What's Going Down In Fraggle Rock
The Fraggle Rock live action musical is coming soon, and if you were a kid in the 80s, there was one person whose imagination defined your growing-up years: Jim Henson. To this day, any Gen Xer has very vivid associations with words like Snuffelupagus, Falkor, Skeksis, Gonzo and Camilla, Gelflings, and Pigs in Space.
The Impact of Jim Henson
First, there was Sesame Street, our hip, happening, emotionally aware educational children’s show. All you have to do is blurt out “Sunnn-ny days …” in a public place and anyone born after 1969 can pick up the rest of the lyrics til the end of the theme song.
Then, The Muppet Show gave us one of the greatest sketch comedy TV shows of all time, complete with performing arts superstar guests like Alice Cooper, Vincent Price, Raquel Welch, and Dolly Parton. We got first viewing rights to all the early Muppet movies. Of course, there’s The Dark Crystal. Long live the Landstriders, Podlings, and Fizzgig, who are all burned forever in our psyches, as is the nail-biting race to reunite the lost shard with the dark crystal when the triple suns align.
All things Jim Henson meant more than artfully shaped puppets with wide mouths and large eyes entertaining children. Henson’s vision, outside of building a world of puppet creatures no one had ever seen before, was about community. Henson built worlds of awe-inspiring imagination that introduced children to mature concepts like understanding differences, repairing divisions, accepting others for who they are, and not taking ourselves too seriously.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
Enter Henson’s most subtly ambitious kids’ show, Fraggle Rock. It aired in 1983 and ran for five seasons, ending in 1987, three years before Henson’s unexpected death in 1990. For the Fraggles, Henson intended to create a show that would inspire world peace. No, seriously.
Of course, that’s not what it looked like at-a-glance. Fraggle Rock exists underground, behind a hole in the wall in the home of a dog named Sprocket (and his human, Doc). There, carefree, floaty-haired Fraggles dance and sing in several toe-tapping genres while industrious Doozers work construction. A last-of-their-kind family of shaggy, potato-esque Gorg giants lives in a castle nearby, growing delicious radishes and carrying a deep dislike for all things Fraggle.
Visually and musically, Fraggle Rock is as fun as it gets. It’s bright, bouncy, popping with color, surrounded by nature, and full of catchy singalong-style songs. There was nothing quite like sitting on the den floor in 1984 and making the youngest sibling manually turn on the TV to HBO in time to hear the funky guitar intro. Like the Sesame Street theme song, Gen Xers can take “Dance your cares awayyyy…” to the very last “Down in Fraggle Rock!”
Amid the sheer joy of this vibrant world Henson created, the Fraggle-Doozer-Gorg-Human dynamics set up a perfect recipe to address ideological and territorial conflicts. The characters ultimately respond to their differences with empathy, questioning assumptions, and trying to work through misunderstandings. Henson envisioned Fraggle Rock as an exemplar for peaceful coexistence–even when the characters involved are flawed.
Fraggle Rock’s enduring appeal starts with the lovable Red, Wembley, Gobo, Mokey, and Boober, but goes so much further. The show reminds us of the importance of being part of a good friend group and belonging to a bigger world community of all kinds of people. When we’re down in Fraggle Rock, life’s an adventure–there’s always a funky song to sing, a bebopping dance to share. And, even when the adventure turns dark, or the shadows of scary giants loom, we always have the option of shining our own light to find our way home. Down in Fraggle Rock, no matter what happens, there’s always a reason to celebrate.
The first Fraggle Rock live musical stage show (with full-sized, walkaround Fraggle characters) comes to the Peace Concert Hall Sunday, May 4. Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock–Back to the Rock is a wonderful trip back in time if you watched it as a kid. It’s also perfect for parents and grandparents who want to introduce kids in the family to Henson’s wildly imaginative creature world–down in Fraggle Rock!