Muppets fans are heartbroken after the sudden closure of a Broadway show featuring Jim Henson’s beloved characters. On the day of its grand opening, “Rob Lake Magic With Special Guests the Muppets” announced that it would shut down two months early.
The Muppets Take the Stage
The show, which began preview performances at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City on October 28, was initially scheduled to open on November 6, but was later delayed to November 11. The production was intended to run through January 18, 2026, offering a limited engagement.
As the title suggests, the show combined the magic of Rob Lake, a renowned magician known for his visual stunts, with appearances by Muppets characters, including Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, and others. This was a landmark event, marking the Broadway debut of The Muppets. The concept of bringing the Muppets to Broadway had been discussed for decades, but it took 50 years to bring it to life.
A Sudden Goodbye
However, on November 11, the day of the grand opening, Playbill reported that “Rob Lake Magic With Special Guests The Muppets” was being axed early. The final performance is now scheduled for November 16, 2025, meaning the show will have lasted just 20 preview performances and four regular performances.
While Broadway shows typically allow for some feedback and revisions during the preview period, this early closure didn’t catch fans by surprise. Fans were disappointed when they learned that the show, which had promised a significant role for the Muppets, only included brief appearances by the characters.
In response to the news, fans took to Playbill’s Instagram comments section. Most fans were furious that the Muppets were promised as a major part of the show, but only appeared on stage for 10-15 minutes during a 90-minute performance.
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One popular comment from @mandiistone read:
“The problem is, the people were promised a show with The Muppets fully being a part of it, but instead, Rob Lake decided to have the show centered around him and have The Muppets, the real main appeal of the show, only on stage for 10-15 minutes.”
“We’d have paid full price for an actual play with Muppets,” said @ahnagler.
Fan Reactions and Criticism
The sudden closure sparked further debates, with many blaming the show’s early launch before the peak holiday season in New York City.
“It opened too early,” @siennaroseofficial wrote. If it waited a month, they would’ve got the holiday crowd.”
Some fans suggested the show missed the mark by not leveraging more iconic Muppet themes.
“No shade to Rob at all but if this had been a Muppet Christmas Carol production or a live version of The Muppet Show, I think it would’ve been a hit. Either that or this show should’ve been in Vegas,” said @wesley_collects.
The negative response also led to concerns about the future of The Muppets within The Walt Disney Company’s portfolio. Many worried that the show’s failure might lead Disney to rethink the characters’ future in major productions. From @inturnaround:
“The Muppets are stars and shouldn’t be second fiddle to someone else. I really do hope that the lesson Disney takes away from this is that people don’t want the Muppets, it’s that this wasn’t what the people wanted from the Muppets at Broadway ticket prices.”
What’s Next for The Muppets?
Despite this early setback, The Muppets are not disappearing from the public eye. In fact, Disney+ has confirmed that an exclusive Muppet Show special starring Sabrina Carpenter is in the works for release in 2026. Additionally, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone have announced that they’re developing a Miss Piggy movie, which will be written by Tony Award winner Cole Escola.
Even though this Muppets Broadway project didn’t work out, there’s still plenty for fans to look forward to. This summer, Muppet*Vision 3D closed its doors at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but Disney promised to preserve the show for fans in some form.
The Muppets are set to return to Hollywood Studios in 2026 with Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, a reimagining of Walt Disney World Resort’s Aerosmith-themed roller coaster.
In the meantime, fans will have the chance to catch Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog live on stage during Disney Holidays in Hollywood at Disney Jollywood Nights, a seasonal ticketed event at Walt Disney World Resort.
Have you had a chance to see “Rob Lake Magic With Special Guests the Muppets?” In the comments, share your thoughts on the show with Disney Dining!
You wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Disney fell on their face along with The Muppets, for just a few changes that they made. I mean. Getting ready to splash mountain, and then Tom sawyers island I mean, that would be like getting rid of it’s a small world. But when you got so much woke and so much socialism coming in and we gotta do so many pronouns, what can you expect? And they raising prices just about every month. So I wouldn’t spend my money, I told my grandkids if they want to go, they better save their money. I will pay for the gas for them to get there. But I will not pay for the room to stay. And I will not pay for their tickets to go if they want to go to seaworld or some other place around that area. Like universal, I’ll pay for it. But Disney is out for me now. Matter of fact. Our disney ended up yesterday for as disney plus I did not renew it and i’m not gonna renew it