The Muppets & more from Jim Henson in Florida
Are you a fan of the Muppets and the genius behind them, Jim Henson? In that case you sure know that you can enjoy Muppet Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (in Walt Disney World) and at Disney’s California Adventure (in Disneyland Resort Anaheim). But for a limited time – to be exact: till May 3, 2009 – there is more from the Muppets and Jim Henson to discover in Florida as the traveling exhibit Jim Henson’s Fantastic World stops at the Orange County Regional History Center just a short drive from Walt Disney World!
What can you expect from the exhibit? Over 100 works of art, photographs, documents, puppets, movie props, and other 3-D objects, as well as original video productions, illustrating Jim Henson the artist, his work from early high school creations to his worldwide loved tv- and movie characters and the creative process behind these. Included are such rare items as one of the Kermit puppets Jim Hensons puppeteered himself and numerous sketches by Jim Henson for such all-time favorite characters as the Big Bird…
To add some interactivity to the displays there is the Jim Henson Imagination Station, which allows especially young guests to try their hand at creating and performing with a character themselves. For more details about the traveling exhibit the official website by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), which created the exhibit together with Jim Henson Legacy, is the place to go. Or check out the following 14 minute video touring the exhibit with curator Karen Falk and Heather Henson (daughter of Jim Henson, who reminds viewers of the collaboration of Jim Henson with Disney) at the Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando, FL, (also including a few short words with Jane Henson, wife of Jim Henson):
While the video gives a great first impression of the exhibit, SITES is also providing a 38 minute podcast online free of charge which can be used as personal guided tour through the exhibit if downloaded and brought to the exhibit on a mp3-player! For those not lucky enough to visit the exhibit anytime soon the podcast is also an interesting option to learn more about the creative work of Jim Henson.
So why not visit the Muppets first in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and then take a short detour to learn more about the work of their creator if you visit WDW before May 3, 2009? Add some extra fun outside Disney to your visit (and maybe also stock up on some Jim Henson merchandise, including non Muppet-stuff based on his other successful projects such as Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street, in the exhibits merchandise shop)!
Before I forget it: the Orange County Regional History Center uses the opportunity of hosting the Jim Henson exhibit to also provide additional related events and exhibits, amongst other the “Muppets, Music, & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” – a film festival weekends till April 7, including such presentations as Muppet movie sing-alongs. Also presented is the exhibit “The Dark Crystal Redux: ‘Klakk smaithh Skwee Kreh’*”, a photographic exhibit (till May 10, 2009) with 12 character portraits by photographer John Lawrence Jones from Jim Henson’s movie “The Dark Crystal”. But maybe even more exciting for Disney fans is the exhibit “Creative Minds: Puppetry in Central Florida” (also till May 10), which showcases and celebrates the art and artistry of puppeteers in Florida, which are also an integral part of the magic at Walt Disney World, where there work can be seen on screen as well as live in various shows! So plenty of more reasons to step out of WDW for some hours and visit the Orange Country Regional History Center … if you follow our proposal … don’t hesitate to report back to the blog with your experience and your report about the exhibit(s)!
P.S.: if you will miss the traveling exhibit in Floria, there are already stops scheduled throughout the US up till January 2011 - including at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno, CA, from July 17 till October 10 2010, so in a location to combine that would allow to combine a visit to the exhibit with a visit to the Disneyland Resort Anaheim! Maybe I’ll be able to visit then, too, since I will miss out on the Orlando dates barring a very surprising vacation…
