The Muppets News

Duo Shows At 54! is a summer series at FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW celebrating the special collaboration of two artists brought together, curated by Creative and Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/series/duo-shows-at-54 or call (646) 476-3551.

The Skirball Cultural Center announces the June 1 opening of The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, a dynamic new visitor experience exploring the legacy of Jim Henson (1936-1990). Featuring more than 100 objects drawn from the beloved worlds of Sesame Street, The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and much more, the traveling exhibition highlights Henson's groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on popular culture. It reveals how Henson - together with his team of builders, performers, and writers - created an unparalleled body of work that continues to delight and inspire people of all ages.

Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of those enduring classics of American Musical Theatre thanks, in no small part, to its quirky, twisted take on the worldview. Well it's about to get a whole new view as Reboot Theatre Company is taking this Sci-Fi thriller of a musical about a man-eating plant and shaking it up even further by giving it a genderqueer cast (something their company loves to do). I recently sat down with their Audrey, Seattle renowned drag queen Tipsy Rose Lee, to talk about her career and her upcoming dalliance with that carnivorous plant.

The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, Coming to the Skirball Cultural Center

ABC's Tuesday Primetime (8:00-11:00 p.m. – 9.9 million and 2.8/11 in AD18-49):  Driven by an impressive premiere for “Roseanne” leading to improvement across the night, ABC more than doubled its nearest Tuesday competition in Adults 18-49 (+155% – 2.8/11 vs. 1.1/5 – CBS and NBC tied). ABC aired the Top 3 shows of the night with young adults. ABC posted its strongest Tuesday with series programming in 4½ years – since 9/24/13.

Netflix announced today the all-star guest lineup for his upcoming Netflix special, Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity.  Seth Rogen and friends combine stand-up, sketches and music into an outrageous comedy special that could only come from the mind of Seth.

Check Out Highlights From SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'S Weekend Update With Colin Jost and Michael Che

Ivan L. Lustig and Michael Barker, Co-Chairmen of the Board of Trustees of Museum of the Moving Image, today announced that Cheryl Henson has been elected to serve as a Museum Trustee.

SLATE Live has teamed up with Employee of the Month with Catie Lazarus to celebrate the ninth year anniversary of the talk show, which The New York Times calls as a "beloved downtown institution." On Thursday, March 15th, downtown darling Catie Lazarus will interview and honor comedian Hannibal Buress (30 Rock, Broad City), Tony Award-winning Broadway and (now film) music conductor and director Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Incredibles II); actor Emily Mortimer (The Party, Marry Poppins, Newsroom), musical guest The Resistance Revival Chorus, fresh from The Grammy's with Kesha and the Women's March.

Those who have made significant contributions to the arts in a variety of categories will be recognized for their achievements in enriching the communities and citizens of Utah at the 13th Annual Star Awards held Saturday, March 10, 2018 at the SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem. 

Disney Junior's reimagined 'Muppet Babies' will premiere FRIDAY, MARCH 23 with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Channel (10:00 a.m. EDT) and in the DisneyNOW app. The series' soundtrack featuring the theme song, performed by Tony Award®-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry ('Hamilton'), and additional songs from the series will be released digitally by Walt Disney Records tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 23.

Blackfriars Theatre is thrilled to welcome Broadway's Rick Lyon to the creative process for their upcoming May production of the Tony-winning musical, Avenue Q. Mr. Lyon, who originated the role of Trekkie Monster/Nikkie in Avenue Q in the New York production, will join the Blackfriars cast for three days of puppeteering workshops. In addition, Mr. Lyon will be accompanied by the Broadway puppets, who will remain in residence at Blackfriars for the entire run of Avenue Q. That's right - Blackfriars Theatre will have the Broadway cast… well, the stuffed ones, that is.

Puppet enthusiasts are invited to celebrate Women's History Month at the Center for Puppetry Arts! On Saturday, March 3, the Center will host The Women of the Muppets, a special lecture and discussion with four of the women who made groundbreaking contributions to the work of The Jim Henson Company.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2017-2018 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals.

Tony Award-winner Renee Elise Goldsberry (Broadway's 'Hamilton') will perform the theme song for Disney Junior's highly-anticipated animated series 'Muppet Babies,' premiering this March on Disney Channel. The iconic theme song has been reimagined for a whole new generation of young viewers by the acclaimed songwriting team of Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty ('Doc McStuffins'). It will be released by Walt Disney Records on Friday, February 23.

The Hollywood Bowl, one of the leading outdoor music venues in the world and the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was honored as the Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue last night at the 29th Annual Pollstar Awards at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. This distinction marks the 14th consecutive nomination and subsequent award for the iconic venue and affirms the Hollywood Bowl as a premiere destination for performers and audiences alike.   Renowned for its exquisite setting, the Hollywood Bowl plays host to a tremendous diversity of artists, from classical and pops to jazz, rock, and world music.

According to the Daily News, stage and screen star Louis Zorich passed away earlier this week. He was 93 years old.

PuppetPalooza is excited to announce its headline panel performance, Meet The Muppets and the Performers Who Make Them Great! at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on Friday, March 2 at 6:00 pm. Fresh off their resoundingly successful The Muppets Take the Bowl live Hollywood Bowl spectacular, The Muppets and the remarkable performers who bring them to life -- will enthrall audiences with an evening of story-telling, interviews, exclusive footage, musical puppetry madness and improvised mayhem!

Tony Award nominees Kerry Butler (Disaster!, Xanadu, the upcoming Mean Girls), Charl Brown (Motown), John Ellison Conlee (The Full Monty, Murder Ballad), and Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q, I Love You Because) will head a special reading presentation of the new musical Seeing Red, by Emmy Award winner Joey Mazzarino and award-winning composer Aron Accurso on Thursday, January 25 in New York City at 11am and 3pm. Seeing Red takes a look at immigration through a fairy tale lens. In fact, it's about all the things that divide us as humans Religion, borders, race. It's the story of Little Red Riding Hood, now a grown woman who still spends her days delivering baskets full of goodies through her company Red Ex. She wishes she could change her fate but in Everafteropolis, once your story is written, it's written. When Red meets the Man From Nantucket, her life is suddenly turned upside down. He convinces her to smuggle Limerick characters (nameless people from faraway places) over Humpty Dumpty's wall and into her Fairy Tale Utopia. But human trafficking ain't easy and she's going to have to face off against the Big Bad Wolf, the citizens of Everafteropolis and the Great God Grimm himself to save the day. Seeing Red takes all of the tropes of children's theater and spins them on their head to tell a very grown-up story. It's got romance! It's got murder! It's got hand-puppets! Butler, Brown, Conlee, and D'Abruzzo will be joined by Jennifer Barnhart (Sesame Street, Avenue Q), Haven Burton (Violet, Kinky Boots, Shrek), Tyler Bunch (The Muppets, Julie's Greenroom, Bear in the Big Blue House), Paul Castree (Disaster!, 9 to 5, Young Frankenstein), Katie McCreary, Deont L. Warren (Aladdin), and Jacob ben Widmar (The Book of Mormon, White Christmas). Paul Staroba (War Paint, Gentleman's Guide ) serves as Musical Director along with C. Renee Alexander as the Stage Manager and Dailey-Monda Management as the General Manager. JOEY MAZZARINO is currently writing on the new Showtime project Kidding which stars Jim Carrey. Mazzarino has over 20 Emmy Awards in multiple categories for his work on Sesame Street (Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Original Song - Power of Yet). He directed all 13 episodes of Julie Andrews Netflix series Julie's Greenroom where he also served as a writer and producer. ARON ACCURSO Composer: The Dogs of Pripyat (Jerry Bock Award, NAMT, Goodspeed Festival, Weston New Musical Award), Co-composer/Co-book for We Have Apples (featured in the Washington Post, received a showcase produced by Theatre Now NY), Composer/Co-lyrics Strega Nona (National Tour). Training: BMI Workshop (Harrington Award), Dramatist Guild Fellow, St. Olaf College. Music Director/Incidental Music for Up Here by Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (La Jolla), and Calvin Berger (George Street). Broadway: Aladdin, Sister Act, Nice Work , The Little Mermaid, Billy Elliot.

Program conjures images from the surreal Aurora Borealis to the Muppets' Swedish Chef (Phoenix, Ariz.) Phoenix Chorale brings a smorgasbord of ethereal and lighthearted music from Nordic countries as it performs NORDIC SONGS, March 2nd - 4th in venues around the Valley.