When does a dream begin? Is it born when you're a small child at a drive in watching a bear and a frog take a road trip in a Studebaker? Natch, I know I was raised on Sesame Street, the bitchin old school kind. When I walked home for lunch from one school it was spent watching the Muppet Show. The Great Space Coaster is in there somewhere. I saw The Dark Crystal in a theater as a child. I wanted to run away and Muppet but I was eventually given a slightly different calling. I remember crying the days Jim Henson and Richard Hunt died. Armed with a shoe box Gump I played Return to Oz.
Jim Henson had a way of surrounding himself with people who were the best at what they did and when he left us the responsibility of keeping the dream alive fell on his children Lisa, Cheryl, Brian, John, and Heather. Not only is it alive and well but it's still spreading. Who could imagine that sticking a hand in a sock could lead to this?
All that Rian is started with someone I didn't realize I should apreciate until just a few years ago. I feel Brian is best described in one word, "Wheee!" As a kid he was on Sesame Street delighting at only having to eat three peas and shaking five nickles from his piggy bank, as a teenager he built the first Muppet penguin. With sister Cheryl he brought to life Jack Pumpkinhead on Return to Oz, a puppet that was little more than sticks and an unmovable head.
When Labyrinth called Henson siblings performed goblins, were given the task of working out the faces made only of hands, being the puppet co-ordinators, and in Brian's case a main supporting character, Hoggle. It took four people, including the actress in the costume, to bring the character to life. Armed with a Waldo in one hand a joystick in the other Brian was Hoggle's voice and operated the mouth in the mechanical head. Armed with a paper clip and chewing gum he would eventually help MacGuiver what would become the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio.
At the time of Rian's creation I was discovering Brian's work as I rediscovered the Muppets and welcomed back all the joy they were in my life. I knew the dollhouse needed someone from that world, almost became Richard Hunt, but the equally creative and highly encouraged son of a genius felt easier to work with. Soon armed with his Dr van Neuter action figure he joined the cast of Doll House so successfully that people complained about Dr Wilson being a puppet.
The name Rian (I pronounce it Rhee-an somewhat a masculine version of Rhianon) comes from an aversion I have of directly naming characters after real people and that the first character out if the batch Brain inspired was Rian Handover or Handover Fist Puppets. It almost became Rain being he's a water totem but that's another doll story.
Either way he'll answer to Brian and we share that special delight of being able to walk in to a store that sells finger puppets and meet someone who understands having a foot tall plastic doll with the name Henson who needs a goat. Having other people "play Brian" (or Al the Alien's mental break down) with him is even better.
Finding what Brian was up to now introduced me to a group of equally talented puppeteers. Many of them have been with the Henson company for years, please forgive me if I don't know for how long, coming in to their own working on Muppet Classic Theater then going on to Muppets Tonight no doubt working on the movies to come. This core team have even spread their creative wings to un Muppet projects such as the Smile Time episode of the TV show Angel and now Sid the Science Kid. It's even rumored when Avenue Q was being put together they scouted some of the Henson performers to be turned down.
I took Rian to the persormance on February 28, 2009 and we were fascinated by the show that goes on undernieth the puppet improv. These are just a handful of the hundreds of pictures taken by Corren Tyler that evening. They have been reduced in size to better fit the page. I'm working on a better photo page.
The cast were host Patrick Bristow, Brian Henson, Julianne Buescher, Brain Clark, Drew Massey (great guy), Ted Michaels, Colleen Smith, Allan Trautman, and Victor Yerrid. The camera in the middle of the shots is because Henson puppetry involves looking at a monitor of what the view of the audience would see on the TV or movie screen. This allows the performers to better frame the puppets, the view is not mirrored, that is if the puppet faces right that is the direction it faces on the monitor.
Information on the show can be found at PuppetUp.com It is not a family oriented show and no one under 18 is allowed to attend because of adult content.
If you are old enough to attend the show you can find a recount Here If not enjoy some pictures of some funny puppets. And if you're not old enough to attend I don't want to hear from your parents.
Open open open open open open open open, I gotta make a comfort stop, open open open open
Do these things have souls or just big stinky holes?
Ted and Alan welcome paleontologists with a slide show. Never make lady's shoes out of the bones.
Victor provides a ram, as they didn't have any cows, for Brian C, Ted, and Brian H's bad bunnies to tip over.
Puna voiced by Drew, with help holding him up from Victor, wonder what kind of science project Brian C, Julianne, and Colleen are up to.
Hot dogs in a western or kung fu movie depending on which TV channel Patrick is watching.
Rian's eye view of the Batcave where Batman gets a beaver for a side kick.
Victor and Brian H get ready to use a live hand puppet to host the Supercuts talent show.
Alan and Colleen start things off with a magic act.
Brian C and Ted do ballroom dancing on little pieces of hair scattered all over the floor.
Julianne does what ever impression Drew thinks of, the host is amazed.
Drew, Brian H, and Victor bring their aliens to Colleen for a smog check.
How the stage is set with view screens while two puppets go on a first date.
Patrick tries to hear all the suggestions for the spy movie
Act two begins.
Julianne, Drew, Victor, and Colleen rap in Jerry the Gerbal Makes a Friend.
Stage view and screen view of a scene where an audience member gets to play a puppet who has to eat a hot dog.
Stage and screen view of Piddles the Pug on a quest to save the eight babies.
Stage and screen view of Piddles saving the eight babies, who happen to be hot dogs, from the weasel. Victor, Colleen, and Julianne.
Alan and Victor have to make what their puppets do to the voices Colleen and Ted provided.
Brian C, Brian H, Julianne, and Ted take audience suggestions for what kind of emotion to use in their movie. Brian H didn't have any problem hearing the suggestions, snap!
The highschool cheer for Michael Vick high.
The last number is done sans puppets, much like the Helping Hands from the movie Labyrinth.