Mahna Mahna

PERFORMER	Jim Henson
DEBUT	1969
DESIGN	Jim Henson designer
	Don Sahlin builder

Mahna Mahna sketch, from late 1960s.

Mahna Mahna drives through Hollywood in a video insert for The Muppet Show Live.

Promotional photo for the Jim Henson's Fantastic World touring exhibit.

Mahna Mahna in 2009

Mahna Mahna is a purple Muppet with wild, orange hair and a furry, green tunic who is most famous for performing the nonsense song "Mahna Mahna" with the Snowths. His vocabulary is essentially limited to saying his own name and scatting.

Mahna Mahna made his debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, where he sang "Mahna Mahna" for the first time. In a later appearance on the variety show, he played a drummer filling in for a violinist in a string quartet performing Beethoven's "Minuet in G Major." The scripts for that appearance refer to him as "Harry".

After reprising "Mahna Mahna" on several other variety shows, Mahna Mahna was featured in the very first episode of The Muppet Show, performing his signature song as opening number, dancing with Wanda in At the Dance, and popping up between Statler and Waldorf in their box. Also, in the pilot version of the episode, he made an additional appearance, surprising guest star Juliet Prowse after her conversation with Kermit backstage. Although he was also featured prominently in episode 102, appearing again in At the Dance and "Sax and Violence", most of Mahna Mahna's future appearances on the show would be in the background or in the audience of the Muppet Theater.

After a long absence, Mahna Mahna appeared at The Muppet Show Live at MuppetFest. Here, he was puppeteered by Bill Barretta lip-syncing to Jim Henson's vocals; at one point, the character left the theater to go to a fast food restaurant. Barretta assumed the role, providing both puppetry and voice for Mahna Mahna in his first original speaking role since Henson's death, in the 2005 "Bandanana" commercial for the Australian charity CanTeen. In this appearance, the puppet had brighter colors and softer features than previous incarnations. Mahna Mahna, alongside the Snowths, made cameos in the Muppet viral video for "Bohemian Rhapsody," and have reprised "Mahna Mahna" in their appearances on Good Morning America, The Muppets, and the concert Jim Henson's Musical World.

Palisades Toys released a mini figure of Mahna Mahna, and also had plans for an action figure. In 2012, Funko released a vinyl figure of Mahna Mahna.

Bip Bippadotta

"Mahna Mahna" was also performed on the first season of Sesame Street by an Anything Muppet, originally identified on albums as "Mahna-Mahna." He would later come to be called Bip Bippadotta. Although the character would evolve to look more like Mahna Mahna over the years, the characters have generally been considered completely separate entities.

Casting history

• Jim Henson: The Ed Sullivan Show (1969) - The Muppet Show (1976)
• Bill Barretta: The Muppet Show Live (2001) to present

Filmography

• The Ed Sullivan Show ("Mahna Mahna," "Minuet in G Major")
• The Dick Cavett Show
• This Is Tom Jones
• Pure Goldie
• The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
• The Muppet Show
  • "The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 2 - 5)
  • Episode 101: Juliet Prowse ("Mahna Mahna," At the Dance with Wanda)
  • Episode 102: Connie Stevens (At the Dance with Miss Mousey, "Sax and Violence")
  • Episode 114: Sandy Duncan (Audience)
  • Episode 115: Candice Bergen (Audience)
  • Episode 119: Vincent Price (Audience)
  • Episode 122: Ethel Merman (Audience)
  • Episode 208: Steve Martin
  • Episode 213: Rudolf Nureyev (Backstage)
  • Episode 308: Loretta Lynn
  • Episode 312: James Coco
  • Episode 317: Spike Milligan ("America, "It's a Small World")
• The Muppet Movie ("The Rainbow Connection" Finale)
• The Muppets Take Manhattan (Wedding Finale)
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
• The Muppet Show Live
• CanTeen "Bandanana" commercial
• Muppet viral videos
  • "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• The Muppet Show Theme Music Video
• The Muppets
• Orange commercial
• Good Morning America
• Kermit's Party
• Muppets Most Wanted

Book appearances

• The Muppet Show Annual 1977
• The Muppet Show Book
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show activity book
• The Muppet Show Comic Book Issue #4 - Miss Piggy's Story
• Muppet Robin Hood Issue #3
• The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson Issue #2: You May Meet a Stranger
• Muppet King Arthur Issue #2
• Muppet Snow White

See also

• Bip Bippadotta
• "Mahna Mahna" (song)
• Mahna Mahna Through the Years