on her face. She claims that she is talking with some Disney executives, but when she finds out that Kermit is using a videophone and that she can be seen, she instantly gets ready for the show. Kermit then calls Fozzie Bear. Fozzie thinks that he's lost, but Kermit tells him that he has to go through the door that Fozzie is in front of, and this leads him to the stage.

Shortly after entering the stage, Fozzie tells Kermit that Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are going to come by monorail. The monorail crashes through the wall, and the band emerges. Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Bean Bunny soon arrive as well, and the show gets started.

Songs[]

Make 'Em Laugh (originally from Singin' in the Rain)
Personality (originally by Lloyd Price)
Bein' Green (originally by Kermit the Frog)
Heart of Rock 'n' Roll (originally by Huey Lewis)
Shout! (originally by The Isley Brothers)

Cast[]

On-Stage: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Bean Bunny, Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Animal, Janice, Zoot

In Video Footage Only: Lily Tomlin as Ernestine, Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse, Rowlf the Dog, Sam the Eagle, Foo-Foo, Penguins

Muppet Performers/Voices[]

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Dr. Teeth and Rowlf the Dog
Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and Sam the Eagle
Dave Goelz as Gonzo and Zoot
Steve Whitmire as Bean Bunny and Foo-Foo
Richard Hunt as Janice
Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper

Notes[]

The videophone footage of Fozzie and Miss Piggy was reused in the World of Jim Henson special as part of the introduction.

"Make 'Em Laugh" features projected clips from "The Glow-Worm" as performed on The Jack Paar Program, and The Muppet Show (including Kermit's intro in episode 119, Gonzo's act in episode 301, and Statler and Waldorf in episode 424).

The holding area video with Rowlf and Sam was later shown at a Disney Passholder event at Disney's Hollywood Studios with Craig Shemin and Dave Goelz on March 7, 2009; and again at Jim Henson's Musical World at Carnegie Hall on April 14, 2012.

Statuettes of the Electric Mayhem displayed as a part of the venue would later be featured as a part of the decor at the Stage 1 Company Store.

John Kennedy, who was a Dr. Teeth costume performer in the actual show, puppeteered Dr. Teeth riding an ice cream cart in a shot cut from the television commercial promoting the show.^[2]

Galleries[]

Stage show pictures[]

Character training documents[]

A sort of "style guide" was developed internally for the suit performers to get a better idea of who the Muppet characters are. Included is a scene rundown, an "historical perspective" description of the Muppets, a memo from Jim Henson, character bios of all featured Muppets with sample illustrations, and instructions on how to write the characters' unique signatures.