"We have a live theater show in New York called 'Stuffed and Unstrung,' and we've taken a bunch of the characters from that cast and made them into a band and backup singers for Cee Lo. He'll be backed by puppets who will make up a very weird and cool band."
-Jim Henson Company CEO Brian Henson, discussing the sort of felt-fueled influence the Muppets will have on Cee Lo Green's performance of "F--- You" at this Sunday's (February 13) Grammy Awards. The presentation will also feature "Country Strong" actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who previously performed the song on a much-beloved episode of "Glee" and recently teamed up with Cee Lo on an episode of "Saturday Night Live."
Henson told MTV News that the addition of the Muppets was Green's idea, and that the process of constructing a special performance has been a blast. "We had never worked with him before, and he's just a fabulous guy," Henson told MTV News' Gil Kaufman. "I think he's a lifelong fan of the Muppets, and he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted."
This is hardly the first time that Green has gone outside the box for a stage spectacle. While he served as one half of Gnarls Barkley (alongside sonic mastermind DJ Danger Mouse), he appeared as a number of different characters (including Marty McFly from "Back to the Future" and Darth Vader from "Star Wars").
While the Grammy performance will likely err on the side of cleanliness and feature the radio-friendly version of "F--- You," Henson guarantees it'll leave a lasting impression. "I think it will really be an unforgettable version of the song," Henson said.