A History of The Muppets on Stage: From The Hollywood Bowl to Broadway

On Wednesday, BroadwayWorld reported that the beloved Muppets would be joining magician Rob Lake for a new magic show opening at the Broadhurst Theatre this fall. The production will mark their Broadway debut, a long time coming since their debut on primetime television in the 1970s.

With their eclectic humor, showy musical numbers, and frequent musical theater collaborations, Broadway has always seemed a natural fit for the characters. Indeed, a whole movie was even dedicated to this premise; 1984's The Muppets Take Manhattan saw the gang attempt to bring their show, Manhattan Melodies, to Broadway. Much later, Disney Theatrical Productions attempted to get a show on a Broadway stage, though it ultimately never materialized. 

But even if they haven't appeared on Broadway proper until now, the lovable puppets are not new to live performance, having starred in several live shows throughout the years at iconic venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and more. 

Starting in the early days of the Muppets, creator Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and their fellow performers made several guest appearances on television and at events, where they performed their characters live in front of an audience. In the mid-1980s, this was taken a step further with The Muppet Show on Tour. 

As the name implies, this production attempted to recreate the original flagship variety show for a live audience. The first edition of the tour kicked off at Madison Square Garden in 1984, with art direction from Michael Frith and character designs and builds from Caroly Wilcox. Rather than have Henson and the rest of the performers tour with the show, the dialogue was prerecorded for use in the production. Familiar Muppet staples, like Kermit's rendition of The Rainbow Connection, were included in the live show. The second edition, which happened a year later, featured a larger cast and the inclusion of the then-new Muppet Babies. 

Beginning in the early 2000s, fully staged live performances from The Muppets began to occur somewhat more regularly. One of the earliest major examples was The Muppet Show Live, which took place at the MuppetFest convention in 2001 to coincide with the show's 25th anniversary. The main performers, including Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Dave Goelz, again worked to put on a full show in the style of the original variety series. Jon Voight, Brooke Shields, Joe Pasquale, and Paul Williams all joined as guest stars. A nationwide live tour was supposed to follow in 2004, but was ultimately canceled. 

The next major Muppets stage show came in 2006, when Disney Cruise Line debuted the Muppets Ahoy! live cruise show on the Disney Wonder ship. The production is notable for being one of the first Muppets productions following the acquisition of the brand by The Walt Disney Company in 2004. Notably, the show utilized an entirely different set of performers for the Muppets themselves, a rarity in Muppet mania.

In 2012, the Muppets joined several other Henson characters for Jim Henson's Musical World, a Carnegie Hall showcase featuring Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Emmett Otter, and more characters from the groundbreaking creative. Hosted by Tony Award-nominated performer and puppeteer John Tartaglia, the two-night production featured numerous songs, including several classic Muppet musical numbers. Actress Rachel Dratch and frequent Muppet collaborator Paul Williams joined as special guests. 

5 years later, the Muppets brought a new live show to the West Coast, performing at the iconic Hollywood Bowl. The Muppets Take the Bowl was a fully staged, two-act live concert that played at the Los Angeles venue over three nights in September 2017. Following in the tradition of the classic Muppet Show format, the show itself featured a wide variety of musical numbers, special guests, familiar and new sketches, and more. To date, this (along with its London counterpart) is the grandest and most elaborate live production created for the franchise.

The main cast of Muppet performers were on hand to perform their characters, including Matt Vogel, who had recently taken over as the main performer for Kermit the Frog. Bobby Moynihan served as the host, with Paul Williams joining to perform Rainbow Connection with Kermit. Other celebrity guests joining via video included Danny Trejo, Jimmy Kimmel, and Guillermo Rodriguez. 

Another version of the show was presented a year later, this time at London's O2 Arena. Many of the same segments moved across the pond, including Pigs in Space, Muppet Labs, and Veterinarian's Hospital. Both also featured Broadway references, such as a rendition of Stephen Sondheim's Send in the Clowns and a performance of the title song from Hair.

A few London-based jokes and references were added specifically for the O2 production. The patriotic Sam the Eagle opened the show with a monologue about England and American accomplishments, a bit not present at the Bowl version. References to the Tower of London, and a performance of Maybe It's Become I'm a Londoner from Rowlf the Dog were also new. 

As for the human characters, Moynihan returned as the host, with new guests that included Kylie Minogue, Kevin Bishop, David Tennant, Adam Hills, Peter Davison, Anthony Head, and Charles Dance. The production played three shows between July 13 and 14, 2018.

With a history of over seven decades (and counting!), The Muppets have proven to be an enduring part of pop culture. In addition to their eight feature films, they continue to remain present on television and in theme parks. Now, with Broadway on the horizon, their days in the New York spotlight are only just getting started. 

Performances of Rob Lake MAGIC with Special Guests The Muppets begin at the Broadhurst Theatre on Tuesday, October 28, with an opening night set for Thursday, November 6. The production will play through Sunday, January 18, 2026.