The Muppets Take the Orpheum

The Muppets Take the Orpheum was a live stage show that took place at the Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from August 14-15, 2019. The format of the show is almost identical to the performances by the Muppets at the Hollywood Bowl and the O2, but with a few minor changes. Instead of Bobby Moynihan, the show's guest star is comedian Gabriel Iglesias. Additional guest stars include Jack Black, Michael Buble, Hayden Christensen, Alyson Court, Neil Patrick Harris, and Randy Rainbow.
Changes made for the Orpheum show include:
Making use of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, similarly to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
The "Muppstream" portion now includes a parody of The Littlest Hobo with Rowlf as the titular Hobo.
For their second song, The Electric Mayhem now performs Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home".
As "intermission bonuses", the show includes recreations of three classic Jim Henson comic sketches: the first show has "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face", using the Puppet Up versions of the sketch's characters (performed by Grant Baciocco and John Tartaglia); show 2 features "Java", performed by Martin P. Robinson (large Java) and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (small Java). The third show sees the variation of the "Coffee Break Machine" sketch originally performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, with Big Mean Carl acting as the monster who eats the (now-female) machine, performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo.
The "Parade of Overlooked Muppet Characters" now includes Nigel, Thingy-Thing, Mildred Huxtetter, Beautiful Day Monster, Old Tom, Bobby Benson, Pops, and Boppity.
The Swedish Chef is now joined by guests Nathan Fillion (show 3), Eugene Levy (show 2), and Ryan Reynolds (show 1) as he tries to make a lobster roll (using a Muppet lobster, of course).
For Gonzo's act, he forces Kermit to take part in his own take on the Metamorphosis trick, with Kermit locked in a trunk and Gonzo standing atop the trunk; only, when the curtain covering Gonzo's body is lowered, the two Muppets do not switch places.
Similarly to the O2 performances, once Mahna Mahna leaves the stage, different celebrities fill in for the character as lead singer on "Mah Na Mah Na". This time, celebrities include Jack Black (show 1), Gabriel Iglesias (show 2), and Red Fraggle from Fraggle Rock (show 3).
Kermit is joined during "Rainbow Connection" by Michael Buble (show 1), Neil Patrick Harris (show 2), and Randy Rainbow (show 3).
==Cast==
Dave Goelz as The Great Gonzo, Waldorf, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Zoot
Bill Barretta as Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Mahna Mahna, Big Mean Carl
Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam Eagle, The Newsman
Matt Vogel as Kermit the Frog, Uncle Deadly, Floyd Pepper, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Sweetums
David Rudman as Scooter, Janice, Beaker, Wayne
Peter Linz as Walter, Robin, Statler, Link Hogthrob, Lips, Snowth
Additional Muppet PerformersDave Barclay, Julianne Buescher (Wanda, Bunny, Yolanda Rat), Tim Blaney, Tyler Bunch (Lobster), Kevin Carlson, Ryan Dillon (Snowth), Alice Dinnean, Haley Jenkins, John Kennedy, Donna Kimball, Tim Lagasse, Bruce Lanoil, Noel MacNeal, Drew Massey (Rizzo), James Murray, Paul McGinnis, Michael Oosterom, Carmen Osbahr, Karen Prell (Red Fraggle), Mike Quinn, Michelan Sisti, Colleen Smith, Allan Trautman, Victor Yerrid
Special Guest PerformersGrant Baciocco, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Martin P. Robinson, John Tartaglia
Guest Stars: Gabriel Iglesias, Jack Black, Michael Buble, Hayden Christensen, Alyson Court, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Eugene Levy, Randy Rainbow, Ryan Reynolds, Otto Tausk and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
==Crew==
Directed by Kirk Thatcher and Andrew Williams
Written by Matthew Barnette, Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and Andrew Williams
Produced by The Muppets Studio and Soapbox Films
Music Producer/Director: Ed Mitchell
Music Arranger/Orchestrator: Steve Morrell
Sound Engineer: Rick Ruggieri
Choreographer: Michael Rooney
Muppet Workshop Supervisor: Jane Gootnick
For The Muppet Workshop: Andrea Detwiler, Alex "Jurgen" Ferguson, Scott Johnson, Peter MacKennan