It's Time to Start the Music, It's Time to Light the Lights

I love the Muppets. Love.Them. When I say love, I mean an almost unnatural attachment. My world stopped when The Muppet Show was on. I remember where I was when I heard Jim Henson died. I remember I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.

The Muppet Movie Soundtrack was one of the first albums I owned. I remember seeing the move in the theatre. In college, friends and I would watch The Muppet Movie again and again. One of my best friends, Jody, and I would try to convince everyone that the soundtrack was one of the best and most important albums ever made. We kept talking about taking a cross-country roadtrip while driving in some Thelma and Louis style convertible, listening to The Muppet Movie Soundtrack. Even now, thirty years after the movie came out, the soundtrack can still choke me up.

So, imagine how I felt yesterday when I stumbled on the Jim Henson/Muppet Smithsonian exhibit at the EMP.... I was elated. The exhibit featured some of the puppets: Kermit, Bert & Ernie, Rowlf, and some of Henson's pre-Muppet work. There were storyboards, original drawings.... it was amazing. I could have spent all day just standing, looking. I like Rowlf and Bert & Ernie the best. The whole thing was nostalgic, whimsical, emotional, and inspirational. The exhibit is up until mid-August. I am considering going back for one more look before it leaves. I just wish Jody was here to go with me. The whole time I kept thinking about how she would be squealing, clapping, and, I'm sure at some point, crying. If there is one person who loves the Muppets more than me, it's her.

They wouldn't let me take pictures. It was a traveling exhibit so there were copyright issues. A short articles and some picture is available on the EMP web site. But pictures just aren't the same.

I also wandered over to the Sci-Fi part of the museum. I am not a sci-fi person, but there was still some cool stuff, including a replica of Yoda, Planet of the Apes stuff, a display about The Jetsons, and, of course, a small room devoted to Star Trek. But what I got the most excited about? The Star Wars action figures. Pre-library school I edited a few books about action figures. My regular Star Wars action figure contributor lived in Seattle. And guess whose action figures were displayed? My former contributor. I wanted to point and stop everyone who passed by and say, "I know that guy!" But I didn't.