I spent intermission pondering if this was really happening or if I was somehow dreaming. The Muppets were on the same page when the show resumed with a full choir to perform Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," which brought the Muppets back into pop culture as a viral video shortly after Disney purchased the franchise. The live version was different from the YouTube version in many ways, incorporating Bobby Moynihan and ending with Miss Piggy as a heavenly angel.
Next, Kermit introduced a parade of some obscure characters, which was introduced by Piggy again demanding to know when she would go on. Kermit reminded her that she literally was just on stage as an angel, but she wanted her full solo and in frustration, aimed to karate chop Kermit. Bobby Moynihan, however, popped up at the wrong time and took the full brunt of Piggy's blow. Another weird moment was a performance of the "Boo Danube," performed by ghosts and talking skulls.
The next live segment from The Muppet Show was a live demonstration from Muppet Labs. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew was joined by his friendly assistant, Beaker, as they demonstrated how people can be uploaded to the cloud. Beaker was the unfortunate test subject, who discovered a host of trolls and monsters in the cloud. When Honeydew downloaded him back to Muppet Labs, some of Beakers new scary friends tagged along like a virus.
Fozzy Bear was all set to break the world record for most jokes told in two-minutes, but he unfortunately got lost on the way in a backstage video that found him backstage at Jimmy Kimmel Live where he lost his joke book. By the time he made it back to the bowl, the time was up. However, he did get one joke in with some assistance from Bobby Moynihan. Bobby also helped the Swedish Chef make some really spicy salsa.
Now using his mind, the Great Gonzo performed a levitating act and he used Kermit as his partner. He promised the audiences that the two of them would trade places behind a magic veil. However, rather than merely switching sides of the stage, when the veil was quickly removed, Kermit's head was on Gonzo's body and Gonzo's head was on Kermit's. Gonzo's outfit bore a striking resemblance to Marvel's Dr. Strange.
Next was an act that needed no introduction: "Manamana" (Doo doo doo doo doo). Bip Bippadotta was joined by two pink Anything Muppets (that's really what they're called) to start the number. When he disappeared mid-song, the screens showed him leaving the Bowl, taking a Starlines Tour around L.A., and visiting some local sites before returning to end the song.
Finally, it was time for Miss Piggy's show stopping number. She took the stage wearing a sparkly golden dress singing "Hello" by Adele. She was then joined by a dance troupe as the song picked up the tempo. Her golden dress tore away to reveal a red dress. Having previously bragged about not attending rehearsals, she was visibly shook by how many times the dancers were meant to toss her around as part of this swing version of the song.
It's hard to follow an act like Miss Piggy and perhaps the only way up from there was to get Kermit back to his roots, sitting on a log with a banjo singing "Rainbow Connection." He was soon joined for the second verse by Paul Williams, one of the song's writers, and lastly by the entire cast of Muppet characters. As the song wrapped up, Kermit promised this would not be the end. Lew Zealand appeared to introduce the fireworks component of the evening. The instrumental medley featured songs from The Great Muppet Caper, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets: Most Wanted, The Muppets, and The Muppets Take Manhattan.
When the fireworks ended, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mahhem were reunited with the gospel choir and entire Muppets cast to sing "With a Little Help from My Friends" by The Beetles. At the very end, Bobby Moynihan introduced the lead Muppets performers to take a much-deserved bow. These individuals included Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, David Rudman, and Peter Linz.
Seeing The Muppets Take the Hollywood Bowl was such a special treat. Watching these artists work their magic in a live environment was a wonder to behold and I really hope Disney allows these talented performers another chance to prove their value in other markets, such as a Broadway engagement or even a national tour. If you ever have an opportunity to see the Muppets live in person, you must do it. I only have one complaint, which is that they somehow lost the time to perform "It's Not Easy Being Green."
