The Muppets: Broadway Artists Celebrate Jim Henson Characters in Song

While The Muppets TV show was cancelled by ABC after one shortened season, the puppet troupe continue to be beloved by young and old viewers alike. Some of the characters have been around for more than 60 years and music has been a big part their history.

On July 11th, a group of musicians from the Broadway community in New York gathered at Feinstein’s 54 Below to celebrate and perform songs from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and other shows and movies — complete with some Statler and Waldorf style heckling.

Produced and directed by Philip Romano, the cast of 54 Celebrates The Muppets included Griffin Newman, Molly Pope, Laura Shoop, Jennifer Barnhart, Max Crumm, Emily Padgett, James Monroe Iglehart, Brian Gonzales, Nick Cearley, Lauren Molina, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Joe Rumrill, Tim Platt, Lesli Margherita, Mara Wilson, Craig Fogel, Julia Mattison, Grace McLean, Rick Lyon, and George Salazar.

Under the music direction of Ben Caplan, the band included Caplan, Wesley Zurick, Carl Howell, Josh Plotner, Lloyd Kikoler, and Alfonse Vetere.

You can watch some of the performances below but, if you live in the Big Apple, you can also attend another performance on August 28th. Here’s the cast list for that show (which includes several performers you may know from Broadway, movies and television):

Jennifer Barnhart (Avenue Q, Sesame Street)
Max Crumm (Disaster!, The Fantasticks, Grease)
Stephanie D’Abruzzo (Tony Award nominee, Avenue Q, Sesame Street)
Badia Farha (Broadway Bounty Hunter, Sistas: The Musical, Things to Ruin)
Craig Fogel (Don’t Shoot the Messenger)
Alex Gibson (Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812)
F. Michael Haynie (Jasper in Deadland, Wicked, Peter Pan Live)
Andrew Kober (She Loves Me, Les Misérables, Hair)
Rick Lyon (Avenue Q, Sesame Street)
Julia Murney (Wicked, Lennon, The Wild Party)
Emily Padgett (Bright Star, Side Show)
Molly Pope (Molly Pope Likes Your Status, Found)
Monet Sabel (Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band, Wendy’s Shadow)
Heath Saunders (Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812, Newton’s Cradle)
Trent Saunders (Aladdin, American Idiot)
George Salazar (Broadway Bounty Hunter, Be More Chill, Godspell)
Laura Shoop (She Loves Me)
Mara Wilson (Matilda, Welcome to Night Vale, author – Where Am I Now?)
and a very special frog!

Hosted by Griffin Newman (HBO’s Vinyl, Amazon’s The Tick)

What do you think? Did you enjoy these performances? Would you like to see the show in person?