Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Introduced by Muppet Performer Dave Goelz

As an encore to last March’s tremendously popular Jim Henson tribute at the Wexner Center, we have arranged for a special screening of one of Henson’s most heartwarming creations, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.

This music-filled seasonal classic tells the story of Ma Otter and her son, Emmet, who both secretly enter a talent contest to win money for each other’s Christmas present. We’ll be showing the rare, original TV version, which contains Kermit the Frog scenes cut out of the DVD release. Also included in the program are some surprise Christmas-themed Muppet rarities from the Jim Henson archives. (62 mins., video)

Dave Goelz, one of the lead Muppet performers for over 30 years, is on hand to introduce the screening and host what is sure to be an entertaining question-and-answer session afterward. The Emmy Award–winner began working for Jim Henson in the early 1970s as a puppet builder. After a few years, he became a performer for a variety of recognizable characters including Zoot and Dr. Benson Honeydew. His crowning achievement is surely his development of the poultry-loving daredevil Gonzo into one of the most fully realized of all the Muppet characters. Beyond The Muppet Show, he also performed characters in Fraggle Rock (Boober Fraggle), The Dark Crystal (Fizzgig and SkekUng), Labyrinth (Sir Didymus), and Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (Wendell Porcupine).