Phil Baron

Phil Baron is a puppeteer, writer, voice actor, and songwriter who served as an additional puppeteer on several episodes of Muppets Tonight. He also composed songs for Sesame Street projects, like in one of their videos called Sing-Along Earth Songs. Outside of Muppets Tonight and Sesame Street, Phil is best known for being the voice of Teddy Ruxpin for a line of talking toys and spin-off animated series. Some of Baron's other achievements have been composing music and voicing characters for Welcome to Pooh Corner and Dumbo's Circus, writing/puppeteering on The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth, and serving as executive producer of Rhino Records' Kid Rhino division. I also read that he has even worked on several Jewish-heritage themed children puppet videos, like Bubbe's Boarding House and the Alef-Bet-Blast Off video series. He is probably the only Muppet puppeteer who is Jewish, I think. Maybe there are other puppeteers like Phil Baron who are Jewish. Muppet Wiki says that he began his career in the 1970's as part of a comedy duo called "Willio and Phillio" where he worked with Will Ryan (rest in peace). I never knew that he was originally part of a comedy duo with someone he's familiar with. Phil is also another puppeteer to be acknowledged for he has got the Jim Henson Award for Excellence in Television which I must say is a huge achievement. Baron also got to work with several of the great puppeteers like Kevin Carlson, Greg Ballora, and Christine Papalexis, to name a few. He's currently a cantor at Congregation Beth Shalom. Let's hope he'll work with the Muppets again soon. Phil Baron, I think you're an excellent puppeteer and a wonderful Teddy Ruxpin. I hope you keep on working with puppets, animation, and songwriting so that children can remember your works for years. I wish the Muppets performers would recognize your talents when you assisted them on Muppets Tonight. Maybe someday you'll become a Muppet performer too Phil. Until then, keep up the great work Baron!