TV Alert: New Sesame Street cast member Mando debuts on GMA May 10, 2013

[JonnyBMuppetMan]

Why would you ask for opinions of the auditions after an actor is chosen? I'll wait to see how well he is received by the audience now. The selection decision has already been made. Geesh, if they wanted input about an actor, they should have asked about the new person selected to do Elmo's voice. That would have been wiser, before posting the video on youtube that really had people questioning THAT decision for Sesame Street.

If Muppet Central is the "they" you're referring to, we did discuss a potential recast for Elmo on another thread.

With that said, I agree that I'll wait and see how this guy blends in. He's got a nice character name, so he should be a fine, if not highly anticipated, addition to the cast.

 

[misspiggy5260]

What new puppet? I see nowhere that it says there'll be a new puppet...

Mando!

 

[beaker]

The guy has Muppety hair, a Muppety name and a fun warm personality. I like him already.

 

[cjd874]

It seems like Mando will be a great fit on the Street. He's got the voice, charm, looks, and ability to connect to the audience. I bet he'll be part of the next generation of SS adults with Chris and Leela (and maybe Alan and Gina too), whenever Bob, Gordon, Susan, Maria, and Luis depart.

 

[Erine81981]

I can't wait to watch the show with him. Maybe we'll get more stuff like longer story archs (maybe )

 

[Oscarfan]

I can't wait to watch the show with him. Maybe we'll get more stuff like longer story archs (maybe )

Given the fact that they have only 26 episodes a season and they're re-run in no specific order, I don't think that's likely.

 

[mo]

He seems pretty nice...I love his hair!

 

[jcnegron]

I am sorry, but they chose the guy with the worst Spanish. Actually all the candidates in the callback (in the second video) had perfect accent, as good as native speakers, except for one. And the only one who sounded like as he had to learn it in school very late in life is the one they chose. That makes me think that the whole audition was rigged, they had already chosen this guy and sent him to learn Spanish in advance. He might be from Puerto Rico but he sounds like he never actually lived there.

...On the other hand he sounds genuinely excited in his first day at the studio. So who knows. I wish him success.

 

[Oscarfan]

I am sorry, but they chose the guy with the worst Spanish. Actually all the candidates in the callback (in the second video) had perfect accent, as good as native speakers, except for one. And the only one who sounded like as he had to learn it in school very late in life is the one they chose. That makes me think that the whole audition was rigged, they had already chosen this guy and sent him to learn Spanish in advance. He might be from Puerto Rico but he sounds like he never actually lived there.

...On the other hand he sounds genuinely excited in his first day at the studio. So who knows. I wish him success.

He actually stated somewhere (I believe GMA) that he was a native Spanish speaker and when he came here, shows like Sesame Street helped teach him Spanish.

And I'm sorry, but does he need to speak in nothing but Spanish sentences to prove he knows the language? In the video above, he literally says two words in Spanish. Is that not enough?

 

[Drtooth]

And I'm sorry, but does he need to speak in nothing but Spanish sentences to prove he knows the language? In the video above, he literally says two words in Spanish. Is that not enough?

Perfect agreement. The motive isn't teaching kids Rosetta Stone quality Spanish. It's teaching single words and phrases the kids will mess up by saying wrong anyway that's a toe in the water. Their motives are to teach about Hispanic culture, maybe a few simple words here and there... he doesn't need to be so fluent that he can't speak English so good.