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Official Podcast of The Barretta Brothers. Join them and many great guests from The Muppets, Movies, TV, and more. Bill has been a director, writer, producer and core performer with The Muppets for nearly 30 years. Gene is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. He has also animated and illustrated for Sesame Street, Between The Lions, and The Jim Henson Company. But Wait! It’s a Podcast and a Vodcast! You can Listen or Watch. For the Vodcast go to: www.thebarrettabrothers.com New Podcast episode posts every Friday.
Episodes
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome Director, Puppet Designer, Emmy-Award-Winner Puppeteer, and Co-Founder of DillonGale.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Ryan Dillon
Ryan Dillon is the performer of Sesame Street’s Elmo. Inspired by the Muppets since childhood and encouraged by his family and teachers, Dillon did shows wherever he could. In his senior year of high school, he was asked to join the cast of Sesame Street and has been a Muppet Performer for the past fifteen years.
Ryan’s Daytime Emmy winning work as Elmo can be seen globally on television and the internet, with appearances on morning and late-night talk shows, CBeebies' The Furchester Hotel, as well as in toys, apps, live Sesame Street touring shows, and more. In addition to performing Elmo, Dillon has taken on performer duties for Sesame fan favorites Don Music, and Lefty the Salesman, as well as countless Anything Muppets.
When he’s not working on the Street, Dillon is a puppet designer, director, and puppet consultant. His work can be seen in national commercials and other television shows including work for The Jim Henson Company and Disney’s Muppets. Dillon built and performs several original puppet characters, and with his creative partner Mark Gale, produces online puppet content for DillonGale (IG : dillongaleidiots)
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Fran Brill
The brothers are joined today by actress, voice-over performer, and legendary puppeteer Fran Brill, best known for her work on Sesame Street. She was the first female puppeteer hired for the show, and over a 45-year career brought to life characters such as Prairie Dawn, Countess von Backwards, Zoe, and many others.
Expect to hear...
...Fran’s diverse and storied career in entertainment.
...what it was like to work with legends in the industry such as Jim Henson, Robert De Niro, and others.
...from two surprise guests who drop in halfway through the conversation!
MEMORABLE QUOTES BY FRAN
- “When I came to [Sesame Street] in the 70s, it was Women’s Lib and I think it was Dulcy Singer who said we really need to get females onboard as puppeteers to make more authentic female characters in this day and age. This is how things changed with the television show over time.”
- “Ride in the direction the horse is going. Sometimes you want desperately to be this. And yet people are screaming for you to be that.
- “I had a blast doing Doug. I loved that show. I thought it was just a lovely show. Jim Jinkins, the creator, was a huge fan of Jim Henson’s. I played so many different characters on that show. I loved it. I was so sorry when that stopped. [...] I loved the freedom of it.”
- “I’ve had a great life. I had great chances to work with wonderful people. No regrets, really. No regrets.”
OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE
- Fran’s first professional gig [05:36]
- Why Fran decided to retire [10:46]
- Getting her start with Sesame Street and other early roles [12:55]
- Balancing her work as a puppeteer with acting for film and television and theatre [20:07]
- Working with Frank Oz and Dave Goelz [31:36]
- The first time Dave and Frank met Fran [38:16]
- Dave’s and Frank’s heartfelt messages to Fran [45:46]
- Fran’s classic film roles [53:15]
- Fran’s voice work [59:27]
- The boots made for female puppeteers on Sesame Street [1:05:54]
- Fran’s work on The Jim Henson Hour [1:09:08]
- Fran’s roles in other prestigious TV shows [1:13:06]
- Why Fran has no regrets [1:18:05]
- Sharing Hirschfeld works [1:19:06]
- Saying goodbye to Fran [1:26:14]
- The brothers take a few questions and announce what to expect in future episodes [1:31:04]
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Fran Brill is an Emmy Award winning performer who has had successful careers as an actress, voice-over performer, and puppeteer.
She was the first female puppeteer hired by Jim Henson for Sesame Street and has created the iconic characters of Zoe and Prairie Dawn and many other loveable Muppets. Over the years, she has also worked on Saturday Night Live, The Jim Henson Hour, The Muppet Show, Dog City, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Play With Me Sesame, Men in Black and many CDs and DVDs including Zoe's Dance Moves with Paula Abdul.
Upon getting her B.F.A. from Boston University where she received classical training as an actress, Fran got her first acting job with Theatre Atlanta. Within months, one of the productions, a musical called Red, White and Maddox, got picked up and Fran found herself on Broadway.
As an actress, Fran has appeared in the films What About Bob? directed by Frank Oz and starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, Midnight Run starring Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin, and Being There starring Peter Sellers. On television she has been on numerous soap operas including long runs on All My Children and the infamous How to Survive a Marriage for which she received an Afternoon TV Best Actress Award. Her other television credits include Spenser: For Hire, Third Watch, Lip Service directed by William H. Macy, Conan O'Brien, Hyde in Hollywood and several Law and Orders.
Her appearances on the New York stage include Look Back in Anger with Malcolm McDowell, Desdemona, Shirmishes, and Hyde in Hollywood. She was twice nominated for the Drama Desk Award for What Every Woman Knows and Knuckle. She has also played Stella opposite Shirley Knight and Peter Weller in A Streetcar Named Desire and appeared in Otherwise Engaged with Roddy McDowall.
For three years she was the on-camera spokesperson for Actonel and has recorded hundreds of commercials including the famous Beautymist Pantyhose commercial starring Joe Namath. She has also provided voices for several cartoon series including Doug and Sheep in the City.
Fran served on the Board of Directors for the Screen Actors Guild and currently serves as Vice President on the board of the Jim Henson Legacy.
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Sunday Nov 22, 2020
Jim Lewis Show Notes
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome Emmy Award-winning writer/producer, Jim Lewis to discuss his decades of work with The Muppets, The Jim Henson Company, and much more.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Jim Lewis
JIM LEWIS is an Emmy Award-winning writer/producer, who has been writing for frogs, pigs and other Muppets since 1985, where he worked with the late Jim Henson.
At The Jim Henson Company and later at The Walt Disney Company, Jim Lewis has written for, produced, consulted on and otherwise aided and abetted Muppet ventures in television and movies (e.g. Muppets Tonight!, A Very Merry Muppet Christmas) , theme parks (e.g. MuppetVision 3D, Great Moments In History…But Mostly America), as well as consumer products, live performances (e.g. The Muppets Take The Hollywood Bowl, The Muppets The O2) and media appearances, public relations and marketing. He has ghostwritten books for Kermit the Frog (“Look Before You Leap”), Miss Piggy (“The Diva Code”) and Pepe the King Prawn (“It’s Hard Out Here For a Shrimp”). He also developed and wrote a Muppet feature script with Frank Oz, “The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever”. He still believes this should be the next Muppet theatrical feature.
In addition to his Muppet work, Jim was also executive producer of the Hallmark Channel series Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola, wrote the theater production G2K R&H: Getting To Know Rodgers & Hammerstein for the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, has penned scripts for VeggieTales, Sid The Science Kid, Barney & Friends, etc, Las Vegas ventriloquist/impressionist Terry Fator, as well as done comedy “punch up” on Disney Executives (which is more fun than you can imagine).
Prior to purveying mirth and myth, Lewis was a newspaper reporter, magazine editor and worked at Lewis & Carey, his family’s New Jersey funeral home. This explains a lot. Jim lives in Burbank, California with his wife, Judy, and son Danny. His daughter Mary Grace is at UC Berkeley and currently has green hair. No doubt a vestige of her living with a parent who has spent his life writing for a frog.
Sunday Nov 15, 2020
Sunday Nov 15, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome Muppet performer, puppeteer, and actress, Stephanie D’Abruzzo. Plus, writer, and producer, Craig Shemin.
ABOUT OUR GUESTS:
Stephanie D’Abruzzo
Stephanie D’Abruzzo has been a Muppet Performer since she joined Sesame Street in 1993. Since then, she has performed hundreds of various characters (including Prairie Dawn since 2015). Her vocal performance in R.E.M.’s “Furry Happy Monsters” is a career highlight. She has worked on dozens of Sesame Street home videos and specials, and played “Grizzy” in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.
She also plays Cody in Helpsters for Apple TV+ (and Helpsters Help You, a series of short videos shot in her apartment during the COVID-19 quarantine). Other major puppetry projects include the upcoming Donkey Hodie ("Duck Duck” and “Harriet Elizabeth Cow"), Julie’s Greenroom (“Peri”), Scooby Doo Adventures: The Mystery Map (“Velma”), Oobi (“Uma,” “Inka”), Jack’s Big Music Show, and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. She played “Jan S. Port” in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and has also performed in multiple episodes of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as various puppets, mascots, and even a Sesame Street penguin.
D’Abruzzo guest-starred in the musical episode of NBC’s Scrubs, and returned twice during its ABC run, in a cameo in “My Finale,” and as a Sesame Street Muppet patient in “My ABC’s.”
She has lent her voice to Nature Cat, Bug Diaries, Welcome to the Wayne, Wallykazam!, The Wonder Pets!, Sheep in the Big City, and The Book of Pooh, as well as many commercials, promos, video games, interactive products, demos, industrials, and audiobooks. She has also written several episodes of Nature Cat and Donkey Hodie.
D’Abruzzo received Tony- and Drama Desk Award nominations – as well as a Theater World Award and a special Outer Critics Circle Ensemble Award – for originating her roles in Avenue Q. She has graced the New York stage in scores of productions, benefits, readings, and concerts, and has sung at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Her roles in I Love You Because and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical were also preserved in original cast recordings.
A Pittsburgh native and a graduate of Northwestern University, she is a former Burger King Employee of the Month who has been married to Craig Shemin since 1995.
Craig Shemin
Craig Shemin is a freelance writer-producer in all media and the President of the Jim Henson Legacy, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the work of Jim Henson. Shemin is the author of The Muppets Character Encyclopedia and an upcoming book about Henson’s first television series, Sam and Friends. A noted Henson historian, he produced and directed the award-winning documentary Behind the Scenes in Frogtown Hollow, about the making of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas and curates the Henson screening events at Museum of the Moving Image.
His television work includes the current PBS/Amazon series Clifford the Big Red Dog and Nick Jr.’s Abby Hatcher. He created and wrote Disney’s Lou and Lou: Safety Patrol, and wrote the Emmy-nominated Tasty Time with ZeFronk, also for Disney. He writes and directs the L.O.S. Kids live concert series (and its current virtual version) for New York City’s Little Orchestra Society. His adaptation of Babes in Toyland has played Lincoln Center for three holiday seasons and his updated version of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel made its debut there in 2014.
His credits also include Nick Jr.’s Dora and Friends: Into the City, Oobi and Gullah Gullah Island and the Cartoon Network series Courage the Cowardly Dog.
He began his career at The Jim Henson Company, where he wrote for Telling Stories with Tomie DePaola, Donna’s Day and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (WGA nomination). He also wrote Muppets Inside, the award-winning computer game, co-wrote the Webby-nominated web series The Muppets Kitchen, assisted Miss Piggy with her cookbook, In the Kitchen With Miss Piggy and worked on numerous Muppet TV appearances. His more recent Muppet work includes Carnegie Hall’s Jim Henson’s Musical World and The Jim Henson Retrospectacle In Concert in New Zealand.
He is married to the delightful Stephanie D’Abruzzo.
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
Sunday Nov 08, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers take questions from the Live Youtube chat, reflecting on the first 30 shows, and more.
ABOUT OUR HOSTS:
Gene Barretta & Bill Barretta
“What are they up to now?” That was the popular question around their house and neighborhood while growing up. It was not unusual to see Gene and Bill dressed up in homemade costumes – filming Super 8mm dramas – attempting risky stunts in the ravine – animating GI Joes and weird-looking clay figures – building and performing clunky puppets – drawing offbeat comics, - and imitating The Beatles.
Today, life isn’t very different. In addition to personal projects and various acting roles, Bill has been a director, writer, producer and core performer with The Muppets for nearly 30 years. Gene is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. He has also animated and illustrated for Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and The Jim Henson Company.
The best part of their careers is that they occasionally get to work together! Unfortunately, no one will pay them to imitate The Beatles.
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
Sunday Nov 01, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome Creative Director of Character Design for Sesame Street, Louis Henry Mitchell. Plus, Gene discusses his Sesame Street animation.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Louis Henry Mitchell
As Creative Director of Character Design, Louis Henry Mitchell directs and oversees all aspects of character art for Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street.
From designing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and floats to directing Sesame Street Muppet photo shoots, Mitchell has been at Sesame Workshop for 20 years.
Prior to that, Mitchell freelanced for the organization since 1992. Most recently, Mitchell designed the character Julia, the first Sesame Street character on the autism spectrum. Julia was first designed exclusively as an illustrated character for an autism outreach book and then Mitchell expanded his design and art directed the Jim Henson Company in building the actual Muppet, and her family, for the show. He continues to be the chief Sesame Street Muppet designer along with his other duties as creative director of character design.
Before his successful ongoing work for Sesame Workshop Mitchell began his artistic career at 17 years old working for Neal Adams, one of the top comic book and sequential artists in the world at that time. Mitchell continued his career through illustrating children’s books, designing characters and toys as well as teaching and lecturing internationally. Among the skills he uses to accomplish his work are drawing, painting, and sculpting. In addition, he creates and art directs in traditional and digital media.
Mitchell attended The School of Visual Arts, and The Art Students League.
Mitchell resides in Rego Park, Queens, with his wife Yvonne.
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome the gang from puppet design and fabrication company, Puppet Heap.
ABOUT OUR GUESTS:
Paul Andrejco
Paul Andrejco is the founder of Puppet Heap, an internationally recognized character design studio in Hoboken, NJ.
Working alongside top artists in his field, he creates characters for a wide variety of media including film, television, theater, and all kinds of new media. Puppet Heap's clients and partners include such names as the Walt Disney Company, Fox Television, and Sesame Workshop.
Michael Bush
Puppet builder, wrangler, and puppeteer with Puppet Heap since 2009.
Danielle Obinger
My title is Muppets Coordinator.
I like to think of myself as an air traffic controller - know where everything is, keep all the planes
in the air and don't let anything crash! The most important thing is to keep the information flowing between Disney and the puppet builders, costumers and prop makers. I coordinate most closely with Peter MacKennan, the Production Supervisor. Peter is much! more is savvy about on-set needs, puppet protocols and idiosyncratic puppet issues. He is often on-set and I remain at PH, but we are in constant contact.
A big part of my job is maintaining and updating the database of Muppet "assets". There are more than 2,200 boxes stored off site and the contents need to be accessed quickly and efficiently.
I started working with the Muppets in 1980. I was hired, sight unseen - resume unseen, to build costumes for The Great Muppet Caper. I soon became the Photo Stylist and later the Photo Librarian (while continuing to do the occasional photo shoot). Iconic Muppet images I helped to create include: Hallmark cards, Sesame Street Viewmaster reels, most of the Miss Piggy calendars, The Kermitage Collection, Muppet Magazine, Got Milk? ads (both Kermit and Cookie Monster),Miss Piggy's Baked Lay's Potato Chip print ads (photographer: Richard Avedon!) and thousands of other photos.
Peter MacKennan
Puppet Heap Senior Artist - Production Supervisor
Peter has worked for over three decades in the fields of visual arts & entertainment, almost always with character based properties and puppets.
He has held positions at Great Jones Studio, Jim Henson Productions, Sesame Workshop, HIT Entertainment and Puppet Heap.
Peter has worked in pre-production and on set on numerous Muppet appearances, television and feature films including Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppets!, and Muppets Most Wanted.
He is the recipient of 2 Emmy Awards for his work on Sesame Street (seasons 19-25)
Peter holds an MFA in Painting and printmaking from Yale University. For more on his personal artwork follow him on Instagram.
Daniel Martin
General Manager
Starting at Puppet Heap 5 years ago with a creative and technical background, Dan runs day to day operations and has helped implement new technologies such as 3D by design, 3D printing and laser cutting into the generally traditional field of puppet building.
Mary Brehmer
Mary started her creative career at the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade, working on floats and designing and building inflatables.
After moving to New York, she supervised the sculpture department at Spaeth Design for 5 years before starting to freelance.
For the past 25 years Mary has freelanced for The Jim Henson Company, Puppet Heap, Laika, SNL, Parsons-Meares, and Spiffy Pictures, building and wrangling puppets and building costumes. She has credits in 9 feature film, several television series, and has received 4 Emmy award nominations.
She is happy to now work full time at Puppet Heap but can’t resist an extra freelance project now and then.
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
Sunday Oct 25, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome puppeteer, writer, producer, and Muppet performer, David Rudman.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
David Rudman is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and performer.
On Sesame Street, David performs Baby Bear, Cookie Monster, and half of Two-Headed Monster.
He has performed in numerous television shows and specials including Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The 42nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors and the recent Disney Plus series Muppets Now.
With the Muppets, Rudman performs Scooter, Janice, and Beaker. His film credits include The Muppets Take Manhattan, Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Elmo in Grouchland, The Muppets, and Muppets Most Wanted.
Rudman is co-owner of Spiffy Pictures, where he co-created, executive produced, directed, and performed in the Emmy nominated series Jack’s Big Music Show (Nick Jr.), Bunnytown (Disney Junior), Nature Cat (PBS), Frankie and Frank (Nick Jr. Global) and the upcoming series Donkey Hodie (PBS).
Sunday Oct 18, 2020
Sunday Oct 18, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome guest judge Carmen Osbahr, to help feature our ten talented contestants.
Episode Outline:
- Gene introduces his new semi-nasty character “Simon Gene.”
- A Thank-You to the Muppet Fan Sites who have helped us promote the show.
- Intro to Carmen
- Contestant #01: Jordan Brownlee sings “In Our World”
- Contestant #02: Chris Fiser sings “Man or Muppet”
- Talk about Carmen’s character, Rosita.
- Contestant #03: Debra Forth sings “One Little Star.”
- Contestant #04: Stacey Henson sings “I'm Going to Go Back There Someday”
- Contestant #05: Scott Joy sings “Rubber Duckie”
- Contestant #06: Cassidy Lewis sings “Sesame Street Theme”
- Contestant #07: Thelonious Jawn sings “Do De Duckie”
- Contestant #08: Fergie Philippe-Auguste sings “I Don't Want to Live on the Moon”
- Contestant #09: Frank Simpson sings “I'm So Happy”
- Contestant #10: Lianna Rivera sings “Rainbow Connection”
- And questions for our guests from our Live Youtube Chat.
ABOUT OUR GUEST-HOST
Carmen Osbahr
Carmen Osbahr, performs Rosita, Ovejita, and other characters on Sesame Street. Originally from Mexico City, she began her relationship with the iconic program in 1987 when she met Jim Henson. She appeared on various television shows for Televisa (Mexico City), including The Treasure of Knowledge, Xe-Tu, and The Songs of Cri-Cri. Osbahr was also part of the Plaza Sésamo team before moving to New York. In 1988, Osbahr officially became a Jim Henson Muppet™ performer, working for Sesame Street, City Kids, Dog City, Aliens in the Family, Between the Lions, and Bear in the Big Blue House. Osbahr’s other credits include “Kiki” in The Puzzle Place, a role in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and “Lily” in Disney’s Johnny and the Sprites. Osbahr has performed in the live stage shows The Muppets Take the Bowl at the historic Hollywood Bowl; The Muppets Take the O2 at the O2 Arena in London; The Jim Henson Retrospectacle Live in Concert series in Wellington, New Zealand; and A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration: 50 Years and Counting at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
On this episode, The Barretta Brothers take questions from the Live Youtube chat, with illustrator and author, Jay Fossgit.
ABOUT OUR HOSTS:
Gene Barretta & Bill Barretta
“What are they up to now?” That was the popular question around their house and neighborhood while growing up. It was not unusual to see Gene and Bill dressed up in homemade costumes – filming Super 8mm dramas – attempting risky stunts in the ravine – animating GI Joes and weird-looking clay figures – building and performing clunky puppets – drawing offbeat comics, - and imitating The Beatles.
Today, life isn’t very different. In addition to personal projects and various acting roles, Bill has been a director, writer, producer and core performer with The Muppets for nearly 30 years. Gene is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. He has also animated and illustrated for Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and The Jim Henson Company.
The best part of their careers is that they occasionally get to work together! Unfortunately, no one will pay them to imitate The Beatles.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Jay Fossgit
Jay P. Fosgitt has created comics for many familiar properties, such as SESAME STREET and DREAMWORKS ANIMATION (Ape Entertainment), MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MICRONAUTS, TRANSFORMERS (IDW/HASBRO), POPEYE (KING FEATURES), ADVENTURE TIME, THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL, JIM HENSON'S LABYRINTH, THE DARK CRYSTAL and FRAGGLE ROCK (Boom/The Jim Henson Company), BETTY AND VERONICA and LITTLE SABRINA (Archie), and ROCKET RACCOON AND GROOT, AVENGERS, GWENPOOL, WEB WARRIORS, CHAMPIONS, DEADPOOL, JESSICA JONES, NOT BRAND ECHH. LOCKJAW AND SPIDER-GEDDON (Marvel), and Jay has illustrated YOUNG DONALD books for Disney Publishing, and drawn for RANGER RICK MAGAZINE (National Wildlife Federation).