Big Bird, Elmo visit Elliott

By Laura Pelner
Staff Writer

Being surrounded by people years younger, and therefore feeling just a little out of place has never been as amusing as sitting in the audience during the performance of "Sesame Street Live" in the Elliott Hall of Music Tuesday night.

The theme of the show was "When I Grow Up," and it was a musical featuring older rock songs, classic children's songs and even some nursery rhymes.

Throughout the show the cast of Sesame Street, including Big Bird and Elmo among many others, described a variety of different professions people could be. For example, they portrayed cowboys, police officers, forest rangers, cooks, baseball players, ballet dancers, train conductors and teachers.

The female Sesame Street characters also put on a special segment of the performance telling the audience that "girls can do anything."

The female characters chose professions as varied as astronauts, writers and brain surgeons.

Audience participation was a big part of the show. In many of the musical numbers the audience was asked to help out by singing a verse or making certain noises, like a train whistle or stomping feet. During Cookie Monster's act he actually brought up a member of the audience to sing and dance with him on stage.

The overall idea the cast tried to get across was that people should believe in themselves because "you can be anything and everything you want to be."

The final number for the Sesame Street cast was the Birthday Song. They said that the "Sesame Street Live" cast was celebrating its 20th birthday, and therefore concluded the show with ribbon and confetti. During this part many of the performers went down in to the audience to shake hands with some of their bigger and smaller-sized fans.

In the lobby of the Elliott Hall of Music there were concession stands set up that had souvenirs, such as Elmo balloons and light sticks, sunglasses that light up and "Sesame Street Live" T-shirts and programs. Cotton candy was also offered.

The "Sesame Street Live" production is very entertaining, regardless of age. Since this is a stressful time of the semester it actually felt good to reflect back to younger years and easier going times.

Regardless of the fact that basically the whole audience was made up of young children and their parents, it was still a good time. Being surrounded by people who really appreciated the show was actually just as fun as watching the production itself.

"Sesame Street Live" had just as much to offer to the older crowd as it did the younger one. Being older might even be better because all the jokes now make sense, and some seem so silly that laughing is the natural response. Of course, the message still applies. And while the ending may be a little cheesy for some people, it's still nice and endearing too.