John Tartaglia Named Henson VP of Development and Production!

The Jim Henson Company promoted John Tartaglia to Vice President of Development and Production. 

In this role, Tartaglia, the Tony-nominated and Emmy-winning creator, producer, writer, director, and puppeteer, will develop and produce projects across all media, with a primary focus on television and theater, and he will continue to creatively supervise the Company's popular Fraggle Rock franchise. 

"Over the many years that John has been a key partner on projects like the Emmy-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Splash and Bubbles, Wowsabout, and the newly released Jim Henson's Monster Dance, he has proven to be a true 'quadruple threat.' As an award-winning producer, an exceptional director, a prolific writer, and a gifted puppeteer, John makes each project better and adds a joyful creative spirit to our team," said Lisa Henson.

Tartaglia has been a long-time collaborator with The Jim Henson Company on a variety of projects, chief among them serving as an executive producer, writer, director, and puppeteer (Gobo Fraggle, Sprocket, and multiple other characters) on the Emmy-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. Other projects include directing and performing lead character Ronald in the recent PBS KIDS special Wowsabout, and co-creating and executive producing the newly released Amazon Kids+ series Jim Henson's Monster Dance. Other television projects include the TV series Splash and Bubbles for PBS KIDS (for which he served as Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, and Emmy-nominated puppeteer), and development projects like The Kissing Hand. As a puppeteer, Tartaglia has been featured in a range of projects for the Company including Word Party, Julie's Greenroom, Slumberkins, Happytime Murders, and the live show Puppet Up!.

Tartaglia has also produced, written, and directed several live shows for The Jim Henson Company. Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE is currently having its New York City premiere at The New Victory Theater through June 21st, with a second national tour launching in the fall. Other stage credits include Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and Jim Henson's Inspired Silliness for Princess Cruises, Sid the Science Kid Live, and Dinosaur Train Live.

John serves as Vice President of Development & Production for The Jim Henson Company, serving as the creative supervisor of the iconic brand Fraggle Rock, including the Emmy-winning reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, for which he is also an Executive Producer, Writer, and Puppet Captain, and performs Gobo Fraggle, Architect Doozer, Gunge, Barry Blueberry, and Sprocket the Dog. Other television credits include the upcoming Jim Henson's Monster Dance for Amazon Kids+ (Co-Creator, Executive Producer), Wowsabout (Co-Executive Producer, Director, Puppeteer of Ronald), several seasons of Sesame Street, Johnny and the Sprites (Emmy-nominated, creator, star and co-executive producer), Ugly Betty, Bear in the Big Blue House, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Silent But Deadly, Hollywood Squares, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Animal Jam, Blues Room, Sesame English, and JoJo's Circus.

Muppet Stuff Video: Plastic Meatball's "Labyrinth" Action Figures!

Join me as I take a closer look at Plastic Meatball's Labyrinth Action Figures! 

Based on Jim Henson's beloved 1986 fantasy film, these figures bring iconic characters like Jareth the Goblin King and Sarah to life in stunning detail. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the movie or a seasoned collector, these are definitely worth a closer look.

Be sure to check out even more videos on our Youtube channel.

Imagineer That! The Muppets Rock 'n' Rollercoaster!

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is now open at Disney's Hollywood Studios! To celebrate the occasion, Tom Morrow 2.0 is answering the classic question - how does everything stay in a roller coaster when it goes upside down? 

This time around, he has a little help from Lips, trumpet player for The Electric Mayhem, as long as Joe from Legal doesn't shut this episode down...

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets is now open at Disney Hollywood Studios. 

RIP Gene Shalit (1926 - 2026)

Sad news as former Today Show, critic Gene Shalit died over the weekend.

Gene Shalit was one of American television's most recognizable personalities — instantly identifiable by his wild hair, handlebar mustache, vibrant bowties, and an endless appetite for wordplay. For nearly four decades, he served as the beloved film and arts critic on The Today Show, while also lending his voice to publications like TV Guide, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan.

It's no surprise that the Muppets crossed paths with Shalit more than once over the years, both celebrating and lovingly poking fun at the iconic critic.

The connection goes back to April 3, 1974, when Ernie and Bert made a guest appearance on The Today Show. In classic Muppet fashion, Bert showed up dressed to look uncannily like Shalit himself. Three years later, Shalit hosted the PBS special Sesame Street at Night?

Shalit was spoofed in 1976's The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence as a film critic, performed by Jerry Nelson, who turns into a pig. 

In 1980, Shalit sat down with Jim Henson for an interview about a quirky piece of television history: a set of pipes that Henson, Frank Oz, Don Sahlin, and Jerry Juhl had painted backstage while waiting to perform on The Jack Paar Program. During the interview, Shalit quipped that the pipes deserved a place in a museum. In 2010, those very pipes were added to the public tour of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

The fun continued in 1983, when Muppet Magazine featured Shalit in its "Great Muppet Look-Alike Contest," pairing him with none other than the Swedish Chef.

On July 10, 1984. Gene interviewed Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog about their new feature film The Muppets Take Manhattan.

  

After Henson's untimely passing in 1990, Shalit interviewed Frank Oz. 

And in 1996, he made a deliciously unexpected contribution to In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy, submitting his very own "Movie Crumb Cake" recipe to the diva's cookbook.

Gene Shalit's relationship with the Muppets was as warm, witty, and wonderfully bizarre as the man himself.

Gene Shalit was 100 years old. 

"Fraggle Rock: Back to Rock LIVE" Goes Back on Tour!

Grab your favorite Silly Creatures and get ready to "dance your cares away" when The Jim Henson Company's musical, magic-filled touring live show Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE makes its way across the United States for its second national tour.

Following a successful run at the New Victory Theater in New York City this summer, this joyful, nostalgic show for fun-loving families and fans of all ages launches on September 18,  followed by over 40 stops including Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Tucson, Des Moines, Charleston, Shreveport, and more. 

Packed with comedy, dancing, and music that are hallmarks of the iconic Jim Henson Company, this family friendly live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, a visit from a giant Gorg, and exciting original puppet creature friends - all built by the renowned Jim Henson's Creature Shop. With plenty of fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock. With lots of music, laughter and imagination, it's an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles!

"Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE welcomes everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – to celebrate the magic that happens when we come together to share silliness, hope, optimism, music, dancing and FUN! It has been wonderful to share this show with our Fraggle fans, and especially exciting to see new fans experience the world of Fraggle Rock for the first time. So c'mon, Silly Creatures! Grab your radish hat and hold on to your baloobious, because it is time to Fraggle Rock!" said John Tartaglia, Writer/Director/Choreographer of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE.
Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE tour schedule includes:

• September 18, 2026, in La Crosse, WI at the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center
• September 19, 2026, in Milwaukee, WI at the Pabst Theater
• September 20, 2026, in Minneapolis, MN at the State Theatre
• September 24, 2026, in Sioux Falls, SD at the Washington Pavilion
• September 26, 2026, in Palos Hills, IL Moraine Valley Fine and Performing Arts Center
• September 27, 2026, in South Bend, IN at the Morris Performing Arts Center
• September 29, 2026, in Nixa, MO at the AETOS Performing Arts Center
• October 1, 2026, in Lexington, KY at the Lexington Opera House
• October 2, 2026, in Columbus, OH at the Palace Theatre
• October 3, 2026, in Cincinnati, OH at Procter & Gamble Hall
• October 4, 2026, in Clinton Township, MI at the Macomb Center
• October 9, 2026, in Concord, NH at the Capitol Center for the Arts
• October 10, 2026, in Keene, NH at the Colonial Theatre
• October 11, 2026, in New London, CT at the Garde Arts Center
• October 15, 2026, in Harrisburg, PA at Whitaker Center
• October 16, 2026, in Morgantown, WV at the WVU Canady Creative Arts Center
• October 17, 2026, in Elyria, OH at the Stocker Arts Center
• October 23, 2026, in Charleston, SC at the Charleston Gaillard Center
• October 25, 2026, in Columbus, GA at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts
• October 27, 2026, in Maryville, TN at the Clayton Center for the Arts
• October 29, 2026, in Shreveport, LA at the Strand Theatre
• October 30 & 31, 2026, in College Station, TX at Rudder Auditorium
• November 1, 2026, in Fayetteville, AR at the Walton Arts Center
• November 2, 2026, in Conway, AR at Reynolds Performance Hall
• November 4, 2026, in Columbia, MO at Jesse Auditorium
• November 6, 2026, in Des Moines, IA at Des Moines Performing Arts
• November 11, 2026, in Kalispell, MT at Wachholz College Center
• November 12, 2026, in Jackson Hole, WY at the Center for the Arts
• November 13, 2026, in Pinedale, WY at The Sheppard Auditorium
• November 14, 2026, in Fort Collins, CO at The Lincoln Center
• November 16, 2026, in Logan, UT at the Ellen Eccles Theatre
• November 22, 2026, in Modesto, CA at the Gallo Center for the Arts
• November 24, 2026, in Tucson, AZ at the Fox Tucson Theatre
• November 27, 2026, in La Mirada, CA at the La Mirada Theatre
• November 28, 2026, in Scottsdale, AZ at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
• November 29, 2026, in Albuquerque, NM at Popejoy Hall

For more information, tickets, and tour dates, visit www.FraggleRockLive.com

Muppet Stuff Video: American Treasure Tour Museum!

In this video, I explore the incredible American Treasure Tour Museum in Oaks, Pennsylvania — a massive, quirky warehouse packed floor-to-ceiling with vintage Americana, carnival rides, mechanical music machines, and pop culture memorabilia — on a mission to find every last Muppet lurking in the collection. 

From Kermit to Tutter, I'm scouring every aisle and corner of this one-of-a-kind attraction to see just how many Muppet treasures are tucked away among the antiques. Whether you're a die-hard Muppets fan, a lover of offbeat museums, or just curious what's inside this unique destination, come along for the search! 

The American Treasure Tour is a guided tour experience housed in a former BF Goodrich Factory , filled with an astounding array of collectibles — mechanical music machines, vintage toys, neon signs, amusement park artifacts, and so much more. 

More info on The American Treasure Tour Museum:

https://www.americantreasuretour.com/

Be sure to check out even more videos on our Youtube channel.

Watch The Disney Imagineers MoCap Scooter!

Get a behind the scenes look as Walt Disney Imagineering uses motion capture technology to bring Scooter to life for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets!

While Disney Imagineers have used motion capture to help bring Audio-Animatronics figures to life before, but this is the first time they used the technology on a Muppet!

The Imagineers put Scooter in a motion capture suit to accurately capture the performance by David Rudman and make the most realistic Muppet Audio-Animatronics figure ever.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets is now open at Disney Hollywood Studios.