Changes: Kermit, Prince of Denmark

Revision as of 16:00, 16 July 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. Gonzo and Fozzie were to take on the roles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, while Miss Piggy would play both the "lovely Ophelia and the generous Gertrude". Jason Alexander is listed in the treatment as the evil King Claudius. ^[1] 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.

Songs

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

Sources

↑ Avenue Q: The Book, p. 11

[1] Avenue Q: The Book, p. 11

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 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 the Frog|Kermit]] accidentally travels to [[Denmark]], where he turns out to be the exact double of Prince Hamlet and is frequently mistaken for him. [[Gonzo]] and [[Fozzie Bear|Fozzie]] were to take on the roles of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, while [[Miss Piggy]] would play both the "lovely Ophelia and the generous Gertrude". [[Jason Alexander]] is listed in the treatment as the evil King Claudius. <ref>Avenue Q: The Book, p. 11</ref> 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 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 [[The Jim Henson Company|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.