Jim Henson's Daughter Makes Rare Public Appearance to Join Fans at the Closing of Muppet Vision 3D at Disney World
Jim Henson's daughter Heather Henson was the last guest at the final showing of Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Saturday, June 7
The beloved show ended its run after 34 years
'Muppet fans are the best," Heather told the crowdJim Henson's daughter helped fans say goodbye to one of his enduring creations.
Heather Henson was a special guest at the final showing of Muppet*Vision 3D. After 34 years, the beloved attraction ended its epic run at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Saturday, June 7.
Heather, 54, made it a moment by being the last person to walk through the doors of the classic attraction, which featured Muppet characters created by her father Jim and was the last project he worked on before his death in 1990 at age 53.
'Muppet fans are the best. You guys are the absolute best. We love you so much. Thank you so much for being here. We're hanging it up. Bye, guys,' Heather said in a video (shared on the Disney-focused Instagram account Kates Takes) that captured her greeting fans before she entered.
'We love you back,' a person replied.
'The daughter of Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets and Muppet Vision 3D, was the last guest to enter the theater for the final guest showing of Muppet Vision 3D at Disney's Hollywood Studios," the post's caption read.
Fans appreciated that Heather made the gesture.
'That's great that she came out for the final showing. Thanks for the footage!' one person wrote in the comments.
Others were still in dismay that the attraction — which combined a 3D movie, real special effects and character animatronics — was shutting down.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
'Why does this make me wanna cry? Ahh I just got to ride the ride my first time last year...and my last as an adult and I'm so sad. I loved the ride,' one follower commented.
In November 2024, Disney confirmed that the long-running show, which debuted in 1991, was ending its run to make way for the new Monsters Inc. land. However, it's not a final farewell for the Muppet characters that Jim created. Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang will now be the stars of a re-themed Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at the park, according to the official Disney Parks Blog.
"We know so many of you share our love for The Muppets and know their energy will be a perfect fit for this coaster," the Parks blog post read. "Plus, as the first Disney ride ever to feature The Muppets, there's sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard."
Read the original article on People
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Tonys 2025 Live Updates: Cole Escola Wins for ‘Oh, Mary!' and ‘Purpose' Is Named Best Play
The cast of 'Hamilton' on Sunday returned to the room where it happened, at least metaphorically. To mark the 10th anniversary of the show's opening, 28 members of the original cast — the show's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with the other stars, ensemble members, swings and standbys — gathered onstage at Radio City Music Hall and performed a medley of some of the musical's biggest songs: 'Non-Stop,' 'My Shot,' 'The Schuyler Sisters,' 'Guns and Ships,' 'You'll Be Back,' 'Yorktown,' 'The Room Where It Happens' and 'History Has Its Eyes on You.' They dressed not in the show's period costumes, but in an array of high-fashion evening wear — all black with a few character-driven accents (Lafayette got a Frenchman's beret; Burr a dueler's cape; and King George the one splash of color: royal red). They didn't say a word, but Cynthia Erivo, this year's Tony Awards host and in 2016 the only musical performer to win a Tony for any show other than 'Hamilton,' hailed the production. 'Hamilton reinvigorated the American theater and changed not just Broadway, but how Americans views their own history,' Erivo said, before adding wryly, 'or so I'm told.' 'Hamilton' opened on Broadway on Aug. 6, 2015. The following spring, it was nominated for a record 16 Tony Awards, and then, in a Tonys ceremony at the Beacon Theater, it won 11 prizes, including best musical. (The event was memorable for many reasons — among them, it took place hours after the deadly Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida, which led the 'Hamilton' cast to drop the use of muskets in its production number, and prompted Miranda to give his 'love is love' acceptance speech.) The show quickly became the biggest phenomenon Broadway had seen in quite some time, and in the decade since, it has only gotten bigger, spinning off touring companies, streaming a live-capture film on Disney+, grossing about $3 billion in North America, and still going strong. The production has been celebrating the anniversary for months, calling it 'Hamilten.' (Ten is a special number in the 'Hamilton' universe, because Alexander Hamilton is featured on the $10 bill.) The Sunday night reunion performance was designed by the quartet often described as the 'Hamilton' cabinet: the director Thomas Kail, the choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, the music director Alex Lacamoire, and Miranda. Given the passage of time, Blankenbuehler relaxed some of the dance steps. Among those who took part in the performance were the show's Tony-winning cast members, Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), Daveed Diggs (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), as well as Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), who won Tony Awards for writing the show's book and score. Also, the show's other Tony-nominated performers: Jonathan Groff (King George), Christopher Jackson (George Washington) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton). Even the ensemble was stacked: It included Ariana DeBose, who was a member of the original 'Hamilton' company, and who then went on to win an Academy Award for 'West Side Story' and to host the Tony Awards three times. Several of the show's alumni are back on Broadway this year. Groff is starring in a Bobby Darin biomusical, 'Just in Time,' that opened in April and is selling tickets through January. The actor was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in 'Just in Time,' and won a Tony Award last year for 'Merrily We Roll Along.' Jackson last week began a run as the protagonist's father in 'Hell's Kitchen,' the Alicia Keys musical. And Odom is planning to rejoin 'Hamilton' on Broadway later this year, reprising his performance as Burr from Sept. 9 to Nov. 26. Miranda and Goldsberry both had brief stints on Broadway during the season that just ended, performing staged readings as part of the rotating cast of 'All In: Comedy About Love.' And Miranda is now working with Eisa Davis on a musical adaptation of the film 'The Warriors"; a concept album (called simply 'Warriors') was released last year.


New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
Cole Escola Wins the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
Cole Escola won the Tony for best actor in a play for their performance in the outlandish, ahistoric comedy 'Oh, Mary!' This is Escola's Broadway debut, and first Tony. Escola, who is nonbinary, plays a self-indulgent, scheming Mary Todd Lincoln, who aspires to become a chanteuse. As a result, her boredom — which includes pining to perform her 'madcap medleys' of yesteryear — drives her to all kinds of antics. (With Cole prancing around in a hoop skirt, hilarity ensues.) The New York Times chief theater critic, Jesse Green, called 'Oh, Mary!,' which Escola also wrote, 'one of the best crafted and most exactingly directed Broadway comedies in years.' Directed by Sam Pinkleton, the show opened at the Lyceum Theater last summer after a sold-out and twice-extended Off Broadway run. The play has also been extended multiple times since it transferred to Broadway. (It was the first show in the Lyceum's 121-year history to gross more than $1 million in a single week.) Escola, known for their roles in Hulu's 'Difficult People,' TBS's 'Search Party' and sketches on YouTube, came up through New York's cabaret and alt comedy scenes. The premise for 'Oh, Mary!' began with an idea, which Escola sat on for more than 12 years: 'What if Abraham Lincoln's assassination wasn't such a bad thing for Mary Todd?' The Tony Awards, like the Oscars, use gendered categories for performers, and Escola agreed to be considered eligible for an award as an actor. Escola isn't the first nonbinary actor to win a Tony Award. In 2023, J. Harrison Ghee became the first out nonbinary performer to win a Tony for best leading actor in a musical, for 'Some Like It Hot,' and Alex Newell became the first out nonbinary performer to win for best featured actor in a musical for 'Shucked.'


CNN
14 minutes ago
- CNN
The original cast of ‘Hamilton' reunites on the Tonys stage with rousing performance
The original cast of the Tony-winning musical 'Hamilton' reunited on Sunday for a lively performance on the award show's stage. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana DeBose, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff and many more members of the flagship Broadway cast appeared during the performance, which honored the beloved production's 10th anniversary. Miranda and Odom Jr. opened the performance with 'Non-Stop' and 'My Shot' before the rest of ensemble joined in to perform selections from songs like 'The Schuyler Sisters,' 'Guns and Ships' and 'You'll be Back.' The cast also performed 'Yorktown,' 'The Room Where it Happens' and ended with 'Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.' The cast donned all-black tuxedos and gowns instead of the musical's original costumes and earned a rousing standing ovation from the audience, which included a visibly excited Oprah Winfrey, Ben Stiller and more. The performance celebrated the legacy that 'Hamilton' has left over these past ten years after its 2015 Broadway debut. The last time the original cast performed together was during their final curtain call in July 2016. 'Hamilton' made history at the 2016 Tony Awards when it earned a record-breaking 16 nominations and took home 11 statues, including best musical. It also won a Grammy in 2016 for best musical theater album, and has won an Olivier Award, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was awarded a special Kennedy Center honor in 2018. Prev Next