The Muppets Cover Broadway Musicals

The Muppets latest big screen film, Muppets Most Wanted, is set to hit theaters this Friday. But the Muppets wouldn’t be the Muppets without the musical mayhem that’s made them fan-favorites for almost four decades. Jim Henson’s collective group of characters has performed renditions of songs from numerous musicals, including numbers from three of Starlight’s 2014 Broadway shows. Before they hit the most-wanted list, the Muppets took us “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” emoted in an enthusiastic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and told the tale of a “Lonely Goatherd.”

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
In a DVD extra, Lisa Henson stated the popular 1939 MGM musical, The Wizard of Oz, was her father’s favorite film. Numerous references to the film have been featured in Muppet movies, toys and books. The 1981 TV special The Muppets Go to the Movies even featured a sketch in which Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Scooter played the film’s main characters while reenacting the show’s musical numbers.

Bohemian Rhapsody
The Muppets released a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” as an online video in November 2009. The video became a viral hit and received more than10 million views within its first two weeks. The recording used the original instrumental tracks recorded by Queen in 1975; as such, the release has been billed as being recorded by Queen + The Muppets.

The Lonely Goatherd
The Muppet Show was a half-hour variety show in which Kermit the Frog and the Muppets put on a weekly musical/comedy revue at the Muppet Theatre. In a 1977 appearance, guest host Julie Andrews sang “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music. The sketch featured Muppet characters Kermit the Frog, Goat, Annie Sue, Gonzo, Miss Mousey, Rowlf, Baskerville, the Beagle and the Afghan Hound singing the song’s chorus.

The Muppets are bound to continue their tradition of covering Broadway musicals in future TV specials and films. Whatever musical numbers they perform in their latest adventure, they surely will bring smiles to the faces of their fans.