A very rare personal appearance by Frank Oz, conversations with Brian Henson and illustrator Brian Froud, 25th anniversary screenings of Labyrinth, a preview of the new movie The Muppets, and rare showings of Jim Henson's experimental television works, are among the highlights of the next three months of programs to be presented by Museum of the Moving Image in conjunction with the exhibition Jim Henson's Fantastic World.
The Smithsonian traveling exhibition, which has been drawing record crowds to the Museum (and to all the other venues where it was exhibited), will be on view through January 16, 2012.
The program with Frank Oz, Jim Henson's longtime creative partner and one of the early Muppet performers, will take place on Sunday, October 23. Oz will be interviewed by Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy, about his career with the Muppets, from his early experiences performing Rowlf the Dog to his creation of Miss Piggy's feisty persona, and his successful directorial career. Of the films Oz directed, the Museum will screen The Muppets Take Manhattan, on October 22 and 23, and Little Shop of Horrors, on October 29 and 30.
In addition to screenings and discussions with Henson colleagues and performers, the Museum will present a special full-day workshop for young people on televised puppetry with John Tartaglia, the Tony- and Emmy-nominated star of Broadway's Avenue Q, on November 11 (Veterans Day). Workshops on shadow puppets and sound effects are also among the weekly offerings. Holiday programs continue into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season with screenings of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, A Muppet Family Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street," and other seasonal specials featuring Henson's famous characters.
Most screenings are free with Museum admission, which also includes entry to the exhibition. Special event programs are noted with separate ticket prices. Jim Henson's experimental Academy Award-nominated film, Time Piece (1965), will screen continuously through November 16 in the Museum's Video Screening Amphitheater.
A full schedule of programs is included below.
This series was organized by Chief Curator David Schwartz and Assistant Film Curator Rachael Rakes for Museum of the Moving Image, in partnership with The Jim Henson Legacy, Brooklyn Academy Of Music, and Irena Kovarova. It includes programs from the touring series Muppets, Music and Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy.
Jim Henson's Fantastic World features over 120 artifacts, including drawings, storyboards, and props, and video material that illustrate Henson's boundless creativity and innumerable accomplishments. Among the highlights are fifteen iconic original puppets of such characters as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Bert, Ernie, and Miss Piggy; photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work; and excerpts from Henson's early projects and experimental films.
The exhibition was organized by The Jim Henson Legacy and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in cooperation with the Henson family, The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio, LLC, and Sesame Workshop. This exhibition is made possible by the BIO channel. Additional support has been provided by The Jane Henson Foundation and Cheryl Henson.
Support for Jim Henson's Fantastic World at Museum of the Moving Image is provided by The Jane Henson Foundation, Five Napkin Burger, and Cheryl Henson. Additional support is provided by Schmutter, Strull, Fleisch Inc. and The Astor Room.
