Billy Crystal, Julie Andrews, more Long Island celebs who worked with the Muppets

It took 70 years, but at last Kermit the Frog has made the leap to Broadway.

Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang created by Jim Henson in 1955 are about to make their Broadway debut in "Rob Lake Magic With Special Guests The Muppets," which begins previews Tuesday and opens Nov. 6 at the Broadhurst Theatre.

While being onstage is a first for the Muppets, they've been making magic on screens big and small for decades. And in that time, they've had the chance to share the spotlight with some prominent performers with Long Island ties, like these five superstars.

Julie Andrews

The "Mary Poppins" Oscar winner and Sag Harbor resident has worked on several occasions with the Muppets. In her 1975 TV special "My Favorite Things," she performed "Swinging on a Star" with the Gawky Birds and the Clodhoppers. Later on, she sang "When You Were a Tadpole and I Was a Fish," which she wrote for Kermit. She reprised the song during her Feb. 18, 1978, "Muppet Show" appearance, where she also performed "The Lonely Goatherd" with Miss Piggy and "I Whistle a Happy Tune."

Rita Moreno

The veteran performer, who lived in Valley Stream as a teen, is still working at 93. The Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) winner earned her first of two Emmys for her showstopping work on the Sept. 18, 1976, episode of "The Muppet Show." In a vigorous adagio number to the song "I Get Ideas," Moreno was riotously ruthless as she manhandled several Muppets. Equally amusing was her sultry rendition of "Fever," with Animal accompanying on drums. Let's just say they clashed more than the cymbals on Animal's drum set. 

Madeline Kahn

The alumna of many Mel Brooks films as well as Hofstra University, where she received a degree in speech therapy in 1964, also studied opera and drama at the Hempstead school. All of those skills were used to hilarious effect in her Oct. 1, 1977, episode of "The Muppet Show," which centered on Gonzo falling beak over heels for her. Kahn shone in the goofy number "Your Feet," where she sang and danced with a rather large-footed group called The Mutations. The episode also featured songs by two more notable Long Islanders — Floyd Pepper, Dr. Teeth and Zoot doing Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Rowlf having a blast with Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away."

Billy Crystal

The Long Beach native worked with Kermit and the gang on their 1996-98 series "Muppets Tonight" and got to spoof two of his most popular films. First, he and Miss Piggy did a G-rated takeoff on the deli scene from "When Harry Met Sally." Later, in "City Schtickers," Kermit, Fozzie and Crystal got saddled up for a rowdy rendition of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," complete with a stampede at the end.

Rosie O'Donnell

Talk about the sweet smell of success. Miss Piggy popped up on the Commack-raised comic's daytime talk show on Feb. 8, 1999, to hawk her fragrance, appropriately named Moi. Piggy was in a generous mood that day — she gave each audience member a bottle of Moi and she presented O'Donnell with an autographed glove as an auction item for O'Donnell's For All Kids Foundation. Capping off the show, Piggy hammed it up with O'Donnell on a duet called "Moi" sung to the tune of "Mame."