Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree is a television Christmas special that first aired December 6, 1995 on CBS. The special stars Robert Downey, Jr., Leslie Nielsen, and Stockard Channing. It also features Kermit the Frog as a narrator and various other Muppets created exclusively for the special. It was sponsored by Nabisco.
The special was based on a book of the same name, by Robert Barry. In 2005, Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree was adapted into a children's theater stage production by the Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre.
Video Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
Plot
The special begins with the song "The Perfect Tree," which features both Mr. Willowby (Robert Downey, Jr.) singing about his desire to find the perfect Christmas tree and, within Willowby's house, a father mouse singing that he will go out to get a tree for his family (his two children, Beverly and Ned, decide to come with him). After the song is finished, Willowby asks his butler, Baxter (Leslie Nielsen) where his tree is.
The special then follows the family of mice out in the woods looking for a tree. Eventually, the father mouse spots "the perfect tree," but it is far too large to fit into their tiny living quarters, so the family climbs the tree so that he can chop off the very top. Right when they reach the top, however, Willowby's lumberjacks arrive at the scene and cut the entire tree down (as they sing the song "We're Lumberjacks"). The family of mice hold on to the tree as it is brought to Willowby's house.
The tree is set up in the house, and Willowby notices it is slightly too tall. He has Baxter cut off the very top, and then tells him to bring up the top part of the tree (which the mouse family is in) to one of his tenants, Miss Adelaide (Channing), whom Willowby describes as being a very lonely person who doesn't even come down for Christmas.
Baxter does so, and while he is meeting with Adelaide, she describes her family's traditions at Christmas time. While they are talking, a romantic interest between the two of them is insinuated. At one point, Baxter notices the father mouse on the floor, but Adelaide says it is Christmastime and thus would be wrong to kill the mouse at this time. She places the mouse up on a banister, and he returns to the top of the tree with his children.
After Baxter leaves, Adelaide notices that the tree in her room is slightly too tall, so she cuts off the top and throws it out the window (with the mouse family in it). Before the father mouse can cut off the top, a bear picks up the tree and brings it home to his den and family to use as his own Christmas tree.
The bears engage in their Christmas festivities, and eventually notice that the tree is too tall. They cut off the top (which once again has the mice in it) and throw it outside. The family of mice laugh at all they've been through that evening, only to then be picked up (along with the remnants of the tree) by an owl.
The owls set up the tree in their own den, and then engage in an angelic chorus (the mouse family speculates that they never knew owls could be so musical). Eventually, they too notice that the tree they have is too tall, and so they cut off the top and throw it (along with the mice) outside.
The father mouse then raises his axe to cut off a tree from the remnants that have been thrown outside, but then realizes that the tree as it is actually the perfect size for his own home. He and the other mice return home with the tree. At the same time, Willowby's Christmas Ball is taking place. Adelaide comes down this time, and begins to dance with Baxter.
Maps Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Mr. Willowby
- Leslie Nielsen as Baxter the Butler
- Stockard Channing as Miss Adelaide
Muppet performers
- Bill Barretta as Bear
- Julianne Buescher as Beverly Mouse
- Steve Whitmire as Bear, Kermit the Frog, Owl
- Kevin Clash as Father Mouse, Owl
- Bruce Lanoil as Owl, Bear
- David Rudman as Ned Mouse
Accolades
Score- and songwriters Patty and Michael Silversher were nominated for an Emmy for the song "The Perfect Tree." The special also won a Casting Society of America award for "Best Casting for TV Nighttime Special"
Trivia
- Some of the previously-used puppets appeared in this special:
- The puppet used for Beth Bear from The Muppets Take Manhattan and the bear puppet that went on to become Bobo the Bear appeared in the bears' Christmas part.
- The owl puppet that was used for Hillary the Owl and Timothy the Owl from Jim Henson's Animal Show appears.
Credits
- Nabisco Family Classics Presents
- From Jim Henson Productions
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
- Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Stockard Channing, Leslie Nielsen
- The Muppet Performers: Kevin Clash, Julianne Buescher, David Rudman, Bill Barretta, Bruce Lanoil, Kevin Thompson, Tracey Thompson, Shari Weiser, Steve Whitmire
- Music & Lyrics by: Michael and Patty Silversher
- Executive Producer: Michael K. Frith
- Produced by: Ritamarie Peruggi
- Teleplay by: Mitchell Kriegman
- Based On A Book by: Robert Barry
- Directed by: Jon Stone
- Director Of Photography: Tony Cutrono
- Production Designer: Val Strazovec
- Art Direction: Bruce Rodgers, Jeff Hall, Paul Buckley
- The Muppet Workshop: Marian Keating, Ron Binion, Susan Doyle, Isabelle Dufour, Jane Howel, Rollin Krewson, Larry Jameson, Tom Newby, Stephen Rotondaro, Julie Zobel
- Music Produced by: Michael and Patty Silversher
- Music Supervisor & Arranger: David Lawrence
- Associate Producer: Pat Nugent
- Edited by: David Gumpel, Jason Bielski, Mark Oberthaler
- Casting: Mike Fenton, C.S.A. and Allison Cowitt, C.S.A.
- Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash
- Creative Consultant: Jim Lewis
- Production Manager: Victor Bank
- Associate Director: Keith Richmond
- Stage Manager: Anita Cooper-Avrick
- Production Coordinators: Nancy Bacon, Carolyn F. Kelly, Jennie Lupinacci
- Costume Designer: Suzanne Schwarzer
- Key Make-Up: Kathleen Karridene
- Key Hair: Frankie Bergman
- Set Dresser: Michael Matteo
- Technical Director: Tom Guadarrama
- Audio: Laura Osborne-King
- Gaffer: Antonio Soriano
- Key Grip: Tony Marra
- Construction Coordinator: Lance Gunnin
- Script Supervisor: Sydney Gilner
- Production Associates: Chris Debiec and Jeanne Oritz
- Sound Editors: Tony Pipitone and Ray Palagy
- Sound Mixer: Ken Hahn
- Produced In Association With TN Entertainment
- Jim Henson Productions
References
External links
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree on IMDb
Source of article : Wikipedia
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