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Miss Piggy performing with Udo Jürgens.
Kermit with Wim Thoelke.
Fozzie with Elmar.
Jetzt geht die Party richtig los ("Now the Party is Really Getting Started") is an annual New Year's special that aired on German TV channel ZDF from 1976 to 1980.
Appearances[]
The Muppets made an appearance on the show that aired December 31, 1978, and into January 1, 1979. The known Muppet appearance aired past midnight, in 1979; it is unclear if they appeared in the preceding segment. The special was taped on December 18, 1978, and on December 21, 1978, at the Kuppelsaal ("Dome-Hall") in Hanover; admission for the audience was 15.00 DM (roughly US$ 7.50 at the time).
The special is loosely hosted by Wim Thoelke and conductor James Last, and features appearances by Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Statler and Waldorf, Rowlf the Dog, and Animal.
Kermit, Piggy, Statler and Waldorf (all dubbed in German) appear in the theatre box, joking around, celebrating the occasion and drinking champagne and whiskey. They refer to the party happening right before their eyes, suggesting their box to be located above the orchestra, in the same ballroom seen before and after the skits.
Miss Piggy also appears on stage, dancing and singing "Es wird Nacht, Senorita" with singer Udo Jürgens. Kermit, Statler and Waldorf are seen cheering her on from above.
Throughout the special, Kermit, Piggy, and Fozzie can be seen in the audience, cracking jokes with German celebrities, while Statler and Waldorf crack jokes from their balcony in redubbed, recycled Muppet Show footage. Rowlf plays the piano in close-ups on stage, and Animal briefly plays the drums.
During the course of the special, Kermit gets increasingly drunk, resulting less in slurred speech, and more in hiccups, and Piggy and Kermit falling off the balcony.
Cast[]
Other guests include both national and international celebrities. The line-up from 10:00 PM to midnight includes: Caterina Valente, Peggy March, Mary Roos, Marlene Charell, Helena, Ireen Sheer, Roberto Blanco, Udo Jürgens, Michael Schanze, Peter Kraus, Roy Black, Karel Gott, Jürgen Drews, die drei Moosbacher, Baccara, Pit Krüger, Klaus Havenstein, Wolfgang Völz, Ekkehard Fritsch, Gino Donati und Partner, and Dieter Thomas Heck.
From midnight to 02:30 AM, the Muppets appeared around the following: Clout, Baccara, Karel Gott, Udo Jürgens, Roberto Blanco, Alicia Bridges, Christie C., Boney M., Roland Kaiser, Howard Carpendale, Eruption, Phylicia Allen (better known as The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashād), Luv', The Village People, Botho Lucas Chor, Tony Holiday, Ramona Wulff, Ritchie Family, Peter Rubin, Grit Boettcher, and Harald Juhnke.
Throughout, music is provided by the James-Last-Band, Horst Jankowski and his RIAS-Tanzorchester, and the Pepe Lienhard Band.
Crew[]
- Musical Director: Dieter Reith
- Choreograpers: Heinz Schmiedel and Maria Litto
- Author: Hans Hubberten
- Director: Ekkehard Böhmer