The Muppets gently persuading Gene Kelly to break his ‘No Singing in the Rain’ rule is one of TV’s best ever moments
The Muppet Show, like the Morecambe and Wise Show and Columbo, attracted really huge stars who were very honoured to be part of the spectacle, no matter how stratospheric their fame.
It doesn’t get much more stratospheric than the triple threat, Gene Kelly, who appeared in almost 50 films but will forever be most associated with the Hollywood classic Singing in the Rain.
Over time, he became reluctant to recreate the title song, and he explained his reasoning to the Muppets. It’s a touching watch.
When Gene Kelly agreed to do The Muppet Show he had one stipulation: He wouldn’t perform “Singin’ in the Rain”
And the Muppets took that as a challenge pic.twitter.com/88TJ4GV7GB
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) July 6, 2024
That’s TV magic, right there. These people obviously agree.
1.
The way those Muppets look at him when he finally sings it, you know that, out of shot, that's exactly how their operators are looking, with the possible addition of one or two tears. https://t.co/JoUpTemGCK
— Pete Paphides (@petepaphides) July 8, 2024
2.
Forgive me, I got emotional. This is beautiful. https://t.co/qzMWJG3wQp
— Kelechi Ehenulo ✍️ (@kehenulo) July 7, 2024
3.
Pure magic. Undiluted joy fuel. https://t.co/PC7ggNQRtX
— Nick Pettigrew (@Nick_Pettigrew) July 6, 2024
4.
This is pretty magical. Gene Kelly was one of the great heroes of my childhood and he is wonderful here. A reminder that the Muppets created some of the most spine-tingling moments in TV history! https://t.co/W4Vs9i1Irs
— Neil Drysdale (@NeilDrysdale) July 7, 2024
5.
Goosebumps. So beautiful.
— Bruce McClure (@BruceMcClureNH) July 7, 2024
6.
This is wonderful. The Gene Kelly puppet may be the best I’ve ever seen. It even walks with an umbrella! Jim Henson was a genius. https://t.co/fWZHrEveJz
— Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewitt) July 7, 2024
7.
We will never fully appreciate how thoughtful and clever the musicians working on The Muppet Show were. https://t.co/5uC5bdtGDz
— Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins (they/them) (@drhannahrobbins) July 7, 2024
8.
Has there ever been a series that Hollywood and music royalty were so desperate to get on to like The Muppet Show? This is joyous. https://t.co/vlJcRKUGg9
— Mr Demos of Pnyx (@gem_ste) July 7, 2024
9.
‘And the Muppets took that as a challenge.’ https://t.co/SXLMnLsWMR
— Tom Bennett OBE (@tombennett71) July 7, 2024
10.
Oh my GOD. Laughs. Then goosebumps. Then tears. I love The Muppets, I love Gene Kelly, I love movies, I love music… as shit as the world can be, it’s still awe-inspiring when magic is possible. https://t.co/AA2MysHy6f
— Annamaria Sofillas (@inmybunk) July 7, 2024
11.
There's nothing like the original Muppet Show. Still one of the greatest things to grace my TV
— AlysMackyntoich (@mackyntoich) July 6, 2024
We’re all grateful that Gene agreed to compromise.
I appreciate how they did this. He doesn’t sing on the stage, and he only sings the beginning of the song. It feels more like a tribute to that period of the Hollywood musical than it does a performance of Singin in the Rain specifically.
— Muppet History (@HistoryMuppet) July 6, 2024
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Source History Muppet Image Screengrab