Matt Vogel is an accomplished puppeteer in his own right. However, since joining Sesame Street in 1996, he has become most familiar for his work as Caroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird on Sesame Street, including the "Journey to Ernie" segments, several street scenes and other appearances whenever Spinney is unavailable. He has also performed various Anything Muppets and CGI characters on "Elmo's World," and plays Big Bird's infant self, Baby Big Bird in the Sesame Beginnings DVD series. Most recently, he's also served as assistant puppet captain on Sesame Street. He has also taken over most of Jerry Nelson's characters, by the recommendation of Nelson himself,[1] multiple years before Nelson's death.
Vogel's other Muppet credits include work, assisting or in supporting roles, on Big Bag, Bear in the Big Blue House, Sesame English, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, as well as various pigeons in the Creature Shop film The Producers. Works outside the Henson fold include the video series MATHmatazz, Jack's Big Music Show, The Puzzle Place, the HBO drama Oz, Oobi, Blue's Room, and Between the Lions.
In theater, Vogel has acted in regional productions of various plays, including The Foreigner and Six Degrees of Sparation, and was involved in the 2003-2004 Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors, manipulating Audrey II and playing various bums and Skid Row residents (alongside Martin P. Robinson and Anthony Asbury).
In addition to puppeteering, Vogel's interest in music is made evident by his non-Sesame role as front man for the band, The Mighty Weaklings released a CD of songs "for kids--and grown-ups" called You Can't Rock Sittin' Down in June of 2008 after appearing in the video for their song "Rocket Ship" on Jack's Big Music Show. With Joey Mazzarino, Vogel co-owns Pratfall Productions, which produced the film-noir puppet spoof Murder, He Squeaked and various inserts for Sesame Street, "Sesame Street" videos and Nick Jr.'s Curious Buddies. Vogel also serves as director for Sesame Street beginning with Season 39 and the recurring segment, "Murray Has a Little Lamb."[2]
Notes/trivia
- The word "vogel" is German and Dutch for bird.
References
External links
- Official Site
- Mighty Weaklings Official Site
- Toughpigs.com- Interview
- The Muppet Mindset - Interview Part 1, Part 2
- Dramatics Magazine interview
- Matt Vogel on the Muppet Wiki
|
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |