What if there was a Sesame Street Fest?

[minor muppetz]

Wouldn't it be great if there was a Sesame Street Fest, similar to Muppetfest? How would you want it to be done? I had planed on making a fake report of this on April Fools Day, but then forgot. But here's what I would like to have happen:

It would be a three-day thing, on a friday night and all weekened (okay, maybe not 48 hours, but most of the day). I don't know about whetehr there should be a live performance. But maybe there could be a special play area for kids, where they can play with Sesame Street toys, watch Sesame Street videos, and read Sesame Street books while their parents get to learn more about the show.

It would be great to have Big Bird greet kids, and maybe even pose for pictures. Given Caroll Spinney's age, maybe it would be better for Matt Vogel to perform Big Bird here. That way, Big Bird can also talk to the visitors.

It would be great to see all the important people talking to the fans. All of the current human cast members, plus some former cast members (Alania Reed Hall, David Langham Smyrl, Annett Claude). And of course the performers should be there, as themselves and their characters: Kevin Clash (with Elmo, Hoots, Beny, and Baby Natasha), Fran Brill (with Zoe, Prairie Dawn, and maybe Roxie Marie), Caroll Spinney (with Oscar), Eric Jacobson (with Bert, Grover, and maybe Guy Smiley), Steve Whitmire (with Ernie), Leslie Carara (with Abby Cadabby), David Rudman (with Cookie Monster, Baby Bear, and Humphrey), Joey Mazzarino (with Ingrid, Stinky, and Murray Monster), Martin Robinson (with Telly and Buster), Carmen Osbahr (with Rosita), and Jerry Nelson (with The Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, The Amazing Mumford, and Sherlock Hemlock). Perhaps Matt Vogel could take some time out from greeting kids as Big Bird and talk to the fans (and maybe Carol Spinney could perform Big Bird at this time). And in a dream world, Frank Oz would be there to talk to the fans (of course, in a real dream world Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, Jon Stone and Will Lee would be there). Other people who would be great to be there would be Christopher Cerf, Joan Ganz Cooney, Tony Geiss, and Jim Martin.

It would be great if there was a special demonstration on how the Anything Muppets are made, with the performers decorating their faces. Maybe the fans could be given the opportunity to perform Anything Mupets in an improv performance to see what it's like to be a Muppet performer, and the main performers could also perform their characters alongside the fans (and a special video of the performance could be purchased as a souvenier). And there could be a museum-like exhibet where variosu puppets are put on display. Some alternate Elmo puppets, as well as The Two-Headed Monster, Herbert Birdsfoot, Biff, Sully, Little Bird, Farley, Little Jerry and the Monotones, and Chris and the Alphabeats.

And of course, there should be video screenings for the fans. Ideal screenings would include: The original version of the pilot pitch (the pitch had some sceens changed and replaced later on; The version shown on Old School Volume 1 is the second version), one of the test pilots, the very first episode (yes, many of us have uncut copies, and it was recently released on DVD, but wouldn't it be great to see it uncut on a big screen?), Out to Lunch, This Way to Sesame Street (the NBC sneak preview fro Sesame Street, which aired a few days before the shows premier), and a few old episodes. I would chose ones that weren't ever shown on Noggin, including another first season episode, and a few episodes form the 1970s (like Tely's first appearance, and Olivia's first appearance), and some 1980s episodes. I would also have a special screening of an upcomming episode.

This would also make a god opportunity to reveal packaging art for the next Old School set, and perhaps an episode on the set could be screened for the audience.

And it would be great if Sesame Street music was played during the event. Maybe there could be a special Sesame Street karaoke, with many popular songs from the show.

What are your ideas?

 

[minor muppetz]

Such a convention could also include tributes to Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Jon Stone, Jim Thurman, and possibly others, though it might take up a lot of time. Perhaps there could be a time where the people remember those who ahve passed on, some talk about their memories of Jim Henson and others, and some clips are shown as tributes. It might be hard to do this properly without it beign too much of a tribute-fest, and without taking away time for other things.

Perhaps there could be some tribute reels to screen. A Jim Henson tribute reel would include: Three Song (Song of Three), Ernie making a bust of Bert, Beat the Time with Grover, Sesame Street News: Hickory Dickory Doc, King of 8, Do De Rubber Duck, Lulu's Back in Town, Mahna Mahna, Kermit's "What Happens Next?" machine, Grover attempting to sell Kermit earmuffs, Nine Song (Song of Nine), Eleven Cheer, Bad Bart giving somebody what he deserves, Kermit and Joey reciting the alphabet, Five People in my Family, and Dance myself to Sleep. A Richard Hutn tribute could include Don Music writing Drive, Drive, Drive Your Car, The Italian Street Song, one of Richard Hunt's rare performances as Elmo, Forgetful Jones singing Oklahoma, Proud to be a Cow, and something with Biff and Sully. Tribute reels for Jeff Moss and Joe Raposo should include some of their biggest hits, as well as some of their most underrated songs. For Joe Raposo there could be Sesame Street Theme, Bein' Green, and Everybody Sleeps. For Jeff Moss there could be I Love Trash, Rubber Duckie, and Things That I Remember.

For my "museum" idea, there could also be actual scripts and design sketches, plus blueprints of the many sets.

 

[mbmfrog]

As big of an Idea as that is, I would one be glad to see it come true.

 

[SSLFan]

Wouldn't it be great if there was a Sesame Street Fest, similar to Muppetfest? How would you want it to be done? I had planed on making a fake report of this on April Fools Day, but then forgot. But here's what I would like to have happen:

It would be a three-day thing, on a friday night and all weekened (okay, maybe not 48 hours, but most of the day). I don't know about whetehr there should be a live performance. But maybe there could be a special play area for kids, where they can play with Sesame Street toys, watch Sesame Street videos, and read Sesame Street books while their parents get to learn more about the show.

It would be great to have Big Bird greet kids, and maybe even pose for pictures. Given Caroll Spinney's age, maybe it would be better for Matt Vogel to perform Big Bird here. That way, Big Bird can also talk to the visitors.

It would be great to see all the important people talking to the fans. All of the current human cast members, plus some former cast members (Alania Reed Hall, David Langham Smyrl, Annett Claude). And of course the performers should be there, as themselves and their characters: Kevin Clash (with Elmo, Hoots, Beny, and Baby Natasha), Fran Brill (with Zoe, Prairie Dawn, and maybe Roxie Marie), Caroll Spinney (with Oscar), Eric Jacobson (with Bert, Grover, and maybe Guy Smiley), Steve Whitmire (with Ernie), Leslie Carara (with Abby Cadabby), David Rudman (with Cookie Monster, Baby Bear, and Humphrey), Joey Mazzarino (with Ingrid, Stinky, and Murray Monster), Martin Robinson (with Telly and Buster), Carmen Osbahr (with Rosita), and Jerry Nelson (with The Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, The Amazing Mumford, and Sherlock Hemlock). Perhaps Matt Vogel could take some time out from greeting kids as Big Bird and talk to the fans (and maybe Carol Spinney could perform Big Bird at this time). And in a dream world, Frank Oz would be there to talk to the fans (of course, in a real dream world Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, Jon Stone and Will Lee would be there). Other people who would be great to be there would be Christopher Cerf, Joan Ganz Cooney, Tony Geiss, and Jim Martin.

It would be great if there was a special demonstration on how the Anything Muppets are made, with the performers decorating their faces. Maybe the fans could be given the opportunity to perform Anything Mupets in an improv performance to see what it's like to be a Muppet performer, and the main performers could also perform their characters alongside the fans (and a special video of the performance could be purchased as a souvenier). And there could be a museum-like exhibet where variosu puppets are put on display. Some alternate Elmo puppets, as well as The Two-Headed Monster, Herbert Birdsfoot, Biff, Sully, Little Bird, Farley, Little Jerry and the Monotones, and Chris and the Alphabeats.

And of course, there should be video screenings for the fans. Ideal screenings would include: The original version of the pilot pitch (the pitch had some sceens changed and replaced later on; The version shown on Old School Volume 1 is the second version), one of the test pilots, the very first episode (yes, many of us have uncut copies, and it was recently released on DVD, but wouldn't it be great to see it uncut on a big screen?), Out to Lunch, This Way to Sesame Street (the NBC sneak preview fro Sesame Street, which aired a few days before the shows premier), and a few old episodes. I would chose ones that weren't ever shown on Noggin, including another first season episode, and a few episodes form the 1970s (like Tely's first appearance, and Olivia's first appearance), and some 1980s episodes. I would also have a special screening of an upcomming episode.

This would also make a god opportunity to reveal packaging art for the next Old School set, and perhaps an episode on the set could be screened for the audience.

And it would be great if Sesame Street music was played during the event. Maybe there could be a special Sesame Street karaoke, with many popular songs from the show.

What are your ideas?

This idea is brilliant! I would love to see this come true! I think if Disney wouldn't mind, maybe Steve Whitmire could perform also. I wish someone could email this idea to SW. It would be great.

 

[travellingpat]

Awesome! OH god, I wish this would happen....who knows maybe for the 40th anniversary, would it be in NY? More than likely, considering most of the performers live in NY or in the area..........wow great idea

 

[minor muppetz]

This idea is brilliant! I would love to see this come true! I think if Disney wouldn't mind, maybe Steve Whitmire could perform also. I wish someone could email this idea to SW. It would be great.

I was thinking that. Steve Whitmire could perform Kermit as a reporter interviewing the fans. Muppetfest has Elmo despite the fact that Henson no longer owned Elmo at the time. Then again, Sesame Workshop is a smaller company than Disney, and who knows how Disney would feel if Sesame Workshop wanted to have Kermit appear at the convention.

 

[D'Snowth]

Awesome! OH god, I wish this would happen....who knows maybe for the 40th anniversary, would it be in NY? More than likely, considering most of the performers live in NY or in the area..........wow great idea

God is a proper name and therefor should be capitalized... and it shouldn't even be used in that manner anyway as it's blasphemous.

Anyway, I feel a "Sesame Street Fest" would be an awesome idea, but for some reason, I can't help but feel they wouldn't do a separate fest for Sesame Street since Elmo was at the first Muppet Fest, but then again that's because Kevin attended and Elmo is his most popular Muppet creation, so Elmo kind of had an obligation to be there.

 

[minor muppetz]

I keep wondering if such a convention should have a live show, like The Muppet Show Live. The Muppet Show Live mostly had Muppets, with limited guest star interraction. Sesame Street has a lot of regular humans in addition to Muppets. It would probably be harder for sets to be raised. There could be some raised sets, and some sets that better accomodate the humans and Big Bird and Snuffy. I wouldn't expect the actual Sesame Street set to be taken to a live stage (unless this was actually performed on the regular set). Of course there could be plenty of video clips to include between set changing.

This could make a good run down for such a live show:

Act 1:
*Big Bird introduces the audience to the show
*Big Bird and the humans sing "Sesame Street"
*The cast welcomes the audience, and they all talk about what fun they will have
Video Clips: One Song (Song of One), Lefty attempts to sell Ernie an invisible ice cream cone, Nancy the Nanny Goat, Same Sound Brown, counting dots (all dots appear without problems), Jim Carrey shows his happy and sad feet
*The Count counts the audience, before compromising to count rows of audience emmbers
*Ernie sings "Rubber Duckie"
*Big Bird, Susan, and Mr. Snuffleupagus sing "One of These Things"
Video Clips: Pinball Number Count #6, Sesame Street News: The Wolf chases Little Red Riding Hood as Kermit waits for the woodsman, Super Grover: Super Elmo, counting dots (the dots wait to appear, and after they all appear, one turns red), Arnold Rides a Chair, Put On Your Katiklutt (is that spelling right? This clip appears in the Global Grover: Alashka sketch)
*Cookie Monster sings "C is for Cookie"
*Ernie, Bert, Elmo, Zoe, Baby Bear, Telly, and Oscar play an imagination game, and sing "Imagination"
Video Clips: The Geefle and the Gonk, Everybody Sleeps, Ernie waits for the person upstairs to drop his last shoe, Snuffy jumps on Big Bird's trampoline, Jazz #5
*Bob sings "The People in Your Neighborhood"
*The cast sings "What's the Name of That Song?"

Act 2:
*Big Bird, Snuffy, Elmo, and the humans welcome the cast back
Video Clips: Monsterpiece Theater: The 400 Blows, The Do's and Don'ts of carrots, Kermit, Shola, and Fanny demonstrate "next to", The Cookie Buny, Wegmen's Dogs in animal disguises
*Grover serves Fat Blue
Video Clips: Everybody Eats, Ernie and Bert share pizza and grape juice, the first and last cookie
*Big Bird sings "ABC-DEF-GHI"
Video Clips: Harvey Kneeslapper: "Do you know where I wanna B?", "The National Association of W Lovers", Professor Hastings talks about the letter U, "Capital I"
*Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats perform (lip-syncing to a pre-recorded track) You're Alive
*Elmo sings "Somebody Come and Play", later joined by Zoe, Telly, Herry, Grover, Cookie Monster, Maria, Luis, Gabbi, Miles, and Gina
*Oscar sings "I Love Trash"
Video Clips: "My Pollywog Ways", "Wheels on my Feet", Mystery Letter, James Earl Jones recites the alphabet, Herry and John-John count to 20, Suzie Kabloozy hates the letter F, "U Really Got a Hold on Me"
*Closing Medley: "Sing", "Elmo's Song", "Doin' the Pigeon", "Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco", "Proud of Me", "Nearly Missed", "Imagine That", "One and One Make Two", "Lambaba", "Mahna Mahna", "Count it Higher"

 

[minor muppetz]

This would make a good "Sesame Street Fest" schedule:

Friday Night:
6PM fans enter and interract with other fans, eat dinner, and explore the place
7PM Joan Ganz Cooney and Big Bird introduce the event, and then show the original version of the pitch reel
7:30PM the cast and crew talk about the history of the show, and answer questions from fans
8PM autograph session
9PM the first test pilot is screened
10PM the first episode is screened

Saturday:
9AM doors open for the fans
10AM A Sesame Street trivia contest is held (maybe hosted by Guy Smiley), with prizes including having the chance to sit with members of the cast, crew, and puppeteers during lunch and dinner
11AM question and answer session with the Muppets
12PM lunchtime (while classic Sesame Street clips play on monitors)
1PM members of the human cast talk about their favorite memories of working on the show, and answer questions from the audience
1:30PM Screening of a first season episode
2:30PM the performers talk about the show, and answer questions from fans
3PM the cast and crew pay tribute to Jim Henson, Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, Jim Thurman, Will Lee, Matt Robinson, Northern Calloway, Richard Hunt, Jeff Moss, and others
5PM Out to Lunch is screened
6PM Telly Monster's first appearance is screened
7PM dinner
8PM the cast and crew discuss international versions of Sesame Street, with clips shown
9PM the cast and crew discuss Follow That Bird, Elmo in Grouchland, and various specials, and screen deleted sceens and outtakes from the two movies

Sunday:
12PM doors open
12:30PM a demonstration of the Anything Muppets, showing how they are made, and giving the fans a chance to perform them
1PM a sneak peek at an upcomming episode
2PM Christopher Cerf talks about the musical history of the show
3PM the crew talk about the shows animation and film segments, with clips shown and questions and answers given
4PM questions and answers with the puppeteers and their characters
5PM fans sing karaoke of classic Sesame Street songs
6PM the crew talk about Sesame Street, then and now
7PM Frank Oz talks about working on the show

Sound good, eh?

 

[SSLFan]

Very good, but...

This would make a good "Sesame Street Fest" schedule:

Friday Night:
6PM fans enter and interract with other fans, eat dinner, and explore the place
7PM Joan Ganz Cooney and Big Bird introduce the event, and then show the original version of the pitch reel
7:30PM the cast and crew talk about the history of the show, and answer questions from fans
8PM autograph session
9PM the first test pilot is screened
10PM the first episode is screened

Saturday:
9AM doors open for the fans
10AM A Sesame Street trivia contest is held (maybe hosted by Guy Smiley), with prizes including having the chance to sit with members of the cast, crew, and puppeteers during lunch and dinner
11AM question and answer session with the Muppets
12PM lunchtime (while classic Sesame Street clips play on monitors)
1PM members of the human cast talk about their favorite memories of working on the show, and answer questions from the audience
1:30PM Screening of a first season episode
2:30PM the performers talk about the show, and answer questions from fans
3PM the cast and crew pay tribute to Jim Henson, Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, Jim Thurman, Will Lee, Matt Robinson, Northern Calloway, Richard Hunt, Jeff Moss, and others
5PM Out to Lunch is screened
6PM Telly Monster's first appearance is screened
7PM dinner
8PM the cast and crew discuss international versions of Sesame Street, with clips shown
9PM the cast and crew discuss Follow That Bird, Elmo in Grouchland, and various specials, and screen deleted sceens and outtakes from the two movies

Sunday:
12PM doors open
12:30PM a demonstration of the Anything Muppets, showing how they are made, and giving the fans a chance to perform them
1PM a sneak peek at an upcomming episode
2PM Christopher Cerf talks about the musical history of the show
3PM the crew talk about the shows animation and film segments, with clips shown and questions and answers given
4PM questions and answers with the puppeteers and their characters
5PM fans sing karaoke of classic Sesame Street songs
6PM the crew talk about Sesame Street, then and now
7PM Frank Oz talks about working on the show

Sound good, eh?

Those sound good, but don't forget- what about the kids? That sounds like a teenager/ adult type of convention. Here's my idea:



Friday:


* 5:00 p.m.- Welcome! The stars walk down the red carpet. Guests include(in their charcther's name) Bob, Susan, Gordon, Maria, Luis, Gina, Miles, Gabby, Alan, Big Bird, and special guests Savion, Oliva, and Lilan. Near the end of the carpet, muppets(covered up by a black curtian) greet the guests. On the right is Elmo, Zoe, and Telly. On the left is Grover, Cookie Monster, and Abby Caddaby(she is cute ).

* 5:45p.m. - Dig - In! A dinner is held, and all the human cast members get to chow down. Meanwhile, the guests get to also share a picture with Big Bird, Elmo, or Zoe.

* 6:30 p.m.- Autographs! Bob, Susan, Gordon, Maria, and Luis sign autographs. Kids can also get an already autographed CD or T- shirt by Elmo, Big Bird, or Grover.

* 6:45 p.m.- Let's Play! 4 areas your little one can enjoy. Play hide and seek, meet Big Bird and Abby Cadabby , and all sorts in a replica of the most famous street in the world. In Elmo's World, their's so much to do! From bouncing on the soft cushioned walls, playing in a ball pit, or watching some of the most memorible and cheerful episodes, Elmo's World is the place. If you like classics, come by the Storybook Community School, where you'll find classic sesame segments, and airings of the most memborable episodes from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. And last but not least, before you leave, come by Hooper's Store, or Hooper's Giftshop, where you can find tons of Sesame collictibles that you'll never see in stores!

*7:30 p.m.- My Favorite Momment/ Q & A Bob, Susan, Big Bird, Maria, Grover, and Elmo share some of their favorite momments from the show's history. They later answer questions from the audience. To cap off the nignt, Bob, Oliva, Susan, Gordon, Maria, Luis , Zoe, Elmo, and Big Bird sing "What's the Name of That Song?"

8:45 p.m.- Closing Time.


Note: I'm not finished yet, but it's a start. Do you have any suggestions? I should also note that most of the main events occur in "main hall" or "show room." That's where the dinners and all the shows happen. Well that's all for now! Bye!

p.s. I will be adding more muppets into this. Look for Bert, Ernie, and soon!