Bruce Schwartz

Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.

The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!

Based on Ricky Jay's book of the same title, this TV special was made up of a combination of magic, juggling, amazing feats, stunts and performances, including a musical performance on wine glasses, a human calculator who could determine cube-routes of numbers in her head and an antique acrobatic clockwork doll.

The third of six documentary specials on puppetry presented by Jim Henson. This special features the artistry of American puppeteer Bruce Schwartz, clips from Schwartz’s off-off-Broadway performance are interspersed with a post-performance interview with Jim Henson. Henson and Schwartz discuss the elements of illusion and imagination that bring Schwartz’s fragile and detailed work to life, and comment on the history of puppetry in England.

Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.