Muppeteer from Yardley, Bill Barretta, Performs in Halloween Special Now on Disney+

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Bill Barretta and Pepe the King Prawn
Image via Disney Parks at YouTube.
Bill Barretta and Pepe the King Prawn.
Muppets Haunted Mansion, starring Yardley’s
Bill Barretta as Pepe the King Prawn,
airs October 8 on Disney+.

There are two casts in Muppets Haunted Mansion, streaming on Disney+ starting today. One is felt and feathers; one is flesh and blood. And that latter component, thanks to the talents of performer Bill Barretta, has a Bucks County connection, reports Tania Hussain for Pop Culture.

The Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special sends its characters — Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Pepe the King Prawn — into a haunted mansion patterned after the one in the Disney theme parks.

Their puppeteers include Bill Barretta of Yardley, a Muppets veteran.

Barretta, according to The Famous People website, has been with the Jim Henson Company since 1991. Barretta and his brother became interested in puppetry as teenagers, performing in local shows.

A chance meeting at Sesame Place, where Barretta was working in operations, brought him to the attention of Brian Henson, Jim’s son.

From there, Barretta joined the cast of the sitcom Dinosaurs, a role that evolved into a long-term relationship with the Muppet organization.

For Muppet Haunted Mansion, Barretta will be playing one of his signature characters, Pepe the King Prawn. Pepe’s featured performances included roles in Muppets from Space and Muppets Tonight.

The Halloween storyline involves Gonzo’s show of bravery in attempting to spend one night in the Haunted Mansion.

More on Bill Barretta and Muppets Haunted Mansion is at Pop Culture.

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