Mahna Mahna is a purple Muppet with wild, orange hair and a furry, green tunic who is most famous for performing the nonsense song "Mahna Mahna" with the Snowths. His vocabulary is essentially limited to saying his own name and scatting.
Mahna Mahna made his debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, where he sang "Mahna Mahna" for the first time. In a later appearance on the variety show, he played a drummer filling in for a violinist in a string quartet performing Beethoven's "Minuet in G Major." The scripts for that appearance refer to him as "Harry".[1]
After reprising "Mahna Mahna" on several other variety shows, Mahna Mahna was featured in the very first episode of The Muppet Show, performing his signature song as opening number, dancing with Wanda in At the Dance, and popping up between Statler and Waldorf in their box. Also, in the pilot version of the episode, he made an additional appearance, surprising guest star Juliet Prowse after her conversation with Kermit backstage. Although he was also featured prominently in episode 102, appearing again in At the Dance and "Sax and Violence", most of Mahna Mahna's future appearances on the show would be in the background or in the audience of the Muppet Theater.
After a long absence, Mahna Mahna appeared at The Muppet Show Live at MuppetFest. At one point, he left the theater to go to a fast food restaurant. Mahna Mahna, alongside the Snowths, made cameos in the Muppet viral video for "Bohemian Rhapsody," and have reprised "Mahna Mahna" in their appearances on Good Morning America, The Muppets, and the concert Jim Henson's Musical World.
Bip Bippadotta[]
"Mahna Mahna" was also performed on the first season of Sesame Street by an Anything Muppet, originally identified on albums as "Mahna-Mahna." He would later come to be called Bip Bippadotta.
Filmography[]
- The Ed Sullivan Show ("Mahna Mahna," "Minuet in G Major")
- The Dick Cavett Show
- This Is Tom Jones
- Pure Goldie
- The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
- The Muppet Show
- "The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 2 - 5)
- Episode 101: Juliet Prowse ("Mahna Mahna," At the Dance with Wanda)
- Episode 102: Connie Stevens (At the Dance with Miss Mousey, "Sax and Violence")
- Episode 114: Sandy Duncan (Audience)
- Episode 115: Candice Bergen (Audience)
- Episode 119: Vincent Price (Audience)
- Episode 122: Ethel Merman (Audience)
- Episode 208: Steve Martin
- Episode 213: Rudolf Nureyev (Backstage)
- Episode 308: Loretta Lynn
- Episode 312: James Coco
- Episode 317: Spike Milligan ("America, "It's a Small World")
- The Muppet Movie ("The Rainbow Connection" Finale)
- The Muppets Take Manhattan (Wedding Finale)
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
- The Muppet Show Live
- CanTeen "Bandanana" commercial
- Virmup
- The Muppet Show Theme Music Video
- The Muppets
- Orange commercial
- Good Morning America
- Kermit's Party
See also[]
- Bip Bippadotta
- "Mahna Mahna" (song)
- Mahna Mahna Through the Years