"It isn't easy being green," is one of Kermit T. (for the) Frog's most famous lines, and a more recent Muppet, Elmo, could echo it with a different color, which we learn in "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey," which opens here today.
The documentary, directed by Constance Marks and narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, follows Elmo's pal, Kevin Clash, who operates and speaks for the puppet. It wasn't always that way. The puppet was designed by Richard Hunt, a veteran of the Muppet crew, who one day tossed it to Clash, a relative rookie, and suggested that maybe Clash could find a voice and a personality for the little red guy — or gal.
Marks' interesting documentary, written by Philip Shane and Justin Weinstein, follows Clash, now 51, who was fascinated by puppets as a small boy. As a pre-teenager, he watched them, built them, created lives for them, did shows in the backyard, in schools and any place he could find an audience. His dream, of course, was to score with the Muppets. He did some TV in his home town of Baltimore, then got a chance to work with Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) as a puppeteer. Kermit Love, one of Jim Henson's long-time colleagues, was a mentor as Clash waited and finally became a Muppet puppeteer in 1984.
Many people talk about Clash's skill; he has performed as many different Muppets, created a couple and now is an executive with the Muppet organization. Marks' film is excellent in discussing Clash's work, and the Muppet operation, but it's light on personal details.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey opens today at the Plaza Frontenac
—Joe