Rick Lyon

Originally from Rochester, NY, and now based in the New York City area, Mr. Lyon studied theatre at Penn State University, and puppetry at the Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts in Connecticut and the Institut Internationale de la Marionnette in France. While he was studying in Connecticut in 1986 he met the late Jim Henson, which later led to him working for Mr. Henson as a puppeteer with the Muppets, and with Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Mr. Lyon has also worked in television and film for Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema, ABC, CBS, PBS, The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, and Fox.

In addition to performing, Mr. Lyon also designs and builds custom puppets with his company, The Lyon Puppets, including the puppets for the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q on Broadway, in London, and on tour nationally. Other projects have included puppets for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers, puppets and props for Nickelodeon's Stick Stickly, television pilots for VH1, Nickelodeon, PBS, numerous industrials and home videos, and the live national tour of PBS's The Magic Schoolbus.