Monday, February 06, 2006

A new Jack! A new Jack!

Yes, it's true! After months of watching the same episodes over and over and over and over and over again, we finally get a new Jack's Big Music Show today. We've been watching a lot of Jack recently, I'm ashamed to admit. Yes, it's a great show but it's probably not good for any of us at home to be watching it 3 times a day. It's become part of our bedtime/naptime routine and it works so well. Chase and I curl up on the couch with a sippy cup and blankie in hand, watch Jack, and then he's ready for bedtime. If we fail on any of those requirements, he's a very unhappy camper when left in his crib. I'm assuming that he feels gipped.

So needless to say, I've become very well acquainted with each and every episode and it's left me to wonder a few things.

1. I really wonder what the set looks like in real life. I'm assuming that the puppeteers have their hands up the butt of each character so I'm wondering if the set is built fairly high off the ground, so the puppeteers don't have to squat down.

2. I also wonder how they move Jack's arms at certain points. Obviously I can see the black stick coming down from his arms in certain scenes but there are some scenes that he doesn't have the black stick but his arm still moves. For example, when he is playing the guitar, his right arm moves up and down the arm of the guitar but no black stick. So, how the heck is that happening?

3. How many puppeteers work the Schwartzman Quartet? You would think that probably 2 people do it. However the lead singer always moves independently from the back up guys. So I guess one of those puppeteers is pretty talented and can move the lead singer along with the backup guy that is coordinated with the rest of the backup guys? I would think that would be pretty difficult.

4. Originally I believed that the voices of the puppets and the movement of the puppets were done at separate times. The more I think about it however, I'm guessing that the puppeteers are the ones doing the voices at the same time as the movements. So, do the puppeteers have to memorize their lines or do they get to read off of a cue card?

5. And finally, just what the hell ARE Jack and Mary? And how did they get such a cool clubhouse? And do they realize that they are musical prodigies? And how did Jack teach Mel to play the drums?

*sigh* Maybe Chase and I will figure all this out one day. Until then, "You're always welcome on Jack's Big Music Show!"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is Katie! I believe I have the answers! Jack and Mary are rats with hair. REAL rats! I don't know what ur talking about puppets. I've never seen any puppets on the show. I just wonder how the animal trainers taught them how to talk, sing and dance. THATS AMAZiNG!