Random Licks: Kermit Visits the Damages Set

One nice thing about working at the Steiner Studios in Brooklyn is that various productions come in and out of the other sound stages. When we first came back to start shooting our second season, Madonna was on the premises---in a special tent that had been constructed in a parking area---rehearsing her world tour, "Sticky and Sweet". There were bright yellow arrows taped to the floor of the corridors, pointing to where her dancers needed to go for costume fittings and huge trunks in those same corridors waiting to be packed. It was very exciting. Jake, Bill and I once followed the tape to a fitting room and I announced that we were there to be measured for our costumes---I must have caught them at a bad time because no one thought it was funny. Jake and I slunk out, but Bill stayed to look for food and I had to go back, apologize for his pushiness and pull him out of the room. They must have ordered in from Zabar's or Citerella.

The Coen brother movie, Burn After Reading, came in last year for a few weeks. I actually saw Brad Pitt, with a hilarious hairdo, walking across the parking lot to his very fancy camper. I was able to catch John Malkovitch, a friend since we made Dangerous Liaisons together years ago. He was as original and funny as ever, bald and fierce in a bow tie.

All this past month we had the pleasure of having the Muppets in our neighboring sound stages. They were filming The Muppet's Christmas Show. Some of us sneaked onto their set and watched them filming. It was thrilling. Their sets are all built on stilts so that the puppeteers can stand underneath and work their magic. It was wonderful to see this group of geniuses doing their thing and to realize that Miss Piggy's voice is coming out of a guy who looks like he plays pick-up basketball in one of the courts down in the West Village. In fact most, if not all, of them, look a lot like Jim Henson---longhaired and lean with facial hair. We got to meet some of them. I felt like a kid.

A few days later, Kermit showed up on our set with his handler, Steve Whitmire. We sat together at Patty Hewe's desk and I showed Kermit the papers I'd prepared for him. He was pretty set on suing Miss Piggy and was eager to sign, not even blinking an eye when I told him what Patty's fee would be. Jake got into the act, although he hardly ever looked at Kermit because he just couldn't figure out what the crazy green thing was! It was a lot of fun to meet Steve and to see how he makes Kermit live. He is a great artist.

Making sure Kermit really wants to proceed against Miss Piggy

Showing Kermit the papers we've prepared for him. Jake is taking notes from under the console so as not to be intrusive.

The signing. Kermit certainly seems happy.

Jake joins the celebration, looking very much like a puppet.