After a long hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, Joel Swanson’s “FROGPIG “ made its return home to Orlando at HÄOS on Church Jan. 15.
The Fringe Festival hit show centers on the story of a charismatic half frog/half pig puppet who shares sometimes humorous, sometimes heartwarming tales all while singing his little frog/pig heart out to some classic songs, including some from our most cherished divas.
Growing up in the Midwest, Swanson watched and admired “The Muppets” which served as the inspiration behind “FROGPIG.”
“He’s not just a big old pig bitch, he has the ‘go get em’ of Kermit the Frog and the diva personality of Miss Piggy,” Swanson says, although at no point in the show is it stated that the star of “FROGPIG” is the offspring of those two celebrity muppets.
Swanson premiered “FROGPIG” at Orlando Fringe in 2018 to rave reviews. He won the Critics Choice Award for Best Solo Show (Variety) at the festival and “FROGPIG” was an official selection of the Orlando Fringe Winter Mini-Fest, Rochester Fringe and the Uncharted Festival of the Arts.
When creating the show, Swanson started with the song “Rainbow Connection” as a jumping off point and built “FROGPIG” from there, incorporating songs that spoke to him. While he initially considered only including songs about rainbows, he eventually decided he wanted to incorporate hit songs from the “Muppet era” of the 60s and 70s.
“Spoken words aren’t enough for me, the songs are where I find my inspiration,” Swanson says. “I’m promoting joy with tender and heartwarming moments, and I want audiences to leave with a song in their head.”
Along with some creative inspiration from those famous Jim Henson muppets, Swanson also pulls from his own experiences to breathe life into his dual species co-star.
“I tap into different parts of my personality to create what ‘FROGPIG’ is,” Swanson says. “It’s a show about sometimes feeling like an outcast and looking for your place in the world.”
As stages slowly start opening back up, Swanson feels honored to be able to be on the theatrical frontlines and get people back out watching shows.
“I want to remind everyone of the magic of theater and how it made us feel over a year ago,” Swanson says.
“FROGPIG” plays at HÄOS on Church Jan. 22-23 and 29-30. It is a socially-distanced audience and masks are required. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and are available at Frogpig.Ticketleap.com/Frogpig-Haos.
