NASA has teamed up with the Jim Henson Company to create a stage show that explores "outer" outer space, titled Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure. The show brings together the beloved Muppets from Fraggle Rock, who discover outer space for the first time, and NASA's mission to explore the cosmos.
The story follows Gobo, Red, and their friends as they meet a representative of NASA's Exploration Ground Systems division at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. There, they learn about outer outer space, which is a concept that was previously unknown to them. The Fraggles use "outer space" to describe their world, but for them, it refers to the Moon and other celestial bodies.
To facilitate this connection, John Tartaglia, the show's director, writer, and choreographer, came up with an idea. He used a postcard with a picture of a cookie to help Gobo, Red, and Uncle Traveling Matt discover the Moon and NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team. This clever plot device allowed the Fraggles to learn about outer space while staying true to their own world.
The show features full-body "walk-around" characters, which are larger than the original puppets used in Fraggle Rock. The Doozers, who are typically small animatronic creatures, were up-scaled to be puppet size. This allowed them to dance and move without being encumbered by their original tiny size.
Tartaglia credits Uncle Traveling Matt as a great character to use as a bridge for the audience to learn about NASA. The character's oblivious nature makes him a perfect fit for explaining complex space-related concepts in an engaging way.
The show highlights the shared values between Fraggle Rock and NASA, such as exploring new worlds, making discoveries, and preserving fragile ecosystems. Tartaglia believes that these similarities make sense for connecting the two worlds, saying "Our two worlds that on paper wouldn't seem connected, made a lot of sense to connect."
Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure is an innovative way to engage audiences with NASA's mission while introducing them to the Muppets and their charming world.
The story follows Gobo, Red, and their friends as they meet a representative of NASA's Exploration Ground Systems division at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. There, they learn about outer outer space, which is a concept that was previously unknown to them. The Fraggles use "outer space" to describe their world, but for them, it refers to the Moon and other celestial bodies.
To facilitate this connection, John Tartaglia, the show's director, writer, and choreographer, came up with an idea. He used a postcard with a picture of a cookie to help Gobo, Red, and Uncle Traveling Matt discover the Moon and NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team. This clever plot device allowed the Fraggles to learn about outer space while staying true to their own world.
The show features full-body "walk-around" characters, which are larger than the original puppets used in Fraggle Rock. The Doozers, who are typically small animatronic creatures, were up-scaled to be puppet size. This allowed them to dance and move without being encumbered by their original tiny size.
Tartaglia credits Uncle Traveling Matt as a great character to use as a bridge for the audience to learn about NASA. The character's oblivious nature makes him a perfect fit for explaining complex space-related concepts in an engaging way.
The show highlights the shared values between Fraggle Rock and NASA, such as exploring new worlds, making discoveries, and preserving fragile ecosystems. Tartaglia believes that these similarities make sense for connecting the two worlds, saying "Our two worlds that on paper wouldn't seem connected, made a lot of sense to connect."
Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure is an innovative way to engage audiences with NASA's mission while introducing them to the Muppets and their charming world.
I'm not entirely sure about this one... Like, I love Fraggle Rock and all, but outer space? It feels like a stretch for me 
. And don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that NASA is trying to engage with kids about STEM stuff, but can we make it more... accurate? 
I mean, isn't the Moon way, way smaller than what they're depicting on stage? 
It just seems like a fun idea, but also kinda misleading. And what's up with Uncle Traveling Matt being the "bridge" between Fraggle Rock and NASA? He's already kinda weird and oblivious in the original show, so it feels like we're stretching to make him fit into this space-y narrative 
.
. And Uncle Traveling Matt is like the ultimate space nerd 
Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure sounds like so much fun! Interesting that they used a postcard of a cookie to explain space to the Fraggles, who already had their own concept of "outer" outer space. The idea of upscaling the Doozers to be puppet size is genius 
, I can imagine them dancing around on stage! It's amazing how NASA and Jim Henson Company are coming together to promote STEM education and exploration in a way that's both entertaining and accessible for all ages 
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to drag these adorable Muppet characters into outer space? It's just going to confuse kids and make them think that the Moon is actually a giant cookie 
. And don't even get me started on Uncle Traveling Matt being the "bridge" between NASA and Fraggle Rock - what about all the other great characters that could've been used? Plus, have you seen those oversized puppets? They're just going to be a mess on stage 
. I swear, this whole thing is just a bunch of hooey 
.
Interesting how they connected NASA's mission to the show's world, it just clicked! 
And I love that Uncle Traveling Matt is the bridge between Fraggle Rock and NASA, he's so lovable and clueless at the same time!