Sesame Street Live

Sesame Street Live is a live touring show based on the children's television show Sesame Street produced by Feld Entertainment under license of Sesame Workshop.

Sesame Street Live
CompanyFeld Entertainment (July 2017–present)
VStar Entertainment Group (2015-July 2017)
Sesame Workshop (licensing rights)
GenreKids
Show typeArena
Date of premiere17 September 1980 (1980-09-17)
LocationTouring
Creative team
CreatorVincent Egan
Other information
HostBig Bird
Official website

History

The VEE Corporation was started in March 1980[1] by founder Vincent Egan, who had an idea to produce a live-character show based on Sesame Street.[2] He had worked for the Ice Follies tour, which had a segment featuring Muppets. Egan approached Jim Henson's company and Children's Television Workshop, who were interested.[3] With outside funding, Vee was able to sign a licensing agreement with the Children's Television Workshop for the characters.[2]

The first Sesame Street Live show opened in September 1980 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota for a successful five-day run. The following shows in five locations had lackluster attendance costing VEE the profits made in Bloomington. Egan figured that the marketing material was confusing people in those markets as what type of show was not specified. He overhauled the script and marketing while getting his creditors to wait for payments. That Christmas, the show went on to play for four weeks at Madison Square Garden's 4,000-seat Felt Forum in New York City before an audience of 100,000 people.[3]

VEE quickly ramped up to two different shows for the 1981–1982 season, then added a third Australia show in 1982–1983. From the 1983–1984 season until the 1988–1989 season there were only two Sesame Street Live shows on tour.[4]

On April 1, 2015, Blue Star Media, LLC purchased VEE Corporation with Egan continuing on as a consultant;[5] later that year the combined company was renamed VStar Entertainment Group.[1]

In November 2016, Sesame Workshop announced an agreement with Feld Entertainment to take over producing Sesame Street Live.[6] VStar continues to produce other Sesame Street shows at various locations, and provides costumes.[7]

Productions
When I Grow Up is performed daily at the Pantages Hollywood Theater located on Hollywood Boulevard, Universal Studios Singapore

In order to keep the show running annually in the same cities, new plot lines are created and rotated through the tour. Because the target audience changes as children grow up, shows are often removed from the rotation for a few years, then return with some modifications.

In order of their creation, the Sesame Street Live shows have been:

VEE Corporation (1980–2015)[6][4]

  • Missing Bird Mystery (1980-1982, Australia 1982–1983, 1984–1986; Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong 1990–1991)
  • Super Spectacular Totally Amateur Show (1981-1983)
  • Sesame Jamboree (1982-1984)
  • Around the World (1983-1985)
  • Save Our Street (1985-1987)
  • Big Bird Goes to Hollywood (1986–87, 1988–1989)
  • Big Bird and the ABCs (1987-1992)
  • Big Bird's Sesame Street Story (1988)
  • Sesame Street Live (1988-1989)
  • Silly Dancing (1989-1991, Britain 1992–1993)
  • Sleeping Birdie (1990-1992)
  • Let's Play School (1991-1992, 1995–1996)
  • Where's the Birdie? (1992-1993, 1994–1995, Germany 1993–1994)
  • Let's Be Friends (1994-1995)
  • 1-2-3...Imagine! (1996-1997)
  • Imagine... Ernie is King (1996-1997)[4]
  • Big Bird's Sunny Day Camp Out (2000)[8]
  • Out of this World (2003-2005)
  • Elmo's Coloring Book (2005)[9]
  • Super Grover Ready for Action (2005-2006)[9]
  • Elmo's Green Thumb (2008-2009)
  • 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends (2009)[10]
  • Can’t Stop Singing (2013)[11]

VStar Entertainment Group (2015–July 2017)[6]

Feld Entertainment (July 2017–present)[6]

  • Let’s Party![17] (October 2017—present) [18]
  • Make Your Magic (October 2018—present)[19]
  • C is for Celebration[20]

See also

References
  1. Nakashima, Rebecca (April 6, 2016). "VStar Finds New CEO". Venues Today. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  2. Hopps, Megan (December 6, 2016). "Dayton resident, creator of Sesame Street Live, dies at 74". Sun Press. ECM Publishers, Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  3. St. Anthony, Neal (December 28, 2009). "Bringing Muppets to 'Live'". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  4. "A Guide to the VEE Corporation Archives, 1980-1997". www.lib.utexas.edu. Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  5. Deckard, Linda (April 7, 2015). "Hello Sanjay, New Owner of VEE". Venues Today. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  6. "'Sesame Street' to Take the Stage". License! Global. UBM. November 18, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  7. Weissberg, Brad (January 9, 2017). "VStar Buys Cirque Productions". Venues Today. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  8. Arcayna, Nancy (May 11, 2000). "'Sesame Street's' Jodie suits dancer just fine". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  9. Harada, Wayne (June 17, 2005). "The gang's all here". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  10. Tanzilo, Bobby (November 26, 2009). "'Sesame Street Live' celebrates 100 with '1-2-3'". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  11. de Coligny, Ashley (July 18, 2013). "Family Fun: Sesame Street Live". Honolulu Family. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  12. Wiley, Shannon (October 5, 2016). "Sesame Street comes to Glen Avenue". Delmarva Daily Times. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  13. Abbate, Lauren (October 10, 2014). "Sesame Street Live cast member talks about high-energy performance, characters coming to Bangor". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  14. Friona-Celani, Mary (February 25, 2016). "Mom Review: 'Sesame Street Live: Let's Dance!'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  15. Kocher, Chris (December 27, 2016). "'Sesame Street' live show teaches value of friendship". Pressconnects. USA Today Network. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  16. Gormly, Kellie B. (January 11, 2017). "Make new friends but keep the old on Sesame Street". Tribune-Review. Trib Total Media, LLC. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  17. Staff REPORT (June 11, 2018). "New "Sesame Street Live!" coming to Q-C in October". Dispatch-Argus-QCOnline. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  18. Foster, Elizabeth (November 18, 2016). "Feld Entertainment to produce Sesame live tour". Kidscreen. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  19. Foster, Elizabeth (June 13, 2018). "Sesame makes magic with new stage show". Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  20. Dockter, Mason (May 25, 2018). "'Sesame Street Live!' coming to Clay County Fair". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
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