Tyler Tafolla was clear on what he wanted for his birthday last year and made it happen — a live table reading with friends of one of his favorite Muppet movies, “Muppet Treasure Island.” Not much of a surprise for the composer, lyricist, writer, and passionate fan of musical theater.
“We all sat at a long table on a makeshift stage in my friend’s backyard. We had scripts and pirate outfits on, and we invited a bunch of friends,” he says. “Our group of eight performed all the characters, sang all the songs, and it was just a very silly evening where we could all laugh and celebrate one of our favorite movies, all our favorite parts and lines, and just put on a show for our friends.”
Later, one of his friends said they wished they could all put on their own Muppet show. That was the beginning of an idea that led to “Tyler Tafolla Presents: Movin’ Right Along, a Tribute Concert” at 8 p.m. May 25 at the City Heights Performance Annex. It’s a cabaret-style concert featuring his and the cast’s favorite songs from Jim Henson’s extensive library of classics, he says.
Tafolla, 29, grew up in Ocean Beach and lives there today, with his wife, Megan, and their daughter, Lily. He earned a bachelor’s degree in musical theater from the AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) in Los Angeles, where he wrote and produced his first musical, “Scott Robbins and the Traveling Show,” which he later staged at Diversionary Theatre in 2022. He took some time to talk about the immense creative influence of Jim Henson, the magic of musicals, and the animated films he can quote by heart (and recorded evidence of on TikTok, @tyleratafolla).
Q: “Movin’ Right Along” is a celebration of the life and work of Jim Henson, the famed creator behind “The Muppets,” “Fraggle Rock,” and the characters on “Sesame Street.” Can you talk about the inspiration behind creating this tribute show?
A: I have been a fan of The Muppets since childhood and far into adulthood. Growing up as an energetic child with a lot of imagination, an inability to stand still for very long, and a desire to make people laugh, I felt right at home when watching The Muppets. I have a huge passion for the creations of Jim Henson. They have transcended generations with their universal humor, relatable characters, and timeless messages. No matter what age, many of us have experienced or have been impacted by The Muppets in some way; whether it be learning our numbers and letters on “Sesame Street,” to learning to follow our dreams watching “The Muppet Movie,” to learning how to get along with those who are different than us on “Fraggle Rock,” some of us have learned some of our greatest life lessons from these characters made of fabric and felt. It has made an impact on many of us, and I wanted to make an evening of theatre that could celebrate that.
What I love about Ocean Beach…
My family is very close and the neighborhood does play a huge part in that. I’m currently living with my wife and daughter in the house I grew up in. My brother is my next-door neighbor, and my parents are just down the street from us. We try and do family dinners every other week or so at my parents’. My parents always lived in Ocean Beach/Point Loma. My dad’s grandparents settled here in the ‘40s and never left. So much of who I am was formed by living in San Diego. It’s a part of me and I’m incredibly grateful to be here.
Q: I’ve read that you grew up in Ocean Beach and that your parents were creatives who worked with a local youth theater company and also produced and directed local television programs. Can you talk about what it was like growing up in that kind of environment and how that shaped your own creativity and professional pursuits?
A: Growing up in that kind of environment gave me the permission to dream big. There was never really a time where I felt unsupported when it came to what I wanted to do when I grew up. My parents were always great at making me feel supported in any of my creative endeavors. I feel very privileged to have had that growing up. I think the big difference and the key to all of that is that they made sure I knew it’d be hard work. They made sure I knew there might not be immediate success or instant achievements. There definitely have been plenty of hard days, but I think what has kept me going more than anything is the joy—the joy I feel when I’m doing something I absolutely love. I want to feel that as often as I can. There’s nothing for me like being a part of the arts. Outside of my family, it’s the thing that brings me the most joy and that’s how I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.
Q: In an interview with Shoutout LA, you talked about the power you found in musicals to inspire hope, redefine good and evil, and offer escape and healing. Are you comfortable sharing a personal healing experience a musical(s) provided for you?
A: A couple of weeks back, I got the chance to see some wonderfully talented colleagues and friends perform in “Into the Woods” at The Moonlight in Vista. That same week, I was adopting my daughter (which had been a five-year journey), and at the end of the musical, the company sings the lyrics, “Careful the things you say, children will listen.” This is a show I had heard throughout high school and college and was very aware of and knew quite well at this point. That song, specifically, brought on all new meanings and feelings for me during this new stage of my life. Without preparation, I found that tears just began flowing down my face and could not be stopped. When I first started dating my wife Megan and we knew we were going to be married and that I would become Lily’s father, I always questioned how I could possibly parent and guide and make sense of the world to this child when, during that time, I felt so lost about my own understanding of the world. This particular show grapples with these exact topics and I found myself continuing to be reminded, throughout the performance, that people make mistakes, but that does not make you bad; that children will look to you for where to go, and that “no one is alone.” It was a healing, comforting, and reassuring experience for me.
Q: When you think about the kind of effect you would like “Movin’ Right Along” to have on its audience on May 25, what comes to mind for you?
A: In an interview once, Jim Henson said, “At some point in my life, I decided, rightly or wrongly, that there are many situations in this life that I can’t do much about. So, what I should do is concentrate on the situations that my energy can affect.” I find myself feeling very connected to this quote at a very pivotal time in the world we live in today. In these times we live in, there is so much we can do when it comes to staying aware to what is going on in the world—getting out there and voting, speaking out about what’s right, being there for our fellow humans. There is also a whole heck of a lot that I cannot control, as much as I want to. So, I begin to ask myself, “What am I capable of? Just me.” I am capable of spreading love. I am capable of sharing joy with people. I am capable of making people laugh, even if it is just for a moment, even if it’s the first laugh they’ve had in a long time. I am capable of providing that to people who may desperately need that right now. Though it may seem small in comparison to other things, I’ve found that even the smallest acts of positive human interaction or community joy have made all the difference in my life. So, I hope during our performance, I can provide a safe space for people to laugh, to smile, and to sing along, just like Jim did for so many generations of people.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: I had a professor in college tell us that, “Luck is preparation meets opportunity.” That always stuck with me.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I can quote all of “Toy Story” and “The Emperor’s New Groove” by heart (and I did record myself doing both of those movies in their entirety on my TikTok).
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: OK, do yourself a favor, save up the extra cash and rent a pontoon for the day and go out on Mission Bay, blasting that yacht-rock playlist you’ve been saving for a special occasion. There are so many favorite spots though, it’s really tough. Any of the Consortium Holdings restaurants or bars (Polite Provisions, Raised by Wolves, etc.), you’ll have a great time. Rocky’s in Pacific Beach is also a fave, as well as Grass Skirt. I mean, you’ve got do Hodads in O.B., too, right? A Padres game and the zoo, of course. Oh, and do yourself another favor and make sure to see Cassie B and her band at Moonshine Beach to kick off your weekend right. Go forth and enjoy!