BAM Presents Muppets ™ , Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy , November 20-21, a weekend festival of movies, TV shows, workshops, and more at BAM Rose Cinemas Morning and afternoon screenings feature films for the entire family Evening programs focus on experimental work and films for adults Celebration also features Q&A’s with Muppet writers and performers, puppet-making workshops, and a book signing with Caroll Spinney, performer of Sesame Street ™ ’s, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch BAM Rose Cinemas (30 Lafayette Ave.) Brooklyn, October 13, 2004— From November 20-21, BAMcinématek, the repertory film program at BAM Rose Cinema and BAM’s Education & Humanities department present Muppets , Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy , a weekend festival of movies, TV shows, workshops, and more. In conjunction with The Jim Henson Legacy and Muppet co-founder Jane Henson, BAM pays tribute to Jim Henson, one of the world’s most inspired and innovative film and puppetry artists. A visionary TV producer, film director, and world-class puppeteer who created indelible characters, Henson brought his unique combination of childlike wonder and adult sophistication to his groundbreaking work for children and adults. Muppets, Music & Magic will explore all facets of this prolific performer’s output, including rarely seen projects (like the Storyteller series) and old favorites (Sesame Street, The Muppet Show). Time Magazine said of Jim Henson “[he] had the most profound influence on children of any entertainer of his time.” Morning and early afternoon screenings feature films for the entire family and kids of all ages, while evening programs focus on Henson’s experimental work, rarities, and films for adults. The program also includes Q&A’s with Muppets contributors and puppet-making workshops. BAM Rose Cinemas “offers one of the most civilized movie-going experiences in the city,” according to The New York Times. General admission tickets to BAM Rose Cinemas are $7 per screening for children thirteen and under; $10 for adults; $6 for BAM Cinema Club members. Tickets are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office, by phone at 718.777.FILM (order by “name of movie” option using program titles), or online at www.bam.org. Puppet making workshops As part of the Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy celebration, puppet-making workshops will be led by Jim Henson collaborators. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Tickets are general admission, priced at $7 for children thirteen and under; $10 for adults (only one adult per child.) Tickets are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office, by phone at 718.777.FILM (order via “name of movie” option and use workshop title), or online at www.bam.org. For more information, call 718.636.4100. For press information, contact Fatima Kafele at 718.636.4129 x4 or [email protected]. Saturday, November 20 at 10:30am Sock & Spoon Puppet Workshop with Cheryl Henson Based on The Jim Henson Company’s Workshop and the book Muppets Make Puppets by Cheryl Henson, president of The Jim Henson Foundation and a director of The Jim Henson Company, this workshop teaches children how to make simple puppets out of everyday household objects such as socks and spoons. The workshop will also cover some of the basics of puppet manipulation and character development. For ages 4-7. Saturday, November 20 at 12:30pm, 2:30pm Sunday, November 21 at 10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm Puppet Mania! John E. Kennedy, author of the popular book Puppet Mania! and puppeteer for Sesame Street, Muppet movies, and many other Henson projects will show participants some of the secrets of making puppets come alive in a workshop that provides hands-on experience in puppet-making, creating characters’ personalities, and performance. For ages 8-13. Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy schedule Saturday, November 20 at 10:00am*, ages 4 and up Muppet Music Moments (shorts program) Music was always an integral part of The Muppet Show, and we have assembled a collection of some of the classic music numbers interpreted as only the Muppets can. This compilation features a wide range of musical genres, including performances by guest stars Harry Belafonte, Elton John, and Linda Ronstadt. *Introduced by Jerry Juhl, head writer of The Muppet Show Saturday, November 20 at 10:15am*, ages 2-6 Sesame Street Presents Follow that Bird (1985) Directed by Ken Kwapis After an adoption agency lures Big Bird away to live with a bird family so he can grow up “with his own kind,” he quickly becomes homesick. As he returns to Sesame Street, a couple of unscrupulous and bumbling carnival owners scheme to put him in their sideshow. In the end Big Bird realizes who his real family is—the wonderfully diverse community of Sesame Street. *Q&A and book signing by Caroll Spinney, (Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch), author of The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Side of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers Saturday, November 20 at 10:30am*, ages 4 and up A Muppet Family Christmas (shorts program) Directed by Peter Harris The Muppets, Sesame Street regulars, and the Fraggles all get together in this rare gathering of the extended Muppet family. Even Jim Henson himself shows up to celebrate. The program includes clips from other Christmas specials, which include some of the best Muppet moments. *Introduced by Jerry Juhl, writer Saturday, November 20 at 11:30am*, ages 4 and up The Great Muppet Caper (1981) Directed by Jim Henson Intrepid reporters Kermit, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo go to London to interview fashion designer Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg), whose jewels have been stolen. When the jewel thieves strike again and Holiday’s secretary, Miss Piggy, is accused of the crime, it’s Kermit and friends to the rescue. Memorable eccentrics like John Cleese and Peter Falk join in the fun, but the scenes with Miss Piggy on a motorcycle steal the show. “ A combination of A.A. Milne, Busby Berkeley, and a small bit of Blake Edwards.”— The New York Times *Introduced by Jerry Juhl, writer Saturday, November 20 at 12:15pm* and Sunday, November 21 at 12:15 pm*, ages 4 and up A Better World: Living in Harmony (shorts program) Fraggle Rock (1983) Directed by Jim Henson An episode of the rarely seen Fraggle RockTV series that contrasts three communities—the musical Fraggles, the industrious Doozers, and the giant Gorgs, who all co-exist in a carefully balanced underground world—with those mysterious creatures who live above ground, the humans. Despite their differences, the groups are interdependent, demonstrating the ideal of harmony and peace in the world. *Saturday: Introduced by Kathy Mullen, performer of Mokey Fraggle, and Michael Frith, Fraggle Rock conceptual designer. *Sunday: Introduced by writer Jerry Juhl and Jerry Nelson performer of Gobo Fraggle Followed by The Song of the Cloud Forest (1989) , ages 4 and up Directed by Jim Henson, Art Direction by Cheryl Henson. This beautiful evocation of the rainforest with stunning color graphics focuses on the story of a golden toad that must avoid the “uprights” (humans) trying to capture him. *Sunday: Introduced by Cheryl Henson, designer Saturday, November 20 at 1:30pm*, ages 4 and up Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) Directed by Frank Oz When the Muppets’ college show is a big hit, they decide to take it to Broadway, which brings adventures that could happen only in the Big Apple. Cameos include Mayor Koch, Gregory Hines, Liza Minelli, and others. The movie ends with a wedding between Kermit and his porcine love, which is part of the show within a show—or could it be for real? Muppets Take Manhattan is “ a genuinely fun confection of old-fashioned entertainment.” — Variety *Introduced by Martin Baker, producer Saturday, November 20 at 4:30pm*, ages 6 and up The Muppet Movie (1979) Directed by James Frawley From Kermit the Frog’s humble origins in a swamp, to the entire gang being hired by studio head Orson Welles, The Muppet Movie is an absolute delight. As Kermit makes his way to fabled Hollywood, he assembles his team of like-minded individuals, including Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and others. The movie includes Kermit’s heart-tugging “Rainbow Connection,” and the film ends on a surprisingly existential note. *Introduced by original and head Muppet writer Jerry Juhl Saturday, November 20 at 6:50*, ages 13 and up Commercials & Experiments (shorts program) This program is a collection of experimental shorts, crazy commercials, and other rarities from the Henson vault. Highlights include: a legendary commercial and industrial film for Wilson’s Meat that must be seen to believed, excerpts from Henson’s experimental television programs The Cube and Youth 68: Everything’s changing...Or maybe it isn’t, and Time Piece, an 8-minute experimental masterpiece from 1965 that showcases Henson’s talent for making music out of everyday sounds. *Introduced by Muppet Writer & Historian Craig Shemin, and Henson Company Archivist Karen Falk, and a Q&A with Muppet co-founder Jane Henson and Muppet writer Jerry Juhl Saturday, November 20 at 9:30pm*, ages 8 and up Labyrinth (1986) Directed by Jim Henson With Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie Henson returns to the land of fantasy, this time creating a modern-day Alice in Wonderland (with conceptual design by illustrator Brian Froud). Connelly plays Sarah, a young girl who must travel through the Labyrinth to save her baby brother from the Goblin King (David Bowie, “perfectly cast”— The New York Times). Full of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop’s typically imaginative creature design, the film’s eye-popping sets, including the M.C.