JAMESTOWN – Beloved Muppet, Fozzie Bear, is making his debut at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown.
Fozzie Bear is one of the most iconic Muppet characters created by The Jim Henson Company.
The Fozzie character on display at the Comedy Center is an original, featured in many Muppet television shows and films.
Fozzie joins rare items on display from Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, Charlie Chaplin, Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Ernie Kovacs and many more.
Brought to life, developed and performed by the legendary Frank Oz, Fozzie Bear is well known for his less-than-stellar stand-up talent, his catchphrase “Wocka wocka wocka!” and his close friendship with Kermit the Frog.
Fozzie made his first appearance on Jim Henson’s “The Muppet Show” in 1976 and has been perfecting his comedy chops for nearly 45 years now, with featured appearances in many of the Muppet feature films beginning with “The Muppet Movie” in 1979.
“It’s wonderful that The National Comedy Center, which I love, is highlighting Fozzie in the context of comedy’s heritage,” stated Frank Oz. “Fozzie is very close to my heart. A part of me is in him—the part of me that as a young boy loved show business, or as Fozzie would put it, ‘The Show Business.’ But the similarity ends there. Fozzie wants to be the funniest bear in the world. Never mind the heckling, the fumbling of punch lines, the paltry laughter at his jokes. He has a desperate need to get love from laughter. So he will never quit. He will never succeed in being funny. But he will never quit.”
The Fozzie Bear Muppet is on exhibit courtesy of the Center for Puppetry Arts.
The National Comedy Center is open Thursdays through Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets can be reserved in advance at ComedyCenter.org.
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