Henson Company Masquerade Balls

The Henson Company Masquerade Balls began in 1983 in New York City as a way for Jim Henson to celebrate the creativity of the company on all levels. The balls were held for four years, with the final two held at the Waldorf-Astoria. The events were open to all staff, from accounting to the building staff, with many attendees wearing elaborate costumes.
In the Picture-in-Picture commentary on the Labyrinth Blu-ray, Cheryl Henson cites the company balls as inspiration for the Masquerade Ball sequence in Labyrinth. In the same featurette, Kevin Clash recounts a prank Steve Whitmire and Richard Hunt pulled on Jim Henson, in which Whitmire came dressed as an aspiring writer, concealing his identity from the guests of the party.
Wendy Froud explained on her blog that some of the masks used in Labyrinth got their first test run at a Henson ball the spring before the movie was shot in the UK.Realm of Froud Archive Photos February 8, 2012
Jim Henson Masked Ball on E'ment Tonight Feb 16 1985|Entertainment Tonight, February 16, 1985
==References==
* In the Muppet Babies storybook Baby Piggy's Night at the Ball, the balls are spoofed, with an illustration by Lauren Attinello of publishing's Joanne Barkan as a beech tree shown with Attinello herself as a lobster.
Masquerade ball.JPG
==Gallery==
Jane Seymour Bernadette Peters Masquerade Ball.jpg|Miss Piggy, Jane Seymour, Kermit the Frog, Bernadette Peters and Jim Henson as The Beast from Beauty and the Beast5/7/1983 – ’1st Masked Ball – second ave. Gothic House’ Jim Henson's Red Book
File:4844a988f6819b5a_large.jpg|Jim Henson and "Jim Henson"
File:8b4fd5449a9e2311_large.jpg|"Jim Henson" dancing with Miss Piggy
File:5a321f936066700a_large.jpg|
File:29ed68afa8aa5a14_large.jpg|
File:MaskedBall1984.jpg|1984
File:MaskedBall1984 Gene Shalit.jpg|Gene Shalit, 1984
File:JimHensonAndyWarhol.jpg|Andy Warhol, 1985
Frouds at Masquerade Ball.jpg|Brian Froud and Wendy Froud, 1985
File:MaskedBall1988 Dave Goelz.jpg|Dave Goelz, 1988
==Sources==
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Category:Events
Category:Self-References