Changes: Kermit, Prince of Denmark

Revision as of 23:01, 5 February 2007

In 1999, Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez wrote eight songs and a script treatment for a Muppet feature film called Kermit, Prince of Denmark. Like The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island before it, this was a loose adaptation of an earlier work, this time William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. In the script, Kermit accidentally travels to Denmark, where he turns out to be the exact double of Prince Hamlet and is frequently mistaken for him. The project was conceived as a musical, with Marx and Lopez writing songs for the project as part of their participation in the BMI Workshop, a training ground for many composers, lyricists, and book writers in the musical theater.

Marx and Lopez won the 2000 Kleban Award, a $150,000 endowment to encourage musical theater writers, for the lyrics (they tied with four other writing teams and received $37,500 of the total endowment). The project was sent to the Jim Henson Company, but according to Jeff Marx: "Brian Henson said he wasn't interested, and that was that."

Marx and Lopez would go on to write the acclaimed Broadway smash Avenue Q, which in part parodies characters from Sesame Street. Marx said that the experience of being rejected by Henson made them determined not to write for other people's characters again.

When Disney acquired the Muppets in 2004, Marx and Lopez were approached by Chris Curtin, then-head of the Muppets Holding Company, about turning Kermit, Prince of Denmark into a film. However, when Curtin left the company, nothing more was done with the project.

Track Listing

Off to Denver
There's More Than One Pig in the Sea
Something About Him
Claudius Rejoices (King For Awhile)
Without You
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Doing The Mambo
Talk
In Unexpected Places

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-In 1999, [[Jeff Marx]] and [[Bobby Lopez]] wrote eight songs and a script treatment for a Muppet feature film called '''''Kermit, Prince of Denmark.''''' Like ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' and ''[[Muppet Treasure Island]]'' before it, this was a loose adaptation of an earlier work, this time William Shakespeare's play ''[[Hamlet]]''. In the script, [[Kermit]] accidentally travels to Denmark, where he turns out to be the exact double of Prince Hamlet and is frequently mistaken for him. The project was conceived as a musical, with Marx and Lopez writing songs (including "Claudius Is Gonna Be King (For A While)" and "Talk") for the project as part of their participation in the BMI Workshop, a training ground for many composers, lyricists, and book writers in the musical theater.
+In 1999, [[Jeff Marx]] and [[Bobby Lopez]] wrote eight songs and a script treatment for a Muppet feature film called '''''Kermit, Prince of Denmark.''''' Like ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' and ''[[Muppet Treasure Island]]'' before it, this was a loose adaptation of an earlier work, this time William Shakespeare's play ''[[Hamlet]]''. In the script, [[Kermit]] accidentally travels to Denmark, where he turns out to be the exact double of Prince Hamlet and is frequently mistaken for him. The project was conceived as a musical, with Marx and Lopez writing songs for the project as part of their participation in the BMI Workshop, a training ground for many composers, lyricists, and book writers in the musical theater.
 Marx and Lopez won the 2000 Kleban Award, a $150,000 endowment to encourage musical theater writers, for the lyrics (they tied with four other writing teams and received $37,500 of the total endowment). The project was sent to the [[Jim Henson Company]], but according to Jeff Marx: "[[Brian Henson]] said he wasn't interested, and that was that."
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 When [[Disney]] acquired [[the Muppets]] in [[2004]], Marx and Lopez were approached by [[Chris Curtin]], then-head of the [[Muppets Holding Company]], about turning ''Kermit, Prince of Denmark'' into a film. However, when Curtin left the company, nothing more was done with the project.
+== Track Listing ==
+* Off to Denver
+* There's More Than One Pig in the Sea
+* Something About Him
+* Claudius Rejoices (King For Awhile)
+* Without You
+* Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Doing The Mambo
+* Talk
+* In Unexpected Places
 [[Category:Unfinished Movies]]