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In pop culture, there are few things of universal appeal to multiple generations. Music often fails the challenge, unless your children are listening to your Peter, Paul & Mary records. A case could be made for clothing, since bellbottoms and legwarmers seem to have resurfaced.
But, after 31/2 decades, a certain television show still manages to captivate multi-aged audiences. Its characters are as popular as ever. And its lessons, which focus on literacy and social skills, are as relevant now as they were when the program premiered.
“Sesame Street,” originally created to help prepare children for school, recently marked its 35th anniversary. It first aired Nov. 10, 1969, and, according to the ratings experts at Nielsen Media Research, it remains one of the top-rated shows for preschoolers.
You may have watched it when you were a kid, maybe even as a teenager. And now your children are probably watching it. You remember the wise-cracking Oscar the Grouch, who lived in a trash can, and Kermit, who made headlines interviewing nursery rhyme characters.
You recall Big Bird and his furry friend Snuffleupagus. Maybe you can even summon from the dark corners of your memory the words to the show’s theme song.
Today, children enjoy those characters and a few newer ones, like Zoe, who loves ballet and wears a tutu, and Elmo, the soft-spoken red monster with a pet goldfish.
“It’s fun to sing with Elmo,” said 8-year-old Rebecca Grey of Sullivan, who watches the show every night with her younger siblings, Vanessa and Gabriel.
“We sing the songs together, actually,” their mother, Diana, said. “My 14-year-old learned to count with Sesame Street. I remember watching it when I was a kid.”
Next week, the colorful cast of “Sesame Street Live,” a Broadway-style production with songs, dancing and costumes, will entertain young and old at the Bangor Civic Center. The traveling troupe will give three performances, also described as “rock concerts for kids,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, and at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15.
This season marks the 25th anniversary for the live show. In this year’s production called “Out of This World,” the googly-eyed Yup-Yup Martians make a crash landing on Sesame Street, where Terry, the neighborhood’s fix-it girl, helps them repair their spacecraft. In the meantime, Big Bird and his friends teach the intergalactic visitors all about Earth.
Children in the audience will get the chance to see and dance with their favorite characters, whether it’s Bert, the rubber ducky-loving Ernie or the sweet-toothed Cookie Monster.
“All the big ones are there – Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Elmo, Von Count,” said Lee Henderson, a publicist for the show. “We like to call it a rock concert for kids. If they like ‘Sesame Street’ on TV, they’ll definitely love the live version.”
“Sesame Street Live” features segments from the television program, such as “Elmo’s World,” “Journey to Ernie” and the letter and number of the day. It is 90 minutes long, with a 15-minute intermission.
Henderson said the show is as educational as it is entertaining, with lessons about patience, cooperation, teamwork and accepting others who are different.
“Deep down inside, we are all Earthlings,” he said.
There also are original songs and a few covers, including Muppet-ized versions of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and Devo’s “Whip It.”
“Parents will be like, ‘Hey, I remember that song from when I was a kid,'” Henderson said. “And the kids will be hearing the songs for the first time.”
Jodi Webber of Ellsworth is looking forward to the show. She is taking her 2-year-old son, Riley.
“Riley is mesmerized by ‘Sesame Street’ on TV,” she said. “He loves Ernie and Bert and Big Bird. He can name all the characters. It should be fun.”
Jane McMahon of Ellsworth tunes into Sesame Street with her granddaughter, Marissa Marshall, who at 4 can count, sing and rhyme along with the Muppets.
“My kids all watched it,” McMahon said. “I can remember my nephew counting when he was watching it in his playpen.”
“Out of This World” will be performed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, and at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15. Tickets range from $13-$19. Children under 12 get a $1.50 discount. For tickets, call 990-4444 or Ticketmaster at 775-3331, or visit www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.sesamestreetlive.com.
“Sesame Street Live”
What: ?Out of This World?
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, and 10:30 a.m.
and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15
How much: $13-$19 ($1.50 discount for children
under 12)
Length: 90 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Contact: 990-4444 or Ticketmaster at 775-3331, or visit www.ticketmaster.com
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