Sesame Street Live!/Transcript

Staples Center
The show begins with Bruno the Trashman (performed in-costume by Matt Vogel) entering the stage with a trash can. Bruno drops the can and leaves.

Oscar the Grouch (performed by Eric Jacobson with assistance from Paul McGinnis) pops out of the can.

OSCAR: Oh, hello. Welcome to Sesame Street, live in Los Angeles. How's everyone tonight?

(audience cheers)

OSCAR: Yeah? Well, I feel dirty and rotten! In other words, I feel like my old Grouchy self. Uh, I suppose it's time for you to get outta your seats for the national anthem. Oh, don't get me wrong. We Grouches are thankful for this country, too. We're thankful for all the trash, bad aromas and angry people we get every day! Heh-heh-heh! But we honor this nation by performing the embodiment of our representation in this democratic dump heap: the patriotic Grouch Anthem. Now, for the Grouch Anthem, you stay sitting down. Now get comfy there, but not too comfy, because I'm gonna sing.

Grouches of the world, unite Stand up for your Grouchly rights Don't let the sunshine spoil your rain Just stand up and complain

Let this be a Grouch's cause Point out everybody's flaws Something is wrong with everything Except the way I sing!

Ten other Grouches (performed by Kevin Clash, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Joey Mazzarino, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz, Jim Martin, Tyler Bunch, Noel MacNeal, and John Kennedy with assistance from Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Ryan Dillon, Tim Lagasse, Lara MacLean, Pam Arciero, Tau Bennett, Carmen Osbahr, Jennifer Barnhart, Warrick Brownlow-Pike, and Stephanie D'Abruzzo) appear around Oscar.

OSCAR: You know what's right with this country? Nothing. Wanna know what gets me hot under the collar? You name it! So the next time some goody-two-shoes comes by and tells you to have a nice day, always remember...

Don't let the sunshine spoil your rain Just stand up and complain Just stand up and complain!

The Grouches disappear.

OSCAR: Well, I guess the show's about to start now, so let me leave you with these words: "Have a rotten day!" Heh-heh-heh! Ugh!

Oscar pops back into his can, which is hauled away by a vaudeville cane.

Now, Trevor Monster (puppeteered by Tyler Bunch with assistance from Carmen Osbahr and voiced by Ryan Dillon) arrives on stage.

TREVOR: Hi. I'm Trevor. I'm the director's assistant for the Sesame Street stage show tour, and boy, have we got a show for you! Hmm...but there doesn't seem to be a "we" anywhere. I better call the rest of the guys.

Somebody come and play Somebody come and play today Somebody come and smile some smiles And sing some songs; it won't be long Somebody come and play today

Somebody come and play Somebody come and play my way Somebody come and laugh some laughs And rhyme some rhymes; it won't take time Somebody come and play today

Somebody come with me, and see the pleasure in the wind Somebody see the time is getting late to begin

Somebody come and play Somebody come and play today Somebody come and be my friend And watch the sun 'til it rains again Somebody come and play today

Prairie Dawn (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo with assistance from Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) enters the stage.

PRAIRIE DAWN: Sunny days Sweepin' the clouds away On my way to where The air is sweet

PRAIRIE DAWN & TREVOR: Can you tell me how to get How to get to Sesame Street?

TREVOR: Come and play Everything's A-OK Friendly neighbors there That's where we meet

PRAIRIE DAWN & TREVOR: Can you tell me how to get How to get to Sesame Street? (x3)

The beginning bars of "Rubber Duckie" start playing.

PRAIRIE DAWN: Oh! It's the next song in our medley. Take it away, Ernie!

Ernie (performed by Peter Linz with assistance from Pam Arciero) pops up, dressed in only a towel, his hair full of soap, and holding his iconic bath toy.

ERNIE: Oh, Rubber Duckie, you're the one You make bathtime lots of fun Rubber Duckie, I am awfully fond of you Bo-bo-bo-de-oh!

Rubber Duckie, joy of joys When I squeeze you, you make noise Rubber Duckie, you're my very best friend, it's true!

Now, the beginning of "Doin' the Pigeon" plays.

PRAIRIE DAWN: Alright, Bert! You're on!

Bert (performed by Eric Jacobson with assistance from Paul McGinnis) enters the stage dressed like a pigeon.

BERT: Doin' the (coo-coo!) pigeon Doin' the (coo-coo!) pigeon Dancing a little smidgeon of The kind of ballet that sweeps me away

Doin' the (coo-coo!) pigeon Doin' the (coo-coo!) pigeon Doin' the (coo-coo!) pigeon every day!

The beginning of "C is for Cookie" plays as Cookie Monster (performed by David Rudman with assistance from John Kennedy) pops up beside Prairie, holding a cookie.

PRAIRIE DAWN: Hi, Cookie Monster.

COOKIE MONSTER: 'C' is for 'cookie'; that good enough for me (x3) Oh, 'cookie', 'cookie', 'cookie' start with 'C'!

PRAIRIE DAWN: Alright, your turn, Big Bird!

Big Bird (puppeteered by Noel MacNeal and voiced by Matt Vogel) enters the stage as "ABC-DEF-GHI" begins playing.

BIG BIRD: ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTU-VWXYZ It's the most remarkable word I've ever seen ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTU-VWXYZ I wish I knew exactly what I mean

It starts off as an 'A' word, as anyone can see But somewhere in the middle, it gets awfully 'QR' to me!

ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTU-VWXYZ If I ever find out just what this word can mean I'll be the smartest bird that you have ever seen!

Now, the chorus of "Song of the Count" plays.

PRAIRIE DAWN: You're next, Count.

The Count (performed by Matt Vogel with assistance from Jennifer Barnhart) enters the stage.

COUNT: I count slowly, slowly, slowly getting faster Once I've started counting, it's very hard to stop Hey! Faster, faster; it is so exciting! I could count forever; count until I drop!

Oh! 1, 2, 3, 4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4 1-2, I love counting, whatever the amount! Yes! 1, 2, 3, 4, heyayayay, heyayayay 1-2-3-4, 1-2, that's the song of the Count!'' Ah-ah-ah!

On cue, the Count's trademark lightning and thunder hit the theater.

The start of "Elmo's Song" plays next, as Elmo (performed by Kevin Clash with assistance from Ryan Dillon) comes in playing a piano.

PRAIRIE DAWN: Take it, Elmo!

ELMO: This is the song, la la la la, Elmo's song La la la la, la la la la, Elmo's song La la la, la la la la (La la la la la) La la la, la la la la (La la la la la) Elmo loves to sing, la la la la, Elmo's song La la la la, la la la la, Elmo's song He wrote the music, he wrote the words That's Elmo's song!

The gang assembles in the middle of the stage.

PRAIRIE DAWN: So, is that everyone? BIG BIRD: Well, only a few of how many of us are here tonight. ELMO: But Elmo thinks there's still someone missing. ERNIE: Oh! I know who you're talking about!

Everyone looks at the audience.

EVERYONE: You!

"Welcome!" begins to play.

PRAIRIE DAWN: We wanna say,'Welcome!' (Welcome!) Welcome to the party