Tonight The Muppets played the first of three performances at the Hollywood Bowl. Billed as Muppets Take the Bowl, this event was hosted by Kermit the Frog and Bobby Moynihan. They were backed by Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The night was full of heartwarming moments, surprise celebrity guests, music, and even fireworks!
I can check off the Muppets off my bucket list! Bonus: I got to say hello to one of my favorite writers — @Paul_Dini. #MuppetsTakeTheBowl pic.twitter.com/jGU0tvLnMr
— Dennis Salvatier (@salvatier) September 9, 2017
The Performance
The evening began with Sam Eagle introducing the Star Spangled Banner. Once that was done, the show began just as any Muppet show should. The Muppet Show Theme kicked off the evening. The whole show was really an extended live performance of The Muppet Show. This is what made this evening so wonderful, it was a modern version of the original show so many of us know and love. Kermit was running things, or trying to. Scooter was on hand to make sure that things were moving forward. Fozzie Bear was telling “great” jokes, Gonzo was being Gonzo, and Miss Piggy continually fought to be the star of the show. Oh, and you can’t forget the Swedish Chef making salsa with Bobby Mohnihan, Pepe the Prawn stealing the orchestra, and hearing Mahna Mahna live.
On top of that several classic segments returned from The Muppet Show. There was Pigs in Space, Veterinarian’s Hospital, and the Muppet News Flash! Couple that with beloved tunes and humor from The Muppets and it was an absolutely magical experience. Many favorites were performed that included Mahna Mahna, Movin’ Right Along, Can You Picture That?, The Magic Store, Bohemian Rhapsody, and more!
The evening concluded with a fireworks performance accompanied by Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. They performed a medley of Muppets music that was simply wonderful. As the whole night did, it pulled music from all eras of The Muppets. Following the fireworks, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem hopped on stage and sang With a Little Help From My Friends. Everyone who had performed throughout the evening joined the band for this beautiful ending.
.@TheMuppets singing "Mahna Mahna" live at the @HollywoodBowl…childhood dream come true! #MuppetsTakeTheBowl pic.twitter.com/inTqA6nfMG
— James Sims (@SimsJames) September 9, 2017
Thoughts on the Night
Muppets Take the Bowl was absolutely successful because The Muppets stayed true to who they are. They were as zany and charming as any of the original episodes of The Muppet Show. Couple that with the comedic spirit of Bobby Moynihan as the celebrity host and everything just felt right. Conductor Thomas Wilkins also featured on occasion and was a fitting addition to the show as well.
As the main performance wrapped up with Rainbow Connection before the fireworks, Paul Williams joined Kermit on the stage before the rest of The Muppets and Moynihan joined. It was the heartwarming moment that The Muppets always did such a wonderful job at creating at the end of so many of its movies and shows. These classic moments were what made the show so much fun. The Muppets were true to themselves and whoever put this show together captured this spirit of this amazing group. This is exactly what makes The Muppets great and what should always be remembered in all Muppet endeavors. I, for one, would love to be attending all three performances this weekend of Muppets Take the Bowl. I sincerely hope that there will be more opportunities for The Muppets to be themselves in more places in the future. And if not, I hope this becomes a yearly tradition. I know I would attend this on a yearly basis!
