Zoot

thumb|300px|Zoot, as seen in Season 1 of The Muppet Show
Zoot is the balding, blue-haired saxophone player for the Electric Mayhem. According to his performer and builder Dave Goelz, "Zoot is just a fifty-year-old burnt-out musician."Finch, Christopher. Of Muppets and Men. p. 85
Zoot first appeared with his bandmates in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence before securing a regular gig on The Muppet Show, where he played both in the Muppet Orchestra and with the Mayhem. He also appeared in all of the Muppet theatrical movies. To date, he has been consistently performed by Dave Goelz with the exception of The Jim Henson Hour episode 112 (with Kevin Clash filling in).25 second mark
One of Zoot's trademarks is blowing small notes of music at a time. He notably blew the final note of "The Muppet Show Theme" in the closing credits on every episode of The Muppet Show (except episode 123), The Muppets Go Hollywood, and The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years. Although most of his appearances were with the Electric Mayhem, Zoot was more prominently featured as an individual in the early episodes, appearing with Juliet Prowse in a blackout in episode 101, and playing a reluctant duet with Mahna Mahna in "Sax and Violence" in episode 102.
Zoot was considerably more talkative during the show's first season. He demonstrated a worshipful love of influential saxophonist Charlie Parker during the "Sax and Violence" sketch, pleading for Parker's forgiveness over agreeing to perform the song. In subsequent seasons, he began speaking less, often expressing himself purely with music. Dave Goelz explained that "I found that when the writers gave Zoot lines to speak, I would always try to give them away to other characters because I didn't know what to do with him. Maybe that helped to define the character. Perhaps it's best that he's so non-verbal." 
Zoot became much more talkative on The Muppets, often making candid but humorous observations.
The Muppets Mayhem established Zoot's last name as "Zootowski."Tommy Chong calls him "Dave" in reference to the comedy album Cheech and Chong. In the show, he's the band's photographer and primarily uses a Polaroid camera (later revealed to be a gift from his bandmates, who hoped the pictures would help jog his often-hazy memory). When he's given his first smartphone, Zoot takes advantage of the digital camera and, as the band embarks on solo projects, becomes a well-respected photographer in the art scene. He is also accompanied by Jimmy Shoe, his personal talking footwear. The series also establishes that he has two bellybuttons (one an innie, and one an outie), and some degree of telekinetic powers.
==Personal Life==
Zoot is indicated to be Jewish in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, where Zoot wishes Kermit a happy Hanukkah when he and the rest of the Electric Mayhem arrive at the Christmas party, and in the extended DVD release, where he lights a Menorah.
Apart from his sax prowess and limited conversation, Zoot is rather spacy, having to be reminded of his own name and instrument by Floyd in The Muppet Movie. His personal habits and living situation sometimes appear to be sketchy. Near the ending of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Kermit's Commentary) video, Kermit finds Zoot in the phone booth. Kermit says he didn't hear him come in. Zoot replies, "Come in? I've been sleeping here for three months." The Great Muppet Caper reveals that he has only one pair of pants. 
In the premiere of the 2015 series The Muppets, Zoot is strongly implied to be an alcoholic; told he's at a (writers) meeting, he stands up and introduces himself in the same fashion one does at an AA meeting.
Zoot's memory issues, in addition to his tendency to lose track of reality, became a major trait in The Muppets Mayhem. For example, he's consistently confused about the band's documentary project, not grasping that he'll be playing himself. He offers multiple casting suggestions but is unaware that his choices have died, including James Brown and Frank Sinatra.
==Behind the Scenes==
===Appearance===
:See Zoot Through the Years for a detailed tracking of the puppet's evolution
Bonnie Erickson designed Zoot based on a sketch she'd done of Argentinian sax player Gato Barbieri.Tough Pigs. An Interview with Bonnie Erickson, Part 3. January 12, 2012. Through the years, the Zoot puppet has been redesigned several times. His skin has changed from gray to blue to green, the texture from exposed foam to fleece and back again, and his nose from green to yellow. Consistent traits have been his bald spot, his trademark shades (which remained the same style until 2009), and his long, blue hair.
===Performing Zoot===
Dave Goelz has occasionally laid out certain frustrations he's had in developing and performing the character. In a 2000 interview, he lamented:
He further expressed frustration with the static design of the puppet compared to characters such as Lips, whose hair allows for dynamic movement and can help enhance the manipulation of the puppet.The Contemporary Jewish Museum: “The Best Idea Wins”: Dave Goelz and Larry Mirkin on Creativity and Collaboration
When the opportunity came to expand on Zoot's character for his starring role in The Muppets Mayhem, Goelz proposed taking the character in a more surreal direction.
===Sax playing===
For the run of The Muppet Show, Zoot's musical "voice" was Frank Reidy. His saxophone is designed to resemble an alto. However, the sound and range was usually that of a tenor, while sax player John Whelan played baritone sax for his deeper theme song notes. For The Muppet Movie, sax player David Garland played for Zoot.
When performing Zoot, Dave Goelz would listen to a prepared recording of the music track and then scribble out his own "sheet music" he can follow along with.ToughPigs Talks The Muppet Show with DAVE GOELZ!
==Filmography==
*The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
*The Muppet Show
**(65 episodes: see Muppet Show Episodes That Didn't Feature Main Characters)
*Kagayake! Gorō Mapetto Geba Geba 90-pun!
*The Muppet Movie
*The Muppets Go Hollywood
*A Christmas Together
*I Love Liberty
*The Great Muppet Caper
*The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show
*Rocky Mountain Holiday
*The Muppets Take Manhattan
*The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
*A Muppet Family Christmas
*The Jim Henson Hour
**Episode 108: Videotape
**Episode 112: Food
*The Muppets at Walt Disney World
*The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
*Muppet*Vision 3D
*The Muppet Christmas Carol
*Muppet Treasure Island
*Muppets Tonight
**Episode 101: Michelle Pfeiffer
**Episode 103: Billy Crystal
**Episode 208: The Cameo Show
*Muppets from Space
*Muppet RaceMania
*it's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
*Muppets Party Cruise
*The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
*Muppets TV
*A Green and Red Christmas
*Studio DC: Almost Live
*A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
*D23 Expo (2009, 2022)
*Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. commercials
*America's Funniest Home Videos
*Muppet viral videos
**"Bohemian Rhapsody"
*Christmas in Rockefeller Center
*"The Muppet Show Theme music video"
*The Muppets
*Jimmy Kimmel Live
*Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
*Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
*QVC
*Muppets Most Wanted
*America's Got Talent
* The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
*The Muppets (ABC TV series)
*The Muppets Take the Bowl
*The Muppets Take the O2
*Carpool Karaoke: The Series
*Facebook Portal commercials
*The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II
*The Late Late Show with James Corden
*Muppets Now
*Muppets Haunted Mansion
*Dear Earth
*The Muppets Mayhem
==Book appearances==
*The Muppet Show Book (1978)
*The Comic Muppet Book (1979)
*Muppets at Sea (1980)
*Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes (1981)
*Kermit & Cleopigtra (1981)
*Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill (1982)
*The Case of the Missing Hat (1982)
*The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
*Jim Henson's Muppet Stories (1991)
*The Phantom of the Muppet Theater (1991)
*Ask Kermit: All About the Human Body (1996)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009)
*Muppet Robin Hood (2009)
*Muppet Peter Pan (2009)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson (2009)
*Muppet King Arthur (2010)
*Muppet Snow White (2010)
*Kermit's Costume Caper (2012)
*The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)
*Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (2018)
==Merchandise==
*Zoot mug
*Zoot Action Figure and repaint variant
*Vinylmation figure
*Zoot figurine (Schleich)
*Zoot finger puppet
*Zoot Diamond Select Action Figure
*Zoot Bust (Sideshow Collectibles) 
*Zoot Minimate 
==Sources==
;Notes
==See also==
*Zoot Through the Years
__NOWYSIWYG__
Category:Muppet Characters
Category:The Muppets Characters
Category:Muppet Show Characters
Category:Muppets Tonight Characters
Category:MuppeTelevision Characters
Category:The Muppets (2015) Characters
Category:Muppets Now Characters
Category:The Muppets Mayhem Characters