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Brian Henson

Brian Henson Quotes

Puppeteer

Brian Henson, born on November 3, 1963, is a renowned puppeteer. He is known for his family's outstanding contributions to the field of puppetry, particularly his collaboration with his father, Jim Henson. Brian grew up under the influence of his father and became a versatile puppet designer and performer, involved in numerous television shows and film projects.

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Famous Brian Henson Quotes

“There was a producer from the Aspen Comedy Festival who happened to be there, as a friend of a friend, and she said, "I'd like to book you into the Aspen Comedy Festival," and we said, "Well, there isn't really a show to book in, this is just a little showcase and it's really our workshop." And she said, "No, it's great, I love it, just do exactly what you did."”

Wells Littles Said Book Shows Comedy Happened Producers Festivals Workshops Showcase Aspens

Author:Brian Henson

“We took a show to the Aspen Comedy Festival, called "Puppet Up" at that point, and in Aspen we just did three shows, and in Aspen, there was a producer from the Edinborough Fringe Festival, who said, "Please come to Edinborough."”

Said Shows Three Comedy Please Producers Festivals Fringe Puppets Aspens

Author:Brian Henson

“we sent a troupe to Edinborough, and then in Edinborough, there was a producer from the Melbourne Comedy Festival, so we went to Melbourne. So it's one of these shows that kind of organically developed and it started developing momentum way before I even thought there was a show here.”

Way Kind Shows Comedy Producers Developing Festivals Momentum Melbourne Troupe

Author:Brian Henson

“And then after the success at Melbourne Comedy Festival, then we regrouped back in LA and we went back into workshopping and decided to develop a proper show and that's when we started working on "Stuffed and Unstrung," which is a much bigger and sharper version of "Puppet Up."”

Shows Comedy Decided Bigger Versions Festivals Puppets Melbourne

Author:Brian Henson

“A puppet that starts to improvise badly is almost funnier than the puppet that's improvising well. So the show gets better when the improvising is really good, but also the show can also sometimes get better when the improvising sort of goes a little wrong and that's sort of a blessing to improvising with puppets.”

Wells Littles Sometimes Shows Blessing Get Better Puppets Improvising

Author:Brian Henson

“I think initially it's terrifying because going into a show where, you know, "Oh, I'm going to be on stage for two hours, I have no lines to memorize, I have nothing really prepared," and actually I say that, the show is not all improvising.”

Thinking Knows Two Shows Hours Lines Stage Prepared Improvising

Author:Brian Henson

“The show is probably 60 percent improvising and 40 percent not. So there's quite a bit of it that we do have prepared and that part of it, you have memorized and you've rehearsed and you're prepared, just like any show.”

Shows Bits Percent Prepared Improvising

Author:Brian Henson

“But the fact that most of the show you can't be prepared for, you have no idea really what's coming is initially very nerve wracking, by now, it's kind of fun.”

Kind Ideas Facts Shows Fun Prepared No Idea Nerves Be Prepared

Author:Brian Henson

“The first show that my dad and my mom did together was for, was a comedy series, a short form that went in the middle of late-night news, and then through all of their career, it was always the "Ed Sullivan Show," it was a variety act, my dad was on the "Jimmy Dean Show" for a few years.”

Years Firsts Shows Together Form Night Careers Comedy Middle Mom Dad Late News Series My Dad My Mom Variety Jimmy Dean Late Night Ed Sullivan

Author:Brian Henson

“"Sesame Street" was really the first kid's show that my dad did. He did a couple of TV specials that were targeted for kids before "Sesame Street," but really, it was, it's kind of going back to our roots, when we start to get adult. This show gets very adult sometimes, and that's because of the audience.”

Firsts Kind Sometimes Shows Kids Audience Streets Tvs Couple Dad Adults Roots My Dad Sesame Street

Author:Brian Henson

“We try to keep it a classy show, but it certainly is blue at times. And it all depends on the audience, sometimes we've have audiences that don't really want us to go too far in that direction.”

Want Trying Sometimes Shows Audience Depends Blue Want U

Author:Brian Henson

“Really, initially what I very quickly realized that I was loving about the show was, because it reminded me of when I was a kid and I would visit the sets where my dad was shooting with the other puppeteers.”

Shows Kids Dad My Dad Shooting Puppeteer

Author:Brian Henson

“And it was a whole lot of fun, and in many ways, what we've done with the show is just taken that part of my early memories of visiting my dad, shooting with the Muppets, and taking that and making a show that's really an expansion of that and presenting a show that's all that.”

Way Done Whole Shows Fun Memories Taken Dad My Dad Shooting Expansion Visiting Presenting Muppet

Author:Brian Henson

“We're also irreverent, we have an irreverent attitude towards puppets, as well. So a lot of what we do is we're kind of making fun of the puppets for being puppets, even while we're doing it. And again, that all feeds into the absurdity of this show.”

Wells Kind Shows Fun Attitude Absurdity Puppets Irreverent

Author:Brian Henson

“In the show, we have recreated two sketches that my dad had, or pieces that my dad had developed. One that he had developed with my mother, one that Frank Oz had developed with my dad. And these are old pieces from the '50's and '60's, and we're going to develop more, too.”

Two Shows Mother Pieces Dad My Dad Frank

Author:Brian Henson

“I was 17, certainly by the time I was 19, I knew that show business was where I was going to end up, and I had my sights on being a director.”

Ends Shows Directors Sight Show Business

Author:Brian Henson

“And so as a director, as a leader, and myself as a director and a leader, I kind of try to make sure that we hold onto the vision and kind of corral it, but by the time you finish whatever the project is, a TV show, a series, a movie, a stage show, it should be a product of what all those people can do, and therefore, it can never be what you imagined it would be in the beginning.”

People Should Trying Kind Shows Would Be Can Do Leader Vision Stage Tvs Products Directors Projects Series Tv Shows

Author:Brian Henson

About the Author

Born: November 3, 1963
Known for: Puppeteer
Quotes: 62

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