Is 'The Muppets Christmas Carol' finally coming to Broadway?!?!

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

According to sources, thanks in large part to the interest in off-Broadway ‘Sesame Street: The Musical’, discussions surrounding the possibility of bringing the Muppets holiday classic to the stage have intensified.

This year is the 30th anniversary of the release of ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’. To say the movie-musical is beloved would be an understatement. Many consider viewing it to be a holiday tradition in their households, Michael Caine’s portrayal of Scrooge is considered one of the best onscreen performances of the character, and Disney is finally rereleasing the ‘When Love is Gone’ cut this year.

But one topic of discussion seems to arise at the dawn of every holiday season, will ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’ ever make it to Broadway?

Well, according to my sources, discussion about this seems to happen every year but talks between decision-makers have intensified to the level that we may see this happen within the next couple of years.

And we have Sesame Street to thank for it.

‘Sesame Street: The Musical’, which is currently running off-Broadway for a limited engagement in Theatre Row, has sparked discussion and solved some questions about how to bring a Muppet show to a live stage. While we’ve had shows in the past such as ‘Avenue Q’, the puppeteers were in full view of the audience which is not how Sesame Workshop or The Jim Henson Company operate.

So the question remained, how could you stage something like ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’ in a Broadway theatre? While I’m told ‘Sesame Street: The Musical’ doesn’t provide all the answers, it does offer some possibilities. I’m also told that the big reason for the intensified discussion is due to the lack of family-friendly holiday engagements on and around Broadway during the holiday season.

As a child who often attended the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and ‘A Christmas Carol’ at MSG, I think a 12-week engagement of the classic Kermit the Frog movie would do quite well. I also have to mention that seeing those shows at such a young age inspired my love of theatre.

While talks are happening, we actually got a lot closer to this becoming a reality about a decade ago.

Back in 2013, Disney put together a test production with ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’ director Alex Timbers at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The private presentation included sets, musical numbers, and more than 85 Muppets. Oh so close.

Look, I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but the sources that told me this news have not led me astray yet. Not to give away too much but they were the first to tell me about the development of musicals YEARS before they were ever publicly announced, so take that for what you will.

Also, keep in mind this is just a report that talks are happening. It’s not like there’s a workshop, investor pitches or casting taking place anytime soon. But one can hope this is a major step in the right direction.

A show like this would literally be a dream come true for myself and a lot of other people. The idea of seeing Kermit, Miss Piggy, and “Fozziwig” performing alongside some of Broadway’s best or hearing “When Love is Gone” live is something I would put a second mortgage on my house to see.

So if any of those “decision-makers (especially at the House of Mouse) are reading this, please please please make this happen. It would instantly become the must-see holiday event on Broadway for entirely new generations and fulfill some lifelong dreams of older ones.