“Dance, Magic Dance": 40 Years of Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986)

“Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen.”—Sarah

Join us in celebrating 40 years of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986) alongside Henson legends Brian Henson and Dave Goelz. Currently Chairman of the Board of The Jim Henson Company, Brian served as the puppet captain for Labyrinth and performed in the film as Hoggle, while veteran Henson puppeteer Dave Goelz’s many roles in the film include Sir Didymus, The Hat, and the Left Door Knocker.

Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who shall be responsible for the child at all times.

Please note: This program will take place at the ILM Premier Theater at 1 Letterman Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94129.

Tickets for “Dance, Magic Dance": 40 Years of Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986) will be available as follows:

• Walt’s Circle Donors: Purchase tickets beginning Tuesday, July 21 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• Founding, Supporter, and Friend-level members: Purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, July 22 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• All member levels: Tickets available beginning Thursday, July 23 at noon PST via the Member Portal.
• Public (non-members): Remaining tickets available beginning Friday, July 24 at noon PST online.

Join as a member or upgrade your current membership to receive priority access and discounts to programs like these. For more information, please visit our Membership page.

Brian Henson is Chairman of the Board of The Jim Henson Company and an award-winning director, producer, and writer for film and television. He is also a technological innovator and skilled puppeteer.

In his early years, Brian regularly joined his father Jim Henson on set. By the time he was 17, he was working on projects like the marionettes in the complicated bicycle scene in The Great Muppet Caper (1981). Brian quickly became indispensable on the sets of his father’s productions. He was also a performer, working the marionette rig for Scooter’s bicycle ride. In 1984, he moved to London to work on Disney’s Return to Oz (1985). For R Brian to assemble his own team of animatronic performers that would go on to work with him on several projects, including Jim Henson’s fantasy classic Labyrinth (1986). 

Following the death of his father in 1990, Brian moved back to America to become the CEO of The Jim Henson Company. In 2009, he became Chairman of the Board for the Company, and his sister Lisa Henson became sole CEO.

He has also led the creative and technological innovations of the Company, overseeing the groundbreaking work at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent character-building, digital and physical visual effects facilities. He was part of the team that first created and utilized the Henson Performance Control System, a powerful custom-based interface for puppeteers, which won an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science Scientific and Engineering Award in 1992. He has also been leading the Shop’s work with its revolutionary puppeteered animation system, the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio. In 2009, he and his team were awarded a Primetime Emmy Award, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for this proprietary system that allows performers to puppeteer digital characters in real time.

Dave Goelz joined Jim Henson in 1973 as a puppet designer/builder and eventually became a core Muppet Performer. He performs The Great Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot, Beauregard, Waldorf, Chip, Boober, and Traveling Matt Fraggle, along with many others. He has starred in most Jim Henson and Muppet television programs and feature films since 1973, including The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986).

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The museum is proud to partner with Bay Area Communication Access (BACA) for our ASL interpreter needs. For more information on their services, please visit BACA's website.

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