 | |
| PERFORMER | various |
| DEBUT | 1977 |
The Flying Zucchini Brothers is an Italian acrobat/daredevil act on The Muppet Show. They also appeared in The Muppet Show On Tour. (See The Flying Zucchini Brothers walk-arounds.)
The Zucchini Brothers are best known for their Human Cannon Ball act. This act is mostly performed by three Zucchini brothers and one cannon, although the Wally Boag episode features six brothers and five cannons.
Some of the Zucchini Brothers' names are Biondo (episode 412), Marco, Giuseppi, Luigi, Lorenzo, and Heathcliff (the "Mama's Boy" of the group).
The Zucchini Brother puppets are Whatnots; they tend to look a little differently in each episode, although their design remains basically the same.
The characters briefly resurfaced in the premiere episode of Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola. During the Strega Nona story, two of the Zucchini Brothers (whose legs are only visible) use Strega Nona's well-worn tablecloth as a trampoline.
The characters re-appeared in Muppets Most Wanted, performing their cannonball act at the end of "We're Doing a Sequel." Their performers included Mak Wilson, Nigel Plaskitt and Iestyn Evans.[1][2] The updated puppets were designed by Lauren Attinello.[3]
The name is a parody of the Zacchini Brothers, one of the world's earliest and most famous human cannonball acts, who performed in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the 1930s and '40s. According to Frank Oz, the characters were based on some waiters at a restaurant Muppet Show writer meetings would be held at who would frequently mess up their orders.[4]
Appearances[]
- The Muppet Show
- Episode 208: Steve Martin (played by Frank Oz, Richard Hunt and Dave Goelz)
- Episode 217: Julie Andrews (played by Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson)
- Episode 221: Bob Hope (played by Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson)
- Episode 316: Danny Kaye (bucket-diving act)
- Episode 412: Phyllis George (played by Richard Hunt and Jim Henson)
- Episode 507: Glenda Jackson
- Episode 520: Wally Boag (played by Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson and Steve Whitmire)
- The Muppet Show On Tour
- The Muppet Show On Tour: 2nd Edition
- Muppets Most Wanted
- Warburtons commercial
- The Muppets Take the Bowl
- The Muppets Take the O2
Book appearances[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Personal communication with Mak Wilson by Anthony T.
- ↑ Edit by User:Iestyn Evans
- ↑ PuppetHeap.com
- ↑ The Jim Henson Legacy: Past, Present, Future panel at The Paley Center for Media, 1992