The Grand Arts Theatre is a theatre building located on Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The theatre acts as a base for the puppet characters known as The Muppets and headquarters of their, "Muppet Vision 3D" project. Muppet*Vision 3D appears to be a zany form of 3D film which allows for those in the film to see the audience (even when turning around corners), which can allow elements to move through the screen, and which happens in real-time.
The Grand Arts Theatre also has an active presence from Muppet Labs, a scientific organization run by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant, Beaker. Security of the theatre was provided by the Pork Security Co. and its muppet member, Link Hogthrob. The theatre has no telephone. Various buildings around the theater in Grand Avenue also had the Muppets' presence such as the Stage 1 Company Store and PizzeRizzo.
Features[]
Exterior[]
Clock-tower: A clock-tower which sometimes had a Kermit the Frog hot air balloon docked on it. A depiction of Gonzo appears to be dangling from one of the clock arms.[1]
Muppets Fountain: Outside of the entrance to the theatre is a fountain with various sculptures of the Muppets, the central one being Miss Piggy in a "Miss Liberty" costume and Statue of Liberty pose as water sprays from her crown while she is surrounded by fish spouting water from their mouths. Also in the fountain is Animal turning a crank on the pipes powering Miss Piggy's pedestal, Fozzie Bear holding an umbrella while recording Miss Piggy on a film camera, Gonzo directing her with a speaking horn, and a row-boat where Rizzo the Rat and a rat companion of his are stealing coins tossed in the fountain.
Water-tower: A water tower atop the building with a Muppet-like face painted on it.
Interior[]
Academy of Amphibian Science:
Attitudinal Adjustment & Groove Testing: Located in Suite 7129 and run by chairman Dr. Teeth and ottoman Floyd Pepper.
Cute Cuddly & A.W. Shucks Attorneys: Located in "2 Suite 4 U", this attorney office was seemingly managed by Bean Bunny.
Department of Comedic Timing & Delivery: Located in Suite 8932. It is unclear who ran this department, but they wanted someone to please take Fozzie Bear out of it.
Department of Poultry & Mold Cultivation: A department run by Gonzo in Suite 1631.
Division of Decimal Development: Located in Suite 6420 and run by, "Percussionist at Large", Animal.
Dressing Rooms:
Muppet Kitchens & Pyrotechnics Research: Located in Suite 2649, this eating space was run by "Tippy Toppy Cookie Guy", the Swedish Chef.
Muppet Labs: The main, "Top Secret" facility for Muppet Labs within the theater, used by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker after various distinguished scientists who Kermit invited refused to show up.
Prop Warehouse: A warehouse of props used as a part of the waiting area for guests of the theater. This area is outfitted with various television screens to keep these patrons entertained.
Sartorial Accumulation Division: Located in "Very Suite 4444" and run by Miss Piggy.
Security office: The security office/front-desk.
Sound Stage(s): The theatre appeared to have sound stages for certain segments such as Miss Piggy's musical number, or Sam Eagle's finale.
The theater
Theater: The main theatre of the building with two boxes on the upper levels and the projection booth in the back. Over the arch of the theater is a sculpted crest with the words "MUPPET VISION 3D" and a sculpture of Kermit, two sculptures of Miss Piggy, the head of Gonzo, and Camilla the chicken holding large 3D glasses. The columns around the room have sculptures of Miss Piggy holding up the ceiling while below the stage is an area for Nicky Napoleon and his Emperor Penguins to perform. Other sculptures in this theatre depicted Bean Bunny as a cherub. This theater was outfitted with a screen which could run the Muppets' Muppet*Vision 3D form of 3D film.
Institute of Heckling & Browbeating: Box A above the theater, which patrons/"Curmudgeons in Chief" Statler & Waldorf used to watch and heckle the show. According to the two of them (in a fourth-wall break), they are bolted to the seats (as their characters are audio-animatronics).
Projection booth: Behind the theater is the, "MUPPET VISION 3D YELL & HOWL PROJECTOR" powered by the Lil Sparky battery, while operated by the Swedish Chef.
History[]
Background[]
Origins[]
The Grand Arts Theatre was a theatre used by the Muppets. Kermit invited many distinguished scientists from around the world to study and work in the Grand Arts Theatre. After none of them showed up, he was left with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker. The two created the technology for "Muppet*Vision 3D" including the Yell & Howl Projector, and 3D glasses (which also protected eyes from debris).
Muppet*Vision 3D[]
At some point, Kermit arranged for a show in the Grand Arts Theatre which would show-off Muppet*Vision 3D technology and art. The Swedish Chef was given the job of running the projector, while Nicky Napoleon and his Emperor Penguins provided the music. Sam Eagle provided information for guests on the screens in the queue, and had to deal with other Muppets like Fozzie making bad jokes or Rizzo the Rat impersonating Mickey Mouse.
Kermit's schedule for the show included showing off Muppet Labs' technology, having a musical number performed by Miss Piggy, and a musical finale organized by Sam Eagle called A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America. Kermit did not want to stoop to any cheap 3D tricks, only causing Fozzie to try every cheap 3D trick in his book much to the dismay of audience members Statler and Waldorf. When Kermit brought the audience to Muppet Labs, they demonstrated their technology to create a 3D being, that being Waldo C. Graphic, "The Spirit of 3D". Waldo went rampant causing the pair to try vacuuming him up as Waldo duplicated and one escaped while the scientists accidentally vacuumed up the film which they were inside of.
During Miss Piggy's musical number, the rabbit muppet Bean Bunny kept getting in her way causing her to order the penguins to stop the music and refuse to work with the rabbit before he messed up and activated a water-skiing finale which dragged Miss Piggy off. After this, Sam Eagle told Bean that he was ruining the film and ordered that the rabbit get out and go away. When Bean Bunny entered the black void created by the vacuum, he met Waldo and the two decided to run away together. Gonzo witnessed Bean leaving and alerted the other Muppets so that they could locate him, with Sweetums going into the audience to help look with audience engagement.
The Muppets and the audience located Bean Bunny in the theater box opposite to Statler & Waldorf and convinced him to join the show again and help with Sam Eagle's finale. Sam Eagle was then alerted by Kermit to change his three-hour finale into a minute-and-a-half version of the performance and start the show. The doll performers had various accidents amidst this finale and Waldo turned himself into a firework rocket which tore up Miss Piggy's clothing and caused a fire near the Penguin orchestra as Sweetums yelled at the Chef to stop the movie, threw water on the penguins and Miss Piggy threatened to sue.
The penguins then rose a cannon out from their orchestra pit and shot at the projector booth, stopping the movie. After this, the Swedish Chef emerged from his projector's booth with a musket and began firing at Waldo who was flying in-front of the blank white screen. Then Waldo mocked the Chef for missing, the Chef pulled out his own cannon and blasted at Waldo, destroying the screen and the brick wall behind it in the process. Bean Bunny retreated to the other theater box during this fight, and Kermit ended the show by arriving in the theater on a Muppet Labs Dire Dept. truck.
Development history[]
This building was created, without being identified as Grand Arts Theater, for Muppet*Vision 3D in 1991. The building's interior was clearly based on the studio/theater setting of the Muppet Show TV series.
In 2017, the Streets of America/Muppets Courtyard became Grand Avenue and the Muppet*Vision 3D exterior was altered to identify the building as the Grand Arts Theater.
Appearances[]
Muppet*Vision 3D[]
The Grand Arts Theatre is setting for this show.
Trivia[]
In the queue, there is a sign which says, "Back in 5 minutes. The key is under the mat". If you look under the mat, there is actually a key.
Hanging from the ceiling is a net full of jello. This is a reference to actress, singer and Mickey Mouse Club member, Annette Funicello (1942-2013).
There is a "Hidden Mickey" rubber-duck in the Muppet fountain sculpture.[3]
The image/sculpture of Miss Piggy raising from the water may be inspired by Piggy's fantasy in The Great Muppet Caper (1981).
A crate of cartoon fruits labelled 2D Fruities is a reference to Little Richard’s 1957 song Tutti Frutti.[4]
A package in the warehouse identifies the location as the, "Muppets Theater".[5]
There is a fourth-wall break towards the end of the show when the wall is blown up and the bystanders are all dressed in Disney Parks apparel.
Many packages within the pre-show area are addressed to "The Muppet Studio" in Orlando, Florida. However, this can be discounted as contradicting the Los Angeles setting since the Muppets are known for regularly breaking the fourth wall.
