The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History
| The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) | |
| Magic Kingdom | |
| Area | Liberty Square |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | October 2, 2016 |
| General statistics | |
| Designer | Walt Disney Creative Entertainment |
| Theme | The Muppets, American history |
| Music | Valerie Vigoda and Brendan Milburn[1] |
| Duration | 7-11 minutes |
 Wheelchair accessible | |
The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History is a live show located in the Liberty Square area at the Magic Kingdom. The show is performed daily and features the Muppets presenting abridged accounts of notable milestones in American history, primarily from the Colonial era. The majority of the show unfolds from the second-story windows of the Heritage House, adjacent to the Hall of Presidents attraction.[2] The show premiered on October 2, 2016.[3]
The Muppets are physically performed live in the show by the park's in-house puppeteers in synchronization to a pre-recorded dialogue track. The Muppets Studio and Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, and Dave Goelz provided consultation, as well as recording the voices for their respective characters.[1]
Show
Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Sam Eagle are featured in the show. A live actor portrays James "J.J." Jefferson, the town crier who engages the audience in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch.[2][4][5]
Each show performance features one of the following sketches:[6]
- Declaration of Independence — Sam and J.J. narrate the events that unfolded during the 1776 Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, and the eventual drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The historical figures included here are Thomas Jefferson (portrayed by Kermit), John Adams (portrayed by Gonzo), and Benjamin Franklin (portrayed by Fozzie). Miss Piggy portrays the dual gender role reversal of George Washington and King George III.[7]
- Midnight Ride of Paul Revere — Sam retells Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride", depicting the subject of Paul Revere's (portrayed by Kermit) historical "Midnight Ride".[7]
Voice cast
- Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog
- Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam Eagle
- Dave Goelz as Gonzo
Development
The show's development started in the spring of 2014, following the release of Muppets Most Wanted. Originally, the show was only going to feature Sam Eagle interacting with guests and telling them about American history. However, it was later decided that, to make the show more entertaining, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo would be added in.[8] Jim Lewis was asked to provide consultation on the show's scripts. Due to the distance between guests and the Muppet characters, the puppets are made 5% larger than the size traditionally used for film and television.[8]
References
- 1 2 Deitchman, Beth (October 3, 2016). "The Muppets Make History at Magic Kingdom Park". Disney D23. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- 1 2 Munarriz, Rick (October 2, 2016). "Disney World's Next Trick: Muppets". The Motley Fool. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ↑ Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (October 8, 2016). "'The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History' Opens at Magic Kingdom Park". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (July 28, 2016). "Disney: Muppets show coming to Magic Kingdom". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ↑ Slater, Shawn (July 28, 2016). "The Muppets Are Coming to Walt Disney World Resort This Fall in an All-New Show". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (September 29, 2016). "Disney to debut 'The Muppets Present ... Great Moments in American History'". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- 1 2 Bevil, Dewayne (October 4, 2016). "First look: Disney's new Muppet show makes history". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- 1 2 Hill, Jim (9 November 2016). "WDW's new "The Muppets Present … Great Moments in American History" show brings authentic Muppet mayhem to Liberty Square". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
External links
Coordinates: 28°25′09″N 81°34′57″W / 28.4193°N 81.5824°W