Sesame Street characters will perform at Busch Gardens and be available for photos and meals.
By ROB BRANNON
Published November 27, 2003
[Times photos: Ken Helle]
Big Bird checks out the stage in the Stanleyville Theater at Busch Gardens before a rehearsal Monday. Director and choreographer Susie Streater is at back left.
Jamie (Bethany Honey) leads Ernie and Elmo in a song-and-dance number for Big Bird’s Beach Party.
He's red and furry with a big orange nose. He has one of the most recognizable voices in pop culture. When he walks on stage, his fans scream with unbridled delight.
He's Elmo, and he's coming to Tampa with his Sesame Street friends to appear in a holiday stage show at Busch Gardens.
"For 3- and 4-year-olds . . . when he walks on stage, you think a rock star is here," said Sharon Stulberg, spokeswoman for Sesame Workshop, the show's producer.
Elmo, Big Bird, the Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Zoe and Telly will appear in the 20-minute show twice a day at the Stanleyville Theater. Although the show will be a nice holiday treat for park guests, its theme is not at all Christmaslike. Big Bird's Beach Party was originally developed for Sesame Place, a Busch Gardens sister park in Pennsylvania that closes for the winter. The script was created by writers involved with the Sesame Street TV show, which boasts 61-million "graduates" over 35 years of production. Characters sing and dance their way through an adventure to the beach on a hot summer day. When they get there, they learn that Telly is afraid of the water. The characters help Telly overcome his fears. Afterward, the group interacts with the audience while considering what life would be like underwater.
More simply put, says Stulberg, "It's about imagination."
Also included in the performance will be some old Sesame Street favorites like the letter of the day. And, as always, the show will deliver a moral. "It imparts lessons on courage, friendship and overwhelming obstacles," said Busch Gardens spokesman Gerard Hoeppner. "Telly overcomes great fears."
After the show and at the park's Sultan Tent at various times throughout the day, characters will be available to pose for professional photographs. Of course, there will be plenty of Sesame Street merchandise at the park's gift shops.
If the show isn't enough Sesame Street for you, consider a meal with the gang. Prices are $12.95, $14.95 and $19.95 for breakfast, lunch and dinner, respectively, for adults, and $9.95, $10.95 and $12.95 for children. Make sure you call ahead for a reservation.
PREVIEW: Sesame Street Friends Show, 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday-Jan. 3, at Busch Gardens, 3605 Bougainvillea Ave., Tampa. Toll-free 1-800-372-1797 or www.buschgardens.com Included with park admission. Single-day: $51.95 plus tax for adults, $42.95 plus tax for ages 3-9. AARP members save $5 daily and $8 Tuesdays. Open 365 days.
