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Showing posts from July, 2019

Tim Gosley

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Tim Gosley is Canadian puppeteer and writer who performed in several Muppet productions. His most notable work with the Muppets was on Fraggle Rock. Tim performed various episodic characters and also some background Fraggles. Gosley also served as an assistant in two Muppet TV specials filmed in Toronto. His major Muppet was being the first performer of Basil in Sesame Park, the Canadian version of Sesame Street, before Bob Stutt replaced him in 1996. I've read that Richard Hunt trained him along with several Canadian artists for Fraggle Rock. Tim Gosley even performed on the 1st Sesame Street film, Follow That Bird as a Honker and Board of Birds member. Outside of Muppets, he puppeteered on other shows such as Iris the Happy Professor, Caillou, Blizzard Island, and St. Bears Doll Hospital, to name a few. He soon went on to write on numerous animated series like Fix and Foxi, and previously wrote for Under the Umbrella Tree. Tim has even made a touring one-man show that is based o...

Bob Stutt

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Bob Stutt is a Canadian puppeteer and writer whose Henson work started on Fraggle Rock. On Fraggle Rock, he served as a principal supporting puppeteer, performing episodic/background roles, and even filled in as regular characters (to pre-recorded tracks). For Sesame Street, Bob worked on the Canadian co-production, Sesame Park where he replaced Tim Gosley as Basil as well as the first Sesame Street film Follow That Bird. Stutt even assisted the Muppets within A Muppet Family Christmas and The Jim Henson Hour. Why didn't he show off his writing talents to Jim Henson? Outside of Muppets, his best known show was Under the Umbrella Tree as a writer and performer of Iggy Iguana and others. Other shows Bob Stutt puppeteered on included The Big Comfy Couch (also wrote), Today's Special, and Caillou, just to name a few. His writing credits were seen on Wimzie's House, Eric's World, Groundling Marsh, and Radical Sheep projects (ex. Ruffus the Dog). He is somewhat of an expert ...

Sheila Clark

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Sheila Clark is a British puppeteer who performed with the Muppets when their productions have been filmed in the UK. For Sesame Street, she worked on the British co-production The Furchester Hotel as an assistant and performer of guest and background characters. Sheila also assisted on Muppets Most Wanted and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Earlier in Clark's work, she puppeteered on What's Up Doc (featuring puppets made by the Creature Shop). I think she should have assisted the Muppets in other films that were filmed in London, like Muppet Treasure Island. She could've done more Henson Company projects in the UK, but she was probably too busy. Outside, Sheila Clark performed on many shows like St. Bears Doll Hospital, The Sooty Show, and The Basil Brush Show, to name a few. Other puppeteers she worked with include Neil Sterenberg, Warrick Brownlow-Pike, Michael Winsor, and more. She seemed to have performed over a hundred characters and seems to be good at impressi...

Cheryl Wagner

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Cheryl Wagner is a Canadian puppeteer, writer, producer, and director whose best known Muppet work was on Fraggle Rock. She replaced Myra Fried as the face/voice of Ma Gorg, performed two Fraggles, and assisted Jim Henson with his characters. Cheryl also puppeteered Miss Finch in the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird, and later performed in the Sesame Park special, Basil Hears a Noise. I wonder why Wagner did more filmmaking than puppetry for television. She could have become another famous puppeteer to work with the Muppets. Her outside puppetry was seen on Today's Special, Mr. Dressup, and The Mighty Jungle. Cheryl Wagner's best known outside work was serving as a writer and producer for Radical Sheep Productions. She was most well known for creating, writing, and producing The Big Comfy Couch and producing Panda Bear Daycare and Ruffus the Dog. I've read that she is currently president of Periscope Pictures Inc (or so I think). In 2011, Cheryl wrote/produced/directed ...

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph

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Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is a puppeteer, actress and voice actress who is best known for playing Abby Cadabby and Tango on Sesame Street as well as other characters. She has also voiced several animated characters in many segments. For the Muppets, Leslie has performed on Muppets Tonight, A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa, The Muppets (2011), and The Muppets Mayhem. Carrara also performed on Henson Company shows, such as The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (replacing Kathryn Mullen), Animal Jam, Julie's Greenroom and on Splash & Bubbles. She's also worked for Henson Alternative on Puppet Up and Late Night Buffet. Her outside puppetry work has been seen on Blue's Room, Johnny and the Sprites, Donkey Hodie, and in several clubs and events in NY and CA as the candy-obsessed Lolly. As a voice actress, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is heard on The Electric Company revival, All Grown Up, and T.U.F.F Puppy, to name a few. Not only is she awesome at puppeteering but at voice acting as ...

Frankie Cordero

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Frankie Cordero is a puppeteer and puppet builder who known for performing on Sesame Street since 2000. He started out as an ensemble and an assistant for several projects and was a credited builder in the 46th season. Frankie became a regular the following season with Rudy as his main. Cordero also served as the US performer of a Muppet named Zeerak from Baghch-e-Simsim. He also worked with the Henson Company on Julie's Greenroom and voicing Wembley on Fraggle Rock: Rock On while the puppetry was provided by John Tartaglia. He has even performed with Sesame Street at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But why is it that Frankie Cordero only served as an assistant performer before performing a recurring character? Outside of Sesame Street, he performed on various children shows like It's a Big Big World, Oobi, Jack's Big Music Show, and Curious Buddies. Not to mention spots for Hasbro, Comedy Central, and McDonald's to name a few. I read that Frankie is also a dir...