Yesterday, we linked to Jimmy Fallon's re-creation of a number from the old John Denver/Muppets Christmas special. Here's what they were aping…the original from 1979. If I'm correct, there's only one person who was playing the same role in both versions — my pal Dave Goelz performed Gonzo (a role he originated) in the '79 version and he's still Gonzo after all these years. All the other Muppeteers are second generation.
Of course, it's probable that there's one other person who was in both versions. In the original, there are twelve Muppets who sing. Three are characters performed (back then) by Jim Henson, three were Frank Oz, two were Jerry Nelson, three were Richard Hunt and one was Dave Goelz. But there are nine or ten Muppeteers on that stage working the characters.
As a viewer, one can't be precise because, for example, I think Statler and Waldorf are on the two hands of one person. Janice and Floyd may have one operator…and I think whoever's working Scooter is also manipulating Zoot, who snuck in there. I'm assuming the shots of Rowlf, who requires two performers, were shot separately…but the least they could have needed for this number was nine Muppeteers. Presuming Henson, Oz, Nelson, Hunt and Goelz are five of them, there were four or maybe five others.
Steve Whitmire, who now plays Kermit, joined the Henson organization in '78 and was one of the other credited performers on the special…so he was probably one of the four or five. It's possible there was someone else in both the 1979 and 2009 performances but unlikely; not unless they got Jerry Nelson in, which I doubt. So Goelz and Whitmire are probably the only two folks to span those thirty years. Here's the clip…
