The Amazing Mumford
The Muppets
Thanks, Jim Henson
Magic is wondrous fun – it’s kind of like telling a joke. You lead the audience down a path and at the last moment you make a hairpin left turn.
“That was no lady, that was my wife.”
“Where did that rabbit come from?”
Puppets are great, too, whether the puppeteer is visible (think Jeff Dunham) or not (think Muppets). The puppet can tell someone something off-the wall, like “Did you know you have hair growing out of your ears?” and everybody laughs. If the same guy, the puppeteer said that WITHOUT the puppet, he would run the risk of being punched.
Besides, you get to make up a funny voice and a funny personality for the puppet. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I’ve studied both magic and puppetry; with each, like music, my talent is limited although my appreciation is not. A maestro is a maestro whether it is with strings, woodwind, wand or puppet. You have to appreciate artists and more importantly, their art.
It’s a wonderful world.
sfnowak 