Kermit the Frog News

On May 31st, Rich Little, arguably the most famous impressionist in the world, was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce during their Hollywood Hero ceremony with the Johnny Grant Award, along with Diahann Carroll (receiving the Mary Pickford Award).  

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, is thrilled to announce that our homegrown production of AVENUE Q will be lovingly revived on the Mercury stage, from June 21st through September 9th, 2018. Press opening is Friday, June 29th at 8:00pm. After entertaining nearly 30,000 people over 169 performances and breaking all box office records for Mercury Theater Chicago, these sassy and lovable puppets are back for more fun and mischief.

On June 7, 2018, Charles Strouse, the Tony Award-winning composer of Annie, Bye Bye and Applause, and some of the most popular music from the last 60 years of Broadway, film and television, turns 90. To mark the occasion, a year-long celebration of events, including tributes, concerts, revivals and international productions, will take place across the United States and around the world.

Mandy Gonzelez's Fearless, released last winter, combined original tracks with some sweet Broadway nostalgia. More than that, it became the jumping-off point for an online community, nickednamed the #FearlessSquad, that brought people together for straightforward, honest inspiration and support. With the release of the Fearless B-sides, we get to see a different side of Gonzalez: not just the warm, bright presence with a huge voice, but a set of songs that highlight a meditative, sometimes sultry richness.

A struggling writer is all too common a motif in literature - think Midnight in Paris, Sunset Boulevard, orSomething Rotten!. For Gordon Michael Schwinn, writing hit songs for a children's television show will be his legacy if he doesn't make a change, before it's too late…before he needs A New Brain.

The Skirball Cultural Center kicks off The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited on opening night, Friday, June 1, featuring rare evening museum hours from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Enjoy a DJ set by Timothy Nordwind of OK Go, roving puppeteers, and more, at this first opportunity to see the dynamic new exhibition. Drinks will be served at a cash bar and LA food trucks La Morra Pizzeria, Green Truck, Tacos Super Gallito, andNomad Ice Pops will be on site.

Maddie Poppe was crowned the next American Idol as the search to find the next music superstar came to a close in part two of the two-night season finale last night!

Following amazing performances by music superstars and legends, including our very own “American Idol” judges, the winner of Season 1 of “American Idol” on ABC was finally crowned, as the search for America's next superstar came to a close on its new home on America's network, The ABC Television Network, MONDAY, MAY 21 (9:00–11:00 p.m. EDT), streaming and on demand.

“118 (Performance Finals)” – In part one of the two-night season finale, the Top 3 finalists visit their hometowns to celebrate their time on the show then return to the Idol stage for their last chance to win America's vote, as the search for America's next superstar continues on its new home on America's network, The ABC Television Network, SUNDAY, MAY 20 (8:00–10:01 p.m. EDT), streaming and on demand.

Each year colleges across the country come up with an odd list of commencement speakers, from Kermit the Frog (Southampton University) to Mike Tyson (Central State University), to offer pearls of wit and advice to their college graduates.

The Skirball Cultural Center announces the June 1 opening of The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, a dynamic new visitor experience exploring the legacy of Jim Henson (1936-1990). Featuring more than 100 objects drawn from the beloved worlds of Sesame Street, The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and much more, the traveling exhibition highlights Henson's groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on popular culture. It reveals how Henson - together with his team of builders, performers, and writers - created an unparalleled body of work that continues to delight and inspire people of all ages.

The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, Coming to the Skirball Cultural Center

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will present Grammy Award winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee Desmond Child with its prestigious ASCAP Founders Award at the 35th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles onApril 23, 2018.  From Aerosmith to Zedd, Child's genre-defying collaborations include some of pop's biggest hits over the last five decades including classics like “Livin' On A Prayer,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “I Was Made For Lovin' You,” “Dude (Looks Like A Lady),” “Livin' La Vida Loca,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” “Poison,” “Waking Up In Vegas” and “Beautiful Now.”  

ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will present Grammy Award winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee Desmond Child with its prestigious ASCAP Founders Award at the 35th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles on April 23, 2018. From Aerosmith to Zedd, Child's genre-defying collaborations include some of pop's biggest hits over the last five decades including classics like 'Livin' On A Prayer,' 'You Give Love A Bad Name,' 'I Was Made For Lovin' You,' 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady),' 'Livin' La Vida Loca,' 'I Hate Myself For Loving You,' 'Poison,' 'Waking Up In Vegas' and 'Beautiful Now.'

What do Jay-Z, Kobe Bryant, Archie Bunker, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ed Koch, Bart Simpson, Bruce Campbell, Bonnie and Clyde, and J-Lo have in common?  The answer: Charles Strouse (and his hit songs)!

Disney Junior's reimagined 'Muppet Babies' will premiere FRIDAY, MARCH 23 with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Channel (10:00 a.m. EDT) and in the DisneyNOW app. The series' soundtrack featuring the theme song, performed by Tony Award®-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry ('Hamilton'), and additional songs from the series will be released digitally by Walt Disney Records tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 23.

Tony Award-winner Renee Elise Goldsberry (Broadway's 'Hamilton') will perform the theme song for Disney Junior's highly-anticipated animated series 'Muppet Babies,' premiering this March on Disney Channel. The iconic theme song has been reimagined for a whole new generation of young viewers by the acclaimed songwriting team of Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty ('Doc McStuffins'). It will be released by Walt Disney Records on Friday, February 23.

PuppetPalooza is excited to announce its headline panel performance, Meet The Muppets and the Performers Who Make Them Great! at the Marjorie Luke Theatre on Friday, March 2 at 6:00 pm. Fresh off their resoundingly successful The Muppets Take the Bowl live Hollywood Bowl spectacular, The Muppets and the remarkable performers who bring them to life -- will enthrall audiences with an evening of story-telling, interviews, exclusive footage, musical puppetry madness and improvised mayhem!

GODFREY JOHNSON IN CABARET is the perfect end of year show. Starring Godfrey Johnson and Nicholas 'Magic Fingers' McDiarmid, the show features the songs of Jacques Brel, Leonard Cohen, Madonna, Kermit the Frog and many more.

Just last night, the Drama League honored Steve Martin - whose prolific body of work has earned him an Academy Award, five Grammy Awards, an Emmy, the Mark Twain Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors - at its fall gala at The Plaza (768 Fifth Avenue).