Well folks, this isn’t the review we wanted to write. With the news that Rob Lake Magic with Special Guests The Muppets is closing on Sunday, November 16th, just a week and a half after its official premiere, this review has become a eulogy. And the Muppets truly deserve better than this.
Ever since The Muppet Show premiered in 1976, there’s been a demand for a theatrical experience featuring the Muppets. Seeing the existence of theater seats opposite the Muppet Theatre’s stage was almost a promise that you could watch the Muppets perform live. There have been a few examples over the years, including The Muppet Show: On Tour, The Muppets Take the Bowl, and even MuppetVision 3D, each almost providing that experience but not quite delivering the specific feeling of attending The Muppet Show.
The announcement that the Muppets would be appearing in Rob Lake’s Broadway show may not have promised The Muppet Show, but it was an important stepping stone to making it a reality. While never confirmed by Disney, it felt like this was a test to see how the Muppets might work on a Broadway stage. Will the puppets be too small? Could they perform to a pre-recorded vocal track? Would they have to rely on Jumbotron screens? And most importantly, would audiences really feel like these were the “real” Muppets? Depending on the answers to these questions, we could deduce the potential for what might come next for theatrical Muppets.
Before we get to answering those questions, let’s talk about the show as a whole. This was very much Rob Lake’s show, with the Muppets peppered in. This meant long portions of magic acts without the Muppets, with varying degrees of awe. A disappearing, reappearing motorcycle is pretty impressive. Sawing a lady in half, a bit lackluster. Rob comes across as a nice guy, but he lacks the sort of razzle dazzle we expect from headlining magicians, whether it comes from flashy outfits and panache, or from the timing of a brilliant comedian. Especially when he’s taking turns with the Muppets for the spotlight, he isn’t able to stand out in comparison.
Pairing the Muppets with Rob Lake was a questionable decision from day one. There’s no doubt in my mind that Rob doesn’t love and respect the Muppets. He comes across as a real fan, which was proven in the few personal interactions we’ve had with him. And while he talked a good amount about the “magic” of the Muppets (and let’s be real: it takes a lot of magic to bring the Muppets to life), the Muppets were mostly set apart from the magic acts. The few times these worlds did intersect, it was mostly the same trick done multiple times: A Muppet is not there, and then suddenly they appear. It’s always a treat to get a Muppet Surprise, of course, but the thrill comes from seeing the characters live, not from the smoke and mirrors.
Out of the 90-minute show, the Muppets appear in about 9 or 10 minutes of the show. With such limited stage time, we expected a lot. And what we got was good, though it felt like they left a lot of potential on the cutting room floor. It was likely enough for most audiences to get to see Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy and the gang live. Personally, my favorite part of the show was hearing the audience erupt every time they took the stage (especially Miss Piggy – she’s still a star!). I wish they’d gotten to do more, like performing in some Muppet Show-style skits or CRAZY IDEA maybe sing a song?? I also would’ve loved more examples of “Muppet magic,” taking a cue from Rob Lake and giving us more puppetry tricks beyond the old “puppet on a stool” illusion. Of course, they’re not the stars, just the guests, so their cameos were appropriate. But I wanted more.
There was some concern from Muppet fans that, knowing the characters would be performing to a pre-recorded track, they might not feel like the “real” Muppets. I can’t tell you how pleased I was to see how alive they all felt. The lip-sync was near perfect, and I’m sure they felt as legitimate as can be to the untrained eye. This all comes down to the fact that they cast all Henson-trained puppeteers (under the guidance of Puppet Captain Peter Linz) who know what it takes to perform the characters accurately.
So, big props to performers John Cody, Ben Durocher, Matthew Furtado, Noel MacNeal, Sebastiano Ricci, and Stoph Scheer. They truly stood out as the best part of the show. (Sorry, Gonzo.)
All of this is to say: The Muppets really do work in this type of environment. If the hidden agenda of the show was to see if the Muppets could carry their own Broadway show, then it’s a resounding “yes” from me. Despite being as large as a standard Broadway theater, the Broadhurst was the perfect size to be able to see the puppets clearly from any seat, and the minimal use of screens was just enough to allow close-ups without missing out on the live aspect. And the fact that my biggest (only?) complaint about the Muppets in this show was my desire to see more is a really good thing.
The early cancellation of Rob Lake Magic is pretty tragic. This may not have been the ideal venue for the Muppets, but it was a great opportunity for people to get to see the Muppets up close and personal. And the tease of their potential was so huge, it left me leaving the theater with excitement for when they might be headlining their own show. My biggest fear is that The Powers That Be (whether they be theater producers, Disney Theatrical, or Mr. Broadway himself) may consider the cancellation of this show as a sign that the Muppets don’t work on stage, and to that I say “wrong.” Give the Muppets their own shot and watch the seats fill up. And more importantly, watch the faces in the audience light up, because this is what people want to see. More Muppets. Please.
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by Joe Hennes and Matthew Soberman, with additional reporting by Drake Lucas
