This coming weekend, the Muppets will take the stage at the famed Hollywood Bowl for a weekend of live performances, and to everyone fortunate enough to go, I just have one thing to say on behalf of everyone who isn’t: I am incredibly jealous. Like, insanely jealous. Having an expense projection to see if I could haunt the Hollywood Bowl the next time I’m in Los Angeles, Phantom of the Opera-style jealous.
I’m one of the lucky ones, as I’ve gotten to see the Muppets perform live before, so I know what you’re getting into. There is nothing quite like seeing Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, and the rest of the gang in the flesh (so to speak). I also think this could be the beginning of a great opportunity. As we all know, at least project-wise, it’s been a relatively quiet time for the Muppets. There’s no movie or television show in production (aside from the upcoming Muppet Babies reboot, but if it follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, it won’t really involve the Muppet performers or the actual puppets characters). There’s the web videos, but that’s pretty much it. But on the other hand, there’s been a lot of buzz about these live shows. In fact, I believe that until the next movie or TV show comes along, I think the best way to keep these characters alive and relevant is through more live shows like these.
Who hasn’t, at one time or another, had their social media feed blasted with pictures and video from the latest concert to hit town? Concerts and theater are social events, and the Muppets would benefit by getting these characters out amongst the public. I’ve seen theaters and rooms in New York, Montreal, and Anaheim that were packed with people looking to see the Muppets live and in person (or frog, pig, bear, et cetera). And why not? It’s a chance to see the Muppets do their thing with the excitement of live theater. You never know just what’s going to happen. I’ve seen Rowlf had to be repaired at the D23 Expo during a panel, making it look like he was getting a colonoscopy. (And when you’ve been around since 1962, you really should get yourself checked.) I’ve witnessed Kermit break the news to Fozzie that their television show had been cancelled. I’ve seen the Muppets bring everyone in Carnegie Hall to their feet. And for people who love to share every moment online, this is the kind of stuff that they love to see. Word of mouth is still an incredibly powerful tool (or in this day and age, word of tweet). We know with every video mashup and meme that gets floated around, there is love for the Muppets, if not a large, loyal viewership. But hey, if you can’t bring the people to the Muppets, bring the Muppets to the people!
This sort of leads me into my next point. These moments can happen because there is an incredible ensemble of performers. Live shows are a challenge that show off their full range of skills. When something goes wrong, these performers know their characters well enough that they can improvise around it. I’ve seen Bill Barretta play for time by having Rowlf do celebrity impressions (particularly of a certain celebrity that may or may not be currently occupying a certain white house) and lead a singalong of “I’ve Never Harmed an Onion.” I doubt they were scripted, but rather, they were just something for the audience to enjoy while adjustments were made. But it’s the spontaneity that makes these moments so special. It’s why people still love going to concerts. You can always hear the same songs on a CD or a digital download, but knowing that it’ll never be exactly the same way twice is what makes it exciting (and it’s what makes people come back again and again). The Muppets will always be there in the films and TV appearances, but having them in the room, with a live audience, taking it all in is an experience that can’t be duplicated. Some of my most cherished Muppet memories are their live appearances. I think more people should be afforded the chance to enjoy that for themselves.
I also think that live shows could be an opportunity to get somewhat experimental. You can physically gauge people’s reactions, and see what bits work and which ones don’t. As we saw with the Outside Lands performance last year, while the puppeteers take their well-earned breaks, video footage was shown designed exclusively for the event. This could be a chance to produce some videos that might not necessarily work with the current style of the YouTube channel. If it doesn’t work, no worries. After the shows, it doesn’t have to be seen again. But if it does work, it can help inspire new video content to bring the Muppets to more people. It could be a new method of audience testing that might show what Muppet fans and the public at large really like, which would help keep them fresh and engaging, and keep the clicks and shares rolling in, ultimately driving new larger-scale ventures. With the love people have for these characters, I don’t think selling tickets in a Broadway-sized theater would be too much trouble. (And if you really want to get down to dollars and cents, there’s always plenty of money to be made on show merchandise. And yes, I will buy it all.)
Ultimately, I think more live shows could be used as a way to keep these characters visible and bring them to a new audience, both metaphorically and literally, while the next major project is being developed. It could be an opportunity to bring the characters to fans in a more intimate, spontaneous way, as well as get more people interested in the Muppets in general. It could be a testing ground for new content that could help determine what direction the Muppets go in going forward. And if the buzz I’ve seen for these Hollywood Bowl shows is any indication, there’s plenty of people who would be interested in seeing that for themselves. Going on stage just might be the cure for what currently ails the Muppets.
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by Matthew Soberman – Matthew@ToughPigs.com
