It has been reported by The Muppet Newsflash that a new Sesame Street Christmas Special called “Elmo’s Christmas Countdown” and will be airing Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 7:00 pm. This hour long show will include everyone on Sesame Street, and have tons of guest star appearances and musical numbers. So clear your schedule, and program your tv recorders, cause Sesame Street is coming to town!

Ever since Philip Hatter came on the puppet scene this past year I have been a big fan.  I even bought a few of his puppets (what a pleasure to have hired him).  Well, Philip teamed up with fellow Puppet Buzz contributor and owner of Project Puppet, Pasha Romanowski, and redesigned his company’s whole image.  That is they have a new logo, website and even a new blog!

I think it looks spectacular and I highly recommend that people take the time to go and browse around.  Maybe buy a puppet or catch a show, but definately check it out.

That’s “Real” pronounced “ree-al” as in the “Real Madrid” soccer franchise in Spain.  Their cute little puppets have their own television series that airs on TELEMADRID on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:00 am (local time).  Now, these cute little puppets are walkaround characters at the newly constructed Faunia Madrid Biological Park located in Madrid, Spain.  To see more videos of Real Pets go here and look at all of the YouTube videos. 

 Enjoy.

Puppet Buzz contributor Hilary Talbot has just recently switched her blog over to the fabulous “WordPress” template.  I for one think the blog layout looks clean and easy to read.  Great job Hilary!  Be sure to check out some of her other posts at her new blog address Spirits Dancing.  You can also see more of her work at he Flickr site here.  Enjoy.

In the puppet world, at least here in Canada, there is a very well respected puppet troup/company called The Old Trout Puppet Workshop.  The don’t often come to Toronto and actually offering a workshop is even less typical.  That makes this news all the more exciting.  They are well known for a very cool style of head puppets that are worn as hats and puppeteered from below, it is an amazing way to puppeteer.  Anyways, The Puppetmongers has this announcement to make:

The Toronto School of Puppetry triumphantly announces that it has taken advantageof the presence in Toronto this October of Calgary’s famous Old Trout Puppet Workshop Company.  While they are performing Famous Puppet Death Scenes At the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.
We are delighted to be able to offer a Three-Day Course with Peter Balkwill.  Not to be missed by anyone serious about performing theatre with puppets.

October 24 through 26. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fee $250 for the three days. Limited places available.

Alas, I will be working during this workshop and there is no way for me to make it.  Trust me, if I could go I would be there for sure.  However, if you are able to go to the wrokshops then, I would highly recommend going.  Book now because I have a feeling that spots will not last long!

The following is an email Ricki Vincent from http://www.geppettodreams.com/ has sent me looking to hire puppeteers:

Wanna run away and join my circus? New Puppet theater opening in Austin TX this fall and I’m looking for experienced puppeteers to join my new troupe. Also looking for puppet shows (all Kinds) both children and adult shows to book throughout the year. all interested parties should contact me at acpa@geppettodreams.com for more info

Ricki(Geppetto)Vincent: Artistic Director, Austin Center for Puppetry Arts

Tony award winning AVENUE Q is coming to the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Investment tycoon Aubrey Dan of Dancap Productions Inc. has reached an agreement with New York producers for the rights to this high-profile, touring Broadway musical, although some details may need to be fine-tuned before contracts are signed; Avenue Q has been “advertised” for July 29th-August 31, 2008. Tickets rang from $50.00 - $100.00 each, pretty cheap to some compared performances.

It’s a bit crazy, even scary, to imagine a million puppets of all sorts in one place, but that’s the objective of the Million Puppet Project which was launched yesterday (on World Puppetry Day) by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Western Australia. Under the project, people from around the world are invited to make and send a puppet to Perth, WA, to participate in a new Guinness World Record: The World’s Largest Puppet Display! This will be part of the UNIMA 2008: 20th UNIMA Congress and World Puppetry Festival, which is being held in the southern hemisphere for the first time.

If you need a jump-start to make a puppet, there are various simple puppet design templates ready to dowload, or you can strike out on a design all your own. Let your imagination run free! Puppets will not be able to be returned to you, but they will be donated to charities afterwards. And when the display is being finalized in April 2008, you will be able to see the installation in progress via a web cam linked to the site.

Update: To everyone I am so sorry- I’ve been getting feedback that when you sign the petition that the site then asks for a donation towards their site. When I heard this I immediately emailed the website and stated that I want the account taken off and that it cheapens what I was trying to accomplish- I also deleted all the signatures from those who had signed the petition, but will write a personal apology to you. I really had good intentions when starting this petition and felt that it probably wouldn’t make an impact but there is no harm in trying. If you know of a legitimate petition site, I would be glad to post it once more. Sorry again.

Tom Stewart

Whilst watching Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back and listening to the commentary; George Lucas stated he tried to get Frank Oz recognized for his role as Yoda as Best Supporting Actor in the Academy Awards that year but was denied. My question is if puppeteers are not classified as actors, then why are they required to join the actors unions to perform? I will start a petition to submit to the Academy. I know that it maybe a long shot, but there’s no harm in trying. Please sign (and ask your friends to sign) the petition so puppeteers can be recognized in the Oscars.

Gary Friedman and Sharon Gelber are offering workshops and lectures that explore creativity, and activating the brain to prime the learner. These workshops will be held in Europe, Canada and the United States-I’ve emailed and will update when I find out where in Canada they will be held. I’m particularily interested in the Puppetry on Television Workshop. Check out more information, including videos at http://africanpuppet.blogspot.com/