Latest news with #BrianHenson
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
David Lazer, Executive Who Joined the World of Muppets, Dies at 89
David Lazer, who as an IBM executive in the mid-1960s hired Jim Henson's Muppets to star in a series of short films that injected laughs into sales meetings — and who a decade later joined Mr. Henson's company as a producer — died on April 10 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 89. His death, which had not been widely reported, was confirmed by Doyle Newberry, a manager of Mr. Lazer's estate. He did not cite a cause. 'What David brought to the company was class,' Brian Henson, Mr. Henson's son and the chairman of the Jim Henson Company, said in an interview. 'Even my dad would say you couldn't call Muppets Inc. classy. Up until then, it was a bunch of beatniks making weird stuff.' In 1965, Mr. Lazer was making commercials and sales training films for IBM's office products division and had learned the importance of keeping in-house audiences at the company interested during meetings. Intrigued by a reel of commercials and short films made by Mr. Henson, Mr. Lazer wanted to bring his 'sense of humor and crazy nuttiness' to IBM, he told Brian Jay Jones for his book 'Jim Henson: The Biography' (2013). The star of Mr. Henson's early films for IBM was Rowlf the Dog, who typed letters to his mother on a series of IBM manual and electric typewriters in which he described his new career as a salesman for the company. He promoted real products; he also plugged an electric guitar from IBM's 'Hippie Products Division' that, improbably, dispensed coffee. In another short, an early version of Cookie Monster devoured a talking coffee machine. 'The idea is that if you can give people a good laugh, they'll listen better,' Mr. Lazer told The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 1985. Under Mr. Lazer's leadership, the films intended for IBM audiences led to a broader business, Muppet Meeting Films. Companies bought the videos to motivate their employees — or at least keep them awake. One of those films features an executive-type Muppet delivering a motivational speech, in which he calmly praises the company as a family of 'honest men.' But his tone grows more urgent, and his gestures become wilder, as he gets to his point: 'I ask you to remember just one word, the one word that makes it all possible, and that word is sell! I want you to get out there and sell, sell, sell! I want you to sell your socks off!' Mr. Lazer's skills as an executive appealed to Mr. Henson, who asked him to join what was then called Henson Associates (and is now the Jim Henson Company) in 1975. Quoted in Mr. Jones's book, Mr. Lazer recalled that he was shocked by Mr. Henson's offer and responded by saying: 'Oh my God! Oh, probably!' Three weeks later, he took the job. 'Lazer was determined to bring the same polish to Henson Associates that he had brought to the IBM product line,' Mr. Jones wrote, 'and as far as Lazer was concerned, the product at Henson Associates wasn't the Muppets; it was Jim.' Brian Henson said that Mr. Lazer instituted one change very quickly; he didn't want his father slipping into a cumbersome Muppet costume again after the last one, a towering, hairy ogre named Sweetums. 'He said, 'Jim, you're never getting into a costume again,'' Mr. Henson said. ''You can work hand puppets, but you're never getting into a costume with a T-shirt and shorts again.'' David Lazer was born on Jan. 23, 1936, in Manhattan and grew up in the Bronx and in Hempstead, N.Y., on Long Island. His father, George, was a haberdasher, and his mother, Cilla (Schneweis) Lazer, a Polish immigrant, managed the home. David became adept at photography as a teenager and won awards for his photographs in high school. He joined IBM after high school in 1954 and, after serving for two years in the Army, where he received intelligence training, returned to IBM. He studied film at night at New York University. At Henson Associates, Mr. Lazer was a producer or executive producer of 'The Muppet Show,' the television variety series that ran from 1976 to 1981 and won four Primetime Emmy Awards; the films 'The Muppet Movie' (1979), 'The Great Muppet Caper' (1981), 'The Dark Crystal' (1982), 'The Muppets Take Manhattan' (1984) and 'Labyrinth' (1986); and a 1979 TV special, 'The Muppets Go Hollywood.' Mr. Lazer's corporeal image — curly hair, bushy eyebrows, well-tailored suit, tan — inspired the creation of a Muppet look-alike for some of the meeting films. In several of them, the David Lazer Muppet played a self-important businessman; in another, he portrayed one of three executives giving quarterly reports while stranded on an island. The Lazer Muppet reported rising coconut production and steady sand castle production. As a human, Mr. Lazer made a cameo appearance in 'The Muppets Take Manhattan,' squiring Liza Minnelli into Sardi's, the famous theater-district restaurant, where she found that her caricature on a wall has been replaced by Kermit the Frog's. Mr. Lazer played a critical role at the company after Jim Henson died in 1990. By then, Mr. Lazer had left his longtime position as executive vice president and, for a year or two, served as an adviser. To help the Henson family, he returned, as the company's acting president. 'During that period he was very much like a father figure to me,' Brian Henson said. 'My father was my mentor in puppetry, animatronics and directing puppets, but David was my mentor in terms of running the business.' After Brian Henson was named president in early 1991, Mr. Lazer became vice chairman, a post he held until his retirement in 1994. Mr. Henson is now the chairman. Mr. Lazer is survived by a sister, Ann Lazer Harstack. At his first staff meeting at the Henson company, Mr. Jones wrote, Mr. Lazer baffled the Muppet designers and performers with a slew of flow charts and other paperwork. People were laughing at him. To them, he was a suit. So he tossed his papers onto the table and kept talking as if there had been no snickers about his IBM-style presentation. 'It's not the same, is it?' Jim Henson said to him after the meeting, referring to the looser atmosphere in the world of Muppets. 'Oh no,' Mr. Lazer said. 'It's better.'
Malaysian Reserve
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
UNCENSORED RETURNS! TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR 14 PERFORMANCES AT THE KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE WITH SPECIAL VIP COCKTAIL PARTY EXPERIENCE JULY 16-27 2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Henson Alternative's Puppet Up! – Uncensored returns this summer for 14 hysterical performances of adult comedy, puppet hijinks, and surprises at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Tickets are on sale now for all performances: Wednesday, July 16th at 8pm, Thursday, July 17th at 8pm, Friday, July 18th at 8pm, Saturday, July 19th at 4pm and 8pm, Sunday, July 20th at 3pm and 7pm, Wednesday, July 23rd at 8pm, Thursday, July 24th at 8pm, Friday, July 25th at 8pm, Saturday, July 26th at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday, July 27th at 3pm and 7pm. Buy tickets here: Available tickets include General Admission ($75) and VIP tickets ($150). VIP guests will have priority seating and access to an all-new pre-show cocktail party experience where they can mix and mingle with puppets and puppeteers featured in the show, take photos with iconic Henson characters from Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and Fraggle Rock, and enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation with legendary puppeteer and show creator Brian Henson. Co-created by award-winning director and producer Brian Henson (Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island), and the production's director and host Patrick Bristow (Ellen, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Puppet Up! – Uncensored is never the same show twice, effortlessly blending increasingly unhinged feats of improv comedy with the unparalleled skill and originality of Henson puppeteers. Based on suggestions from the audience, the puppet mayhem – starring the unforgettable Miskreant puppets – showcases both the improvised puppet action projected live on screens above the stage, and the puppeteers racing around below in full view of the audience to bring it all to life. Performances also include recreations of classic pieces by Jim and Jane Henson that have not been performed for audiences in decades. Puppet Up! – Uncensored is not recommended for anyone under 16 and anyone under 14 will not be admitted. ABOUT HENSON ALTERNATIVEHenson Alternative is The Jim Henson Company's label for content created specifically and exclusively for adult audiences. In 1955, Jim Henson's first television production 'Sam & Friends' appeared on late-night television as a lead-in to 'The Tonight Show,' establishing a standard in the Company's work for irreverent, creative, comedy projects that spoke to adults. Appearances on 'The Jimmy Dean Show,' 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' and 'Saturday Night Live,' as well as numerous short films for clients like IBM and AT&T, proved that Henson puppetry was not limited to children. Today, Henson Alternative continues to produce and develop projects for this audience. Credits include 'The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell' (Netflix), 'The Happytime Murders' (STX), 'No, You Shut Up!' (Fusion), 'Neil's Puppet Dreams' (Nerdist), 'Tinseltown' (Logo), and 'Puppet Up! – Uncensored' (a live puppet improvisational show named one of the top 10 'Best Stage Shows' by Entertainment Weekly). The Miskreant Puppets are the motley troupe of puppets featured in many Henson Alternative productions like 'The Happytime Murders,' 'Puppet Up! – Uncensored,' and 'No, You Shut Up!' as well as Coldplay's recent music video 'Biutyful.' ABOUT WESTBETH ENTERTAINMENTFor over 40 years WBE has consistently delivered critically acclaimed, financially successful, and groundbreaking productions that have made artists and audiences' dreams come true. Beginning as The Westbeth Theatre Center and morphing into Westbeth Entertainment, developing and introducing artists and talent to North American audiences have been a big part of Westbeth's history. From Billy Connolly to Eddie Izzard to Eric Idle, Sandra Bernhard to John Leguizamo to The Jim Henson Company, and Margaret Cho to Trevor Noah to Noel Fielding, WBE has been the creative catalyst, partner, and producer of some of the most innovative performances and productions on the continent in iconic venues, such as Madison Square Garden, The Hollywood Bowl, Toronto's Massey Hall, The Chicago Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and many others. Our journey with Ray Davies began in 1996 at the Westbeth Theatre Center with the debut of his one person show Twentieth Century Man. This show eventually developed into the West End hit, Sunny Afternoon, which just made its North American debut.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HENSON ALTERNATIVE'S PUPPET UP! - UNCENSORED RETURNS! TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR 14 PERFORMANCES AT THE KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE WITH SPECIAL VIP COCKTAIL PARTY EXPERIENCE JULY 16-27 2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Henson Alternative's Puppet Up! – Uncensored returns this summer for 14 hysterical performances of adult comedy, puppet hijinks, and surprises at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Tickets are on sale now for all performances: Wednesday, July 16th at 8pm, Thursday, July 17th at 8pm, Friday, July 18th at 8pm, Saturday, July 19th at 4pm and 8pm, Sunday, July 20th at 3pm and 7pm, Wednesday, July 23rd at 8pm, Thursday, July 24th at 8pm, Friday, July 25th at 8pm, Saturday, July 26th at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday, July 27th at 3pm and 7pm. Buy tickets here: Available tickets include General Admission ($75) and VIP tickets ($150). VIP guests will have priority seating and access to an all-new pre-show cocktail party experience where they can mix and mingle with puppets and puppeteers featured in the show, take photos with iconic Henson characters from Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and Fraggle Rock, and enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation with legendary puppeteer and show creator Brian Henson. Co-created by award-winning director and producer Brian Henson (Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island), and the production's director and host Patrick Bristow (Ellen, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Puppet Up! – Uncensored is never the same show twice, effortlessly blending increasingly unhinged feats of improv comedy with the unparalleled skill and originality of Henson puppeteers. Based on suggestions from the audience, the puppet mayhem – starring the unforgettable Miskreant puppets – showcases both the improvised puppet action projected live on screens above the stage, and the puppeteers racing around below in full view of the audience to bring it all to life. Performances also include recreations of classic pieces by Jim and Jane Henson that have not been performed for audiences in decades. Puppet Up! – Uncensored is not recommended for anyone under 16 and anyone under 14 will not be admitted. ABOUT HENSON ALTERNATIVEHenson Alternative is The Jim Henson Company's label for content created specifically and exclusively for adult audiences. In 1955, Jim Henson's first television production "Sam & Friends" appeared on late-night television as a lead-in to "The Tonight Show," establishing a standard in the Company's work for irreverent, creative, comedy projects that spoke to adults. Appearances on "The Jimmy Dean Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and "Saturday Night Live," as well as numerous short films for clients like IBM and AT&T, proved that Henson puppetry was not limited to children. Today, Henson Alternative continues to produce and develop projects for this audience. Credits include "The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell" (Netflix), "The Happytime Murders" (STX), "No, You Shut Up!" (Fusion), "Neil's Puppet Dreams" (Nerdist), "Tinseltown" (Logo), and "Puppet Up! – Uncensored" (a live puppet improvisational show named one of the top 10 "Best Stage Shows" by Entertainment Weekly). The Miskreant Puppets are the motley troupe of puppets featured in many Henson Alternative productions like "The Happytime Murders," "Puppet Up! – Uncensored," and "No, You Shut Up!" as well as Coldplay's recent music video "Biutyful." ABOUT WESTBETH ENTERTAINMENTFor over 40 years WBE has consistently delivered critically acclaimed, financially successful, and groundbreaking productions that have made artists and audiences' dreams come true. Beginning as The Westbeth Theatre Center and morphing into Westbeth Entertainment, developing and introducing artists and talent to North American audiences have been a big part of Westbeth's history. From Billy Connolly to Eddie Izzard to Eric Idle, Sandra Bernhard to John Leguizamo to The Jim Henson Company, and Margaret Cho to Trevor Noah to Noel Fielding, WBE has been the creative catalyst, partner, and producer of some of the most innovative performances and productions on the continent in iconic venues, such as Madison Square Garden, The Hollywood Bowl, Toronto's Massey Hall, The Chicago Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and many others. Our journey with Ray Davies began in 1996 at the Westbeth Theatre Center with the debut of his one person show Twentieth Century Man. This show eventually developed into the West End hit, Sunny Afternoon, which just made its North American debut. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Jim Henson Company
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man throws baggie of meth out window during traffic stop, deputies say
A traffic stop turned into drug arrests Saturday evening when deputies recovered a baggie of suspected methamphetamine that the passenger threw out the window. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Preble County deputies pulled over a Dodge Dart in Eaton for a license plate violation around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a media release. As the driver pulled over, the passenger threw a baggie out of the window. The baggie contained around 30 grams of suspected meth, a media release states. TRENDING STORIES: Student dies after accidentally falling from balcony during senior class trip Safety encouraged after 2 deadly motorcycle crashes in past 3 days Police looking for man, woman accused of paying $1K less for items after altering barcodes Deputies said the passenger, Brian Henson, and driver, Brandon Shopher, admitted to traveling from Indiana to Montgomery County to buy meth. Both men have been charged with aggravated possession of drugs and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Henson was also charged with tampering with evidence. Henson and Shopher are currently being held in Preble County Jail, and their bail has been set. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
