Sesame Street Songs And Sketches That May Have Involved Louise Gold

Skit descriptions compiled by Emma Shane

These sketches have a title a possible date (in many cases this may not be accurate) and who possibly puppeteered on it, with the reasons why it might have been whoever.

(If anyone knows for sure the answers to some of the puzzles on this list, or of any songs and sketches involving Ms Gold that have not been mentioned, please email to the webmaster)

A Diva Singing The Alphabet (1991)

Puppeteers: Louise Gold as A Diva

This is a hilarious sketch involving two stage hands trying to get a sign-board with the alphabet into the right position, they are right behind the Diva who is singing it. Meanwhile an off-camera voice is telling the stagehands “A bit higher” or “a bit lower”, not only do the stagehands respond accordingly, the Diva also goes up or down the scale accordingly. Hair-style-wise the Diva bears something of a resemblance to Louise Gold, and her left-handed puppetry is also quite apparent. The sketch is pretty hilarious for the interplay between the instructions to the stagehands and the way the piece is sung. But what truly makes this number, and why it stands out so impressively is the diva’s fantastic vocal acrobatics. They are pure Gold. Could any other singing-puppeteer have achieved such a feat? probably not. No wonder, in 1994 when she sang The Physician in Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It her voice could so effortlessly manage to octave leap in that song. She is a truly amazing vocalist. This number may be on a children’s programme, but it is a glorious example of just what a brilliant vocalist she is, the Muppets’ very own glorious diva.

A Tall Tale

Puppeteers: Elmo – Kevin Clash, Noel Cowherd – Jerry Nelson, Polly Darton – Fran Brill, with Louise Gold as one of the background puppeteers/backing vocalists (background puppeteers identified by Muppet Fan TW).

-- Description may follow ---

Al’s Alphabet Garge [1991]

Puppeteers: Al – Jerry Nelson w Rick Lyon righhanding, J Owner – Louise Gold, J -?

(Puppeteers as identified by Puppeteer RL, however Muppet Fan SH reckons this is not the case. Both your webmaster and Muppet Fan TW are sure they recognised LG’s left-handed puppetry)

Al is fixing letters in his alphabet garage, getting them ready for the road, the skit opens with him inflating an O (as if it were a tyre). Just as he finishes this we hear the garage door opening, and a female anything Muppet enters lugging a J. Al asks “What’s the matter with your J?”. To which the lady says, in a classy British accent (that sounds like a combination of Hortense in SLoT, The Queen from Spitting Image, and Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby in the stage musical of The Waterbabies) “My J won’t Jump.” Al asks her if it can Jog, Jiggle, and, play jazz. She replies it can do all those things, “It just won’t jump”. So Al gives it a Jump Start. He connects up the wires, and asks her to turn it on. It is noticeable that she does so with the keys in the puppet’s right hand, so using the puppet’s right arm rod. It’s a very clear example of a puppet that is evidently being puppeteered left-handed; and yet there is no apparent reason for this, set wise. The Jump Start causes the J to jump all over the garage, eventually crashing into a wall, where it makes a J-Shaped hole. At this Al delivers the punchline “Will that be cash or chargecard?”. The look on the J owner’s face, it worth seeing, similar in manner to a sort of look that Jim Henson or Steve Whitmire might give a puppet. Al and the lady owner are clearly in the capable hands of consummate professionals; who are not only good at puppetry, but good at acting with their puppets. But there is something about that lady J owner. Some puppeteers do have distinctive styles. And that one is just typical of Louise Gold’s Left-handed puppetry.

The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe [1992]

Puppeteers: Louise Gold is the singer on the second of the three verses, not quite sure who the male singer on the first verse and the female singer on the third verse are.

See Elmo’s Lowdown Hoedown

Biff Gets His Thumb Caught In A Bowling Ball [circa 1993]

Puppeteers: Jerry Nelson as Biff. Muppetfan TW says that Louise Gold may have performed Biff’s wife Celeste

Haven’t seen the sketch so can’t comment on it.

The Cooperation Song (A Song For Two Will Make Us One) [Mid 1990s]

Puppeteers: Louise Gold and Jerry Nelson (unconfirmed. I think it was them, Muppet Fan TW is also reckons it is them, and points out that the girl is puppeteered left-handed)

A girl puppet (with a remarkable similarity to Louise Gold – that hair) calls for “help”. Herry Monster comes to her aid, she knows a great song for two people, but she’s only one person, so they co-operate to sing the song. It is a wonderful little number (which actually reminds me a little of little 1938 Parsons & Fase love song Affiliate With Me). But of course what really makes this number is that it is expertly performed, by two of Sesame Street’s best singing-puppeteers. Both sing beautifully. But the crowning moment at the end, is when Herry exits with his dolly, leaving the girl to just look at the camera in surprise. The girl’s face is so wonderfully expressive. Peter Fluck once commented on how good Louise Gold is at doing facial expressions with a puppet. If this clip is anything to go by he’s got a point there.

Diva LaDiva The Loudest Singer In The World

Puppeteered by Louise Gold, (In an interview LG conflated this character with Renata Socttie Dog, saying that her favourite Sesame Street character was “Renata Scottie Dog The Loudest Singer In The World, Muppet Fan TW has identified the two characters as being separate)

According to Muppet Fan TW this character’s main trait was that she sang louder than anyone else, and had a tendency to demonstrate this, often. (Perhaps a bit like her Muppeteer).

I’ve never seen a sketch involving this character, and so don’t know what it actually sang or did. Does anyone know?

Fairy Tales Today Presents: The Princess And The Pea [Mid 1990s]

Puppeteers: Fran Brill as Prairie Dawn, Louise Gold as The Princess (confirmed because it’s in LG’s resume)

--- Description to follow ---

Fairy Update Repunzel [1993]

Puppeteers: ?Frank Oz as The Prince, ? As Repuzel, Louise Gold as Bob Lackey (according to Muppet Wiki)

According to Muppet Wiki this appears to be the only occasion when Louise Gold was actually given the opportunity to perform a male character. The plot involed the prince and his lackey going to rescue Repunzel, but the Prince had difficulty remember what Repunzel was supposed to let down. Eventually once they resuced her Repuzel went off with Bob Lackey.

A very funny sketch, with a certain amount of gender-reversal puppeteering going on. I wonder why. Repunzal sounds like it is definitely one of the male puppeteers, possibly Frank Oz , while Bob Lackey the Prince’s lackey is clearly a cute female puppeteer (voice-wise it could have been Stephanie D Arbruzzo, Fran Brill, Louise Gold, or Karen Prell), the puppetry rather clearly identifies it as Louise Gold. So distinctively her’s (clearly performed left-handed, and also the look on the character’s facial expressions) and the voice does sound rather like Raisin from Secret Life Of Toys! The pathetic Prince Charming arrives to rescue Repunzel, he invariably dismisses his Lackey’s attempts to suggest a word that rhymes with “air”, saying snootily that as he is a prince he will do the rhyming around here. But that Lackey does have the most extraordinary presence. You can’t help noticing it. The Prince gets Rupenzel to throw down a chair, which hits the prince, Repunzel calls out about still being stuck up in the tower. Then the Prince gets Repunzel to through down a stuffed bear, which also hits the prince. The prince finally gets the right word, hair, Repunzel lets the hair down, the Prince tries to climb, but this hurts repunzel. The vivacious lackey finally succeeds in getting the Prince to listen, “I know what the word is”, the exasperated Prince finally concedes “ok if you’re so clever”. Bob Lackey calls out for Repunzel to “come down the stair”. “Oh alright” says Repunzel, and promptly does so, the plaits of hair sliding back through the window as they follow Repunzel. Outside the tower the Prince opens his arms to Repunzel, who promptly goes past him into the arms of Bob Lackey who says “Repunzel you’ve got such nice hair” “Do you really think so” asks Repunzel as they go off together. leaving the petulant prince saying pathetically “I want my horsey”.

All in all a clever twist on a traditional tale, and very well puppeteered. The expressions and personality Louise Gold puts into Bob Lackey just go to show that a female puppeteer is more than capable of doing a splendid male character given half a chance. She makes the most of this rare opportunity.

Frazzle Visits The Dentist [1996]

Puppeteers: Jerry Nelson as Frazzle, Louise Gold as Frazzle’s Mother, and, David Rudman as The Dentist (unconfirmed, but Frazzle’s Mother had a cockney accent and who would do that on Sesame Street at that time)

Despite this being an American show Frazzle’s Mother has an excellent cockney accent. She really carries the scene, as a puppeteer Louise Gold can dominate a scene just like she can as an actress, it is in fact a wonderful example of how her distinctive stage presence extends to her puppetry. Interestingly the puppet’s hairstyle reminds me of another British actress, from a generation earlier, with a similarly distinctive presence (am I reading too much into that). All in all a fun little sketch that should make children less afraid of the dentist, one hopes.

I Am Chicken [Early 1990s]

Puppeteers: Louise Gold as A Chicken, with a backing chorus (LG is credited on the album Born To Add, it also sounds right, and as for puppetry the puppet appears to lean a little as though done left-handed)

A delicious number. A brown chicken with fluffy chic shiny feathers, and a red coxcomb sings the number. She has a backing chorus of three similar chickens to stage right (ie. to the left of the picture). As she sings she dances around flapping her chic wings and clucking. The lead singer has a powerful distinctive voice, though an American accent, it’s quite clearly that vocal-powerhouse Louise Gold; with a song that both musically and lyrically suits her exceptional talents very well. As for the puppetry, I don’t know if I’m reading too much into this, but did I detect the puppet leaning slightly to the right of the screen, whereas the backing chorus lean slightly the other way). If so, then it’s a further indication that the lead chicken is being puppeteered left-handed; but of course we already know that she is. All in all a good fun Sesame Street classic performed by an exceptionally talented singer-puppeteer.

I Can Sing Anything When I Sing With You [Early 1990s]

Puppeteers: Jerry Nelson as Herry Monster, and, Louise Gold as Louisey (obvious on account of names and sound, also confirmed by puppeteer RL that in fact the number was written for Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold)

Herry Monster and Louisey duet about how they can sing anything. And that’s so true of their two muppeteers. Herry Monster needs no introduction. Louisey is an orange haired female anything muppet. Her orange hair is straight, but quite wild in a mop-like way. Not so dissimilar to Louise Gold’s own chestnut mop (even though Louise’s titan hair is curly).

This is surely one of the greatest performances ever of that great Muppet singing double act Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold. This number suits their individual and combined talents so perfectly it could have been written for them. Although both use a wide range of voices in the number; in the end they really come across mostly as themselves. Louise at least, even sings parts of it in something approaching her natural voice (in between being operatic, and doing her famous monster imitations that is). A really glorious number. And a true monument to two terrific talents. These two singing-puppeteers truly can sing practically anything when they sing together.

I Could Have Counted All Night (A parody of I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady)

Puppeteers: Jerry Nelson as The Count, Louise Gold or Julianne Buescher as The Countess, and, Fran Brill as The Countess’s Mother. The album The Count’s Countdown credits Louise Gold as The Countess. However, Louise Gold cannot have puppeteered it. Muppet Fan TW reckons this is incorrect and that Julianne Buescher performed it on the programme, but who sang it on the album? None of the puppeteers, not even LG herself seem to be able to remember for sure; However, Puppeteer FB (who also consulted Puppeteer JN) says that the consensus among Sesame Street Puppeteers is that Louise Gold sang it on the album

When I first heard this I was surprised to read in the sleeve notes that it was Louise Gold’s, because it didn’t sound much like any of her usual pieces. But it doesn’t sound totally not like a voice she would do either. If you’ve heard her be really guttural. So is it her? Muppet fan TW thought that Fran Brill sang both female parts on the recording of that number. However the consensus among Sesame Street puppeteers (including Puppeteer FB) is that Louise Gold did sing it (at least on the album). Vocally it does sound possible that she could have sung it. Puppetry-wise Muppet Fan TW has observed that The Countess is being puppeteered Right-Handed; as Louise Gold always puppeteers left-handed she can’t possibly be puppeteering it. Muppet Fan TW has observed that vocally and puppetry on the actual episode it appears to be like Julianne Buescher’s performances.

I Get A Kick Out Of U (A parody of I Get A Kick Out Of You from Anything Goes) [Early 1990s]

Puppeteers Louise Gold as Ethel Mermaid, not sure who did the shark (LG confirmed it because it’s in her resume, but in any case that just sounds absolutely her, it’s totally obvious!)

I don’t usually like watching or listening to parodies of Ethel Merman, because so few of them are actually good enough. In 1955 in her autobiography Don’t Call Me Madam, Broadway star Ethel Merman claimed to be not only difficult to imitate but impossible to imitate well. She wrote “Have you ever seen a good Merman burlesque?” She obviously expected the answer “no” for her next line was “That’s what I thought”. Well at that time there probably wasn’t anyone who could have done it. However in the early 1990s with this parody Sesame Street have actually achieved the seemly impossible feet. Besides the singing-puppeteer’s natural talent for being a bit like Merman, perhaps one of the reasons this parody works so well, is the fact that there is a much more subtle second parody in there. Yes the singing is unmistakeably a parody of Ethel Merman, and yes the way the puppet kicks her tail is just like Ethel Merman kicking her train in the film Call Me Madam. But watch the way she tosses her head – that’s an imitation of a contemporary British singer-actress sometimes described as sounding like “An English Ethel Merman”, namely Louise Gold. Yes the puppeteer has cleverly parodied herself portraying an Ethel Merman role (such as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes). This sketch is not just a successful parody of Ethel Merman. It is a true triumph for the ever versatile Louise Gold. She has managed with her puppetry to give the audience a sense of some of her own best work as a singer-actress. She is a beautiful magnificent singer of Cole Porter songs anyway, especially the ones he wrote for Merman. Surely this is one of the best performances Louise has ever given as a singing-puppeteer.

I Love You More Or Less

Puppeteers: Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, Marty Robinson, and, David Rudman (unconfirmed- but it does sound very typical of both Jerry and Louise doing one of their great duets. The female characters facial expressions also look very like the sort of thing Louise Gold would do with a puppet).

It stars with a female puppet looking in the mirror. The puppeteer then has to walk her puppet across the set to answer the door (to a boyfriend and a couple of delivery men with a lot of gifts). Complicated perhaps, but in the hands of such expert puppeteers as these very realistic. A hilarious number, of a competitive duet in which the male tries to shower gifts on the female, who while loving him rejects the over the top gifts. It is expertly sung, by two brilliant singing-puppeteers who both know exactly what they are doing with it. Proof if any were needed that there are some puppeteers who are very good at both puppetry and voices.

I’m A Bookworm Baby

Performer: Ivy Austin sang it, while Louise Gold assisted by Rick Lyon puppeteered it.

Puppeteer RL has always remembered doing a bookworm number with Louise Gold. The vocals on this one most definitely do not sound like hers, and the album Sesame Road identifies them as Ivy Austen’s. Therefore, either she is puppeteering and the vocals were dubbed later on. Or her bookworm number is another number. Muppet-fan TW has watched the sketch and he reckons that Louise puppeteered this one.

In South America Where People Speak Spanish

Puppeters – Louise Gold is clearly performing the singer [Unconfirmed, but it seems really likely]

This puppet looks very similar to Miss Ethel Mermaid (apart from not being a Mermaid), and Louise handles her with similar movements, making it rather distinctively her. The song is a relatively simple one, teaching various Spanish words for greetings. Louise sings beautifully of course, with complete sincerity, making pleasant use of her lovely voice, but with little call on her more diverse qualities as a vocalist. It is just a nice number, sung and puppeteered with grace a simplicity by a true mistress of her craft.

Indian Love Call (When I’m Calling You)

Puppeters – Louise Gold is clearly singing [Unconfirmed, but it seems really likely], not sure who her assistant puppeteer is, nor who puppeteered the word You (could that have been Jerry Nelson? he seems the most likely choice)

The sketch starts rather slow, to the extent that some of the Muppet fans do find it a bit dull. However Louise’s glorious voice wraps beautifully around the song. Her partner in the duet, could it possibly be Jerry? gets a few amusing lines, most notably “Your eyes are brown, brown like glue” Is that in the original lyric? or has someone cleverly altered the lyric to include a reference to Louise’s own beautiful brown eyes. Things get rather more interesting when the puppet clambers off the rock on which she is sitting, and makes her way over to the rock where the word YOU in green letters is perched. Her puppeteer makes it look and sound convincing, though one is very aware it is a puppet, and there were moments when the puppeteer might have almost caused a shadow or run the risk of getting their head in shot, fortunately we are in the hands of true experienced experts, so that didn’t happen. It’s worth persevering with watching this sketch. Maybe not one of Sesame Street’s best, however, the puppetry is good (as one would expect on Sesame Street), and Louise’s singing is as lovely as ever.

The Job Song

Some Muppet-fan seems to have mistakenly attributed one of the characters to Louise Gold. Muppet Fan TEB, Muppet Fan TW, and your webmaster all reckon this is the Sesame Street skit that a certain Sesame Street puppeteer (puppeteer LG) once spotted as having been mistakenly attributed to Louise Gold, when stylistically the puppetry clearly is not hers (not least because of the handedness matter). In fact Muppet Fan TW thinks the character in question might be one of Kathryn Mullen’s.

The Kingdom Of O

Puppeteers: Kevin Clash (as Elmo –The Weary Traveller), Marty Robinson (as King Oliver / King Ed), and, Louiise Gold as (Queen Olivia / Queen Edna) – all according to Muppet Wiki

Have not seen the sketch so cannot comment

Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Anyone’s Nose

Puppeteers: Louise Gold (as lead singer), with backing singers: Jerry Nelson (as Herry Monster), Kevin Clash (as Elmo), and, Marty Robinson (as Telly)..

Louise Gold performs this parody of the song Anything Goes, in her own typical Mermanesque style. It is just totally brilliant. Almost as splendid as her I Get A Kick Out Of U. I don’t usually like people doing “funny” versions of classic Cole Porter songs, or for that matter songs written for Ethel Merman. Not least because the vocals usually aren’t a patch on the original. But on this performance they most certainly are. The character is not ostensibly a parody of Merman, it is simply that The-English-Ethel-Merman has sung it that way. Well actually it sounds exactly like British singer-actress Louise Gold singing the role of Reno Sweeney. Listen to her proper recording of the song on the JAY/TER Studio cast album, and you will hear the similarity. It’s becoming a firm favourite of mine.

Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Cyranose De Bergerac

Puppeteers: Frank Oz (as Alistair Cookie), Jerry Nelson (as Cyranose DeBergerac), and, Louise Gold (as The Queen) (unconfirmed – but Cyranose sounds like Jerry Nelson, and The Queen both sounds like it could be Louise Gold and looks like it could well be her left-handed puppetry).

A very silly skit set in a royal court in which their Queen has written a poem (it makes one think of Miranda Richardson’s Queenie), but hasn’t got an ending. Although most of the accents are more or less French, they are basically just European royalty accents. Louise’s Queen sounds like it could be German as much as French, but this does not matter. Her character holds a quill in the right hand, thus suggesting left-handed puppetry. The premise of the sketch is that Cyranose doesn’t like anyone saying the word nose, and attacks them if they do, it ends up with him suggesting that word for the poem, and then hilariously attacking his Queen for saying that word.

Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Inside And Outside (a parody of Tonight from West Side Story)

Puppeteers: Louise Gold and Jerry Nelson as the principals. with two others as a pair of cats in the chorus. (Unconfirmed –though both your webmaster and Muppet Fan TW are pretty sure it’s the dynamic musical duo as the leads)

Sondheim And Bernstein like you’ve never heard it before. Well actually Stephen Sondheim’s contribution had been cleverly rewritten by the Sesame Street writers. It’s a brilliant West Side Story Pastiche, about two “monsters” (actually Anything Muppets) the bride is inside and the groom outside. This number has some gorgeous lyrics such as “He’s out, she’s in. Their love cannot begin. Our lovers have not actually met.” There is something about the girl Anything Muppet, the way she glances, something in her face, that is just characteristic of Louise Gold’s puppetry (and anyway it is puppeteered lefthanded). It’s a classic Jerry And Louise duet, there isn’t a pair of Muppet singers who could do duets quite like these two can. Well worth watching.

Near And Far [Mid 1990s]

Puppeteers: Louise Gold and Marty Robinson (unconfirmed, but very likely)

Louise Gold may well have performed a character in a ballroom who sang about her husband dancing near and far from her. Muppet Fan TW has seen it and points out that the female in it is puppeteered left-handed, your webmaster agrees this could possibly the case, and vocally it sounds like it might have been Louise. Muppet Fan TW reckons that the weary husband was puppeteered by Marty Robinson.

The number is a fun little one, the tune sounds very like Cole Porter, quite possibly a pastiche on Night And Day.

Nestrapolitan Opera Presents: Charmin’ (a parody of The Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen) [1994]

Puppeteers: Charmin’ – Louise Gold, Phil Harmonic – Jerry Nelson, Backing Singers – Alice Dinnean, and, Heather Asch

(Puppeteers identified by? – well Puppeteer LG confirmed her own identity, Puppeteer SD confirmed the backing singers. Not sure who identified Jerry Nelson)

A parody of the Bizet opera Carmen. Sesame Street’s writers. The plotline involves Philharmonic introducing the opera Charmin’ live from the Nest. In it the heroine, Charmin’ has to say goodbye to Jose, someone she cares for very much. To the rather wonderful tune of Bizet’s The Habanera, she sings, explaining to him about “This machine which is called a fax”. He goes away, and she is delighted to receive a fax from him. So delighted that she caresses the fax machine (needless to say with this live-hands puppet’s right hand). The fax “says that he is coming back today”, but when he returns Charmin’ sends him away so she “can get a fax again”. The curtain comes down, there is an end speech by Phil; this is interrupted by Charmin’ coming out front. Phil tells her “You were Charming, Charmin’”. She hands him a piece of paper (out of her fax machine) saying “You mother sent you this. She wants to buy her milk on the way home.” To which Phil says “How many times do I have to tell her not to fax me at work”. Louise’s vocals on this number are very impressive. It’s a wonderful parody. Sesame Street’s writers really will go anywhere, including where other people, like Demitri Shostakovich would be afraid to tread. It’s altogether a charming and very funny parody from Sesame Street.

Prunella The Grouch Visits

Puppeteers: Caroll Spinney as Oscar, Louise Gold as Prunella (unconfirmed, but that is what it says on Muppet Wikki, and who would do a British female-sounding character on Sesame Street at that time, episode 3119)

Can’t comment not having seen the sketch. Apparently Prunella was driving through Sesame Street on a tour of the United States.

Renata Scottie Dog The Most Famous Dog Opera Singer In The World Episode 3723

Puppeteered by Louise Gold, (In an interview LG conflated this character with Diva LaDiva, saying that her favourite Sesame Street character was “Renata Scottie Dog The Loudest Singer In The World, Muppet Fan TW has identified the two characters as being separate)

Louise Gold is an extremely versatile performer, this episode is a fine example of that. For a start apart from Big Bird, all the scenes find her puppet interacting with the human actors rather than other puppets. Yet one feels the dog puppet is a real character, and a bossy divaish one at that. Renata Scottie is a famous Dog opera singer, Scottish of course (so a nice opportunity for Louise to indulge in her gift for accents – and she does do a rather good job with this one, I think). Renata is looking for a piano player (that certainly made me want to laugh – as it made me think of a certain West End Musical Director, a Scottish lady). Big Bird suggests Bob Johnson (played by Bob McGrath) might do. So Bob auditions. The sketch is full of lots of references to operas, all with a canine theme, and Renata sings excerpts from them. Like Richard Hunt (who did Placido Flamingo) in years gone by, Louise Gold is a very versatile singer, with some experience of G&S operetta at least, so for the purposes of Sesame Street she manages to make a good go of singing these pieces, and in a surprisingly high voice. The whole piece is just hilarious, besides playing the piano Bob also has to scratch and throw sticks. He does both of these well, but is sad at the thought of going away from his friends. This diverse sketch is full of surprises, including a mention of that legendary Muppet Rowlf (who doesn’t appear but is only mentioned). above all it is a starring role for that great British puppeteer Louise Gold, and must be one of the most cuddly-glamorous characters she has puppeteered, so no wonder according to one interview she may have rather liked the character.

Roxanne – Cyranose DeBergerac’s Beau

Louise Gold’s resume has sometimes referred to her as performing a character named Roxanne on Sesame Street, but until Muppet Fan TW mentioned her, your webmaster had never come across any reference to the character. Apparently the character was known for having large ears.

Haven’t seen a sketch involving her, so I don’t know what she actually did.

Sally Messy Yuckyael Episode 3120

Live Actors: as LG was doing a cameo a live actor this doesn’t need confirming..

Puppeteers: Caroll Spinney as Oscar, Louise Gold as Sally Messy Yuckyael

An extraordinary episode, involving Oscar The Grouch appearing on a chat show and telling a story in flash-back of what happened to him with a cute kitten. The episode is a splendid example of just what a fine and versatile performer Louise Gold is. First she puppeteers the character of a ghastly, yucky, agony-aunt-type chat show host Sally Messy Yuckyael (a grouch parody of Sally Jessy Raphael), it’s a character the like of which I have never before seen her do as a puppeteer. Although it could possibly be a sort of forerunner to some of the monstrous women she has since portrayed on the West End stage. The character nevertheless displays Louise’s own abilities to splendid effect, delivering her lines in varying styles, and generally holding the episode together – even down to introducing the theme song. And then towards the end there is the wonderful addition of having the same performer who is starring as our Grouchy chat-show host, also do a cameo in the flash-back as the owner of, Bootsy, the missing kitten. Maria is talking to Oscar when “the lady” enters. Unlike her other Henson cameo (in Labyrinth) this time she is easy to recognise with her lovely chestnut hair, and wearing a red top that suits her awfully well. This being an American show Louise does of course play a character in an American accent (but that’s something we all know she is very good at). Being an actress she appears very natural in front of the camera. She also interacts very naturally and convincingly with the kitten, cuddling it with her clever left hand. And then of course being so used to working with puppets herself, she also treats the whole set up as though it is so natural. It’s lovely to see her make a cameo acting appearance with The Muppets, when she herself is one of the puppeteers.

Sally Messt Yuckyael: Grouches Who Love Too Much

The follow on from Episode 3120 (but the number is unknown) also found Louise puppeteering Sally Messy Yuckyael, this time Oscar and Grungetta were both guests, with Oscar explaining how he fell in love with Grungetta, then in the middle of the show (to Sally’s horror) Grungetta falls in love with Oscar. This episode concludes, with Louise’s puppet delivering the classic Sesame Street closing lines “The episode was brought to you by ...”

All in all two amazing episodes that really made excellent use of and in a way starred the British Muppeteer.

Some Enchanted Lunchtime (a parody of Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific) [1994]

Puppeteers: Louise Gold and Kevin Clash (unconfirmed. However, your webmaster says that the female character’s voice and puppetry is totally characteristic of Louise Gold – left-handed for a start. Muppet Fan TW points out the female sounds just like Annie Sue Pig. Other Muppetfans have identified the male character as performed by Kevin Clash)

An enchanting little number. Set in a school or college canteen. A lonely new girl is befriended by a kind boy. Both lead characters handle the number with simplicity, warmth and sincerity. The girl sounds a bit like Annie Sue Pig and a bit like Raisin. This number is just a lovely example of the beauty of Sesame Street song parodies. It’s a parody that could stand alone as a song in its own right. Though the fact that it is a parody makes it more interesting to the grown ups (and to musical theatre fans).

Something Always Comes Between Us [Mid 1990s]

Puppeteers: some Muppet fans, including Muppet Fan TW, and Muppet Wiki, seem to think Louise Gold and Jerry Nelson did it. Your webmaster initially thought to too, but isn’t certain; Muppet Fan SH is sure it is not Gold & Nelson, while Puppeteer RL reckoned it was probably Stephanie D’Abruzzo and Marty Robinson, but he isn’t sure either. However Puppeteer SD has confirmed that that woman definitely was not Stephanie D’Abruzzo, but she has no idea who the woman is either)

Two characters (male and female) try to hold hands, but whenever they do something always comes between them, such as: A High School Marching Band, A Creature From The Planet Venus (which lands right there on the beach), and Two Shepherds playing concertinas, who bring their sheep.

SuperGrover: Cross The Street

Puppeteers: Frank Oz (as Supergrover), Louise Gold (as the girl he helps – it’s obvious from the voice and particularly the puppetry), ? Aunt Edna.

In this sketch a little girl’s favourite hat blows to the other side of the street, which she is not allowed to cross. Although I’m sure some adults enjoy Supergrover, I’m not to keen on the humour of the character myself. However, I did find the premise of the sketch in which his efforts to help are in vain (he tries to get the hat to come to her), then the girl remembers her mother told her if she wanted to cross the street to get a grown up friend, and Aunt Edna lives nearby, and so gets the hat. The expressions Louise puts into the puppet when SuperGrover first turns up, especially while delivering such lines as “Oh it’s only SuperGrover”, really bring the character of the Little Girl to life. That’s one of the wonderful things about Louise Gold, she is a professional actress, who has the ability to translate her acting into her puppets, with the result that they truly become living characters in her clever hands. Of course any good puppeteer can do that, but most of them are doing it with regular characters they do all the time. Louise is doing it here with one-shot parts.

SuperNanny Visits Sesame Street, Episode 3122

Puppeteers – Louise Gold (as Penny Pipkins/SuperNanny), Carroll Spinney (as Oscar The Grouch)

Haven’t seen the episode, so can’t really comment, but the character was English and a parody of Mary Poppins. The time at which it was recorded fits in very well with the times at which Louise Gold was puppeteering on Sesame Street, so it seems likely its the sort of role she would have performed.

There’s Nothing We Women Can’t Be

Puppeteers: ? - Tiny Dancer’s website seems to think Louise Gold was one of the women, but as the song was done back in 1974, some 20 years before LG’s stint on Sesame Street, and indeed three years before this lady joined The Muppets, it obviously isn’t one of hers. It is mentioned here only to correct that misconception.

Wet Paint Sign

Puppeteers: ? Is this a Jerry Nelson & Louise Gold Duet? It’s possible. Some Muppet fans (and Muppet Wiki) reckon Louise Gold was the girl. Singing-wise your webmaster reckons it could be Louise Gold, although it might easily be Fran Brill. It has been confirmed by Puppeteer SD that it was definitely not Stephanie D’Arbruzzo, Puppeteer SD reckons it could be Camille Bonora. However, the puppetry of the girl does suggest it might have been done left-handed, which indicates Louise Gold.

A boy and a girl are on a blind date, and have arranged to meet on a certain bench, unfortunately the bench has a Wet Paint sign on it, therefore they can’t sit on the bench, and as a result won’t know their date. The Boy Whatnot is on first and sings about this, then the Girl Whatnot turns up and sings about it. Then they sing in twin soliloquy form. Eventually they decide each other looks interesting, and since they can’t find their respective blind dates, they decide to go together, the boy explains he was supposed to be on a blind date etc and then the girl ends the sketch by exclaiming “That’s what happened to me”. The song is very much one of the Sesame Street Country And Western style numbers, and this is borne out by the accents of the characters, the Girl in particular had a distinct Country and Western accent, but that makes her difficult to identify, not least because there are several female Muppeteeers who can do this sort of accent well, Louise Gold is one of them, but Fran Brill is another, as is Camille Bonara, and there may possibly others, thus making it difficult to identify. But she does come across quite vivaciously (which Louise certainly does rather well), and the puppetry looks like it could be Louise’s lefthanded style. The guy sings excellently too, could it be Jerry Nelson, vocally it’s the kind of thing he might well do. It’s very good fun, and not a scenario one would have thought of Sesame Street doing.

Wouldn’t It Be Yucky (a parody of Wouldn’t It Be Luverly from My Fair Lady)

Puppeteers: Caroll Spinney as Oscar the Grouch, and Louise Gold as Prunella The Grouch (Unconfirmed. This one is according to Muppet Wiki. I’ve never seen the number. But I suppose a British sounding female character at the time of Episode 3119 in which this number appeared is likely to have been LG).

Haven’t seen it, so can’t comment.

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