Beaker's Ballad

Make a Monser with Elmo's New iPhone App

Do you have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Now you can make your own Muppet monsters, and even send them to a friend. Elmo's Monster Maker is a brand-new app that lets you create thousands Sesame Street monsters, by combining a variety of parts. the monster you create even plays and dances with Elmo. The new app is for all ages, and helps teach body part to children.

Sesame Workshop's Assistant Vice President for Business Development, Jeffrey Fleishmann, commented that "What's really unique about Elmo's Monster Maker App is the interaction with the live video—Elmo is literally playing with a Muppet you've just created."

The new app launched on February 2; Sesame Workshop previously released the game Grover's Number Special, back in November 2009.

Henson's "Stuffed and Unstrung" Puppet Show Comes to NYC

WestBeth Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company's Henson Alternative have just announced the New York debut of "Stuffed and Unstrung", a live uncensored show that lets loose the perilous and provocative elements of comedic improvisation on stage with a bunch of puppets. Created by Brian Henson and Patrick Bristow, this one-of-a-kind comedy performance is set for a special 10-week limited engagement kicking off Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at the Union Square Theatre in New York. The official opening will then take place on Thursday, April 1 at 9:00 PM.

"Stuffed and Unstrung" is a madcap multimedia romp in which the skilled art of puppetry and comedic intelligent nonsense collide. Unpredictable, irreverent and rebellious, it’s never the same show twice as a team of expert puppeteers sets off on a trail of twisted sketches and songs at breakneck pace while interaction with the audience prompts the spontaneous storylines unfolding on stage.

"Stuffed and Unstrung" evolved from Henson’s previous production "Puppet Up! – Uncensored", which made its debut at the 2006 HBO Comedy Festival (Aspen, CO) and later toured the 2006 Edinburgh Festival (Edinburgh, Scotland), The 2007 Comedy Festival (Las Vegas, NV) and Australia’s Sydney Big Laugh Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (both 2007). Most recently, "Puppet Up!" continued to be workshopped in monthly performances at Avalon Hollywood. The New York engagement of "Stuffed and Unstrung" marks the debut of a completely revamped production featuring all new technical wizardry and original music and staging.

With live musical accompaniment and Bristow as host, "Stuffed and Unstrung" features a cast of six puppeteers in an uninhibited live puppet performance, as never seen before. This production serves up “two shows in one” as the hilarious puppet action is projected on large screens flanking the stage, while the puppeteers display their skillful talents below all in full view of the audience.

For more information on the Jim Henson Company's "Stuffed and Unstrung," or to get your tickets for this must-see show, check out www.StuffedAndUnstrung.com. I will be sure to keep you posted as more information on this New York City stage show unfolds.

"Old School" Sesame Street Music Comes to CD in March!

E1 Music (formally known as Koch Records) is planning to release "Sesame Street Old School Vol. 1," a new CD box set, on March 23, 2010. The set, originally planned for a November release, will feature three of the earliest "Sesame Street" albums - including the original recording and artwork. All three albums have been fully remastered and this set marks the first time these albums will be available on CD. The 3-disc collection will carry a suggested retail price of $21.98

The package includes: "The Original Cast Recording" (first released in 1970), "Big Bird Sings" (1974) and "Bert & Ernie Sing Along" (1975). "The Original Cast Album" peaked at #23 on Billboard Top LPs chart in 1970, and was RIAA Gold Certified. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. "Bert & Ernie Sing Along" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children in 1975.

So be sure to pick up this exciting collection of classic Sesame Street music when it hits stores in March. I'll keep you updates with more information on these, and other, Sesame Street CDs as details become available.

The Original Cast Album
1. Sesame Street Theme
2. ABC-DEF-GHI
3. I've Got Two
4. Goin' for a Ride
5. What Are Kids Called
6. Everybody Wash
7. One of These Things
8. Up and Down
9. Bein' Green
10. Somebody Come and Play
11. I Love Trash
12. A Face
13. J-Jump
14. People in Your Neighborhood
15. Rub Your Tummy
16. Number 5
17. Five People In My Family
18. Nearly Missed
19. Rubber Duckie

Big Bird Sings!
1. AB-C-DEF-GHI
2. The Noodle Song
3. The "J" Poem
4. Very, Very Special Letter
5. Big Bird Writes a Poem
6. How Do I Know I'm Here?
7. Everyone Likes Ice Cream
8. Y'all Fall Down
9. Everyone Makes Mistakes
10. The Sound of the Letter A
11. Just Three Colors
12. Ha Ha
13. No Matter What Your Language
14. Big Bird's Poem

Bert & Ernie Sing-Along
1. I Refuse to Sing Along
2. I've Been Working on the Railroad
3. Old MacDonald Had a Farm
4. A Really Good Feeling
5. Bats in My Belfry
6. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
7. I'll Give You a Song
8. Oscar Don't Allow
9. The Limerick Song (Come On and Sing Along With Me)
10. On Top of Old Smokey
11. Living Hand in Hand
12. What's the Name of That Song?
13. A Very Simple Dance
14. Morningtown Ride
15. Everyone Likes Ice Cream
16. C is for Cookie
17. Peanuts
18. John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith
19. She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
20. What's the Name of That Song? (Reprise)
21. Sing

The Muppet Newsflash: 5 Years and Counting

It is really hard to believe, but it has been 5 years since I started blogging here. This site debuted on February 1, 2005 and has been growing ever since. The site was founded with a simple mission - create a place to collect the latest Henson and Muppet news in one convenient place. Today, The Muppet Newsflash continues to provide fans with all the latest Muppet happenings.

I want to thank everyone who has given support to make The Muppet Newsflash one of the web's premiere spots for Muppet news. Over the past four years this site has grown (and grown). I hope that the Muppet Newsflash will be able to continue to uncover, investigate, report and compile all the news that Muppet-fans crave; and I hope that The Muppet Newsflash continues to be among your top sources for Muppet news.

Once again, I want to extend a gigantic "thank you" to everyone who supports this site, everyone who sends in news, everyone who gives us feedback, all the visitors, all the readers, all the friends and all of the fans around the world.

Here's to many more years of great Muppet news!