'Elmo's Green Thumb' slowly grows on you
By Bruce R. Miller | Posted: Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Things sure have changed on Sesame Street. Instead of ABC's and 123's, they talk about onomatopoeia, chlorophyll and Elmo's detachment problem.
Adult? In places, "Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb" is.
But there's still plenty for kids under 5 to enjoy.
In the latest edition (which plays through today at the Tyson Events Center), Elmo has decided to plant his friend Sunny, the sunflower. But where? Friends try to help, but he's not sure they know what's best.
So, Abby tries a little magic and makes Elmo and company small. As in Steve Martin small. They see the garden from a new perspective and get to do a little line-dancing with some ladybugs.
Directed by Sylvia Hase, the new show has more songs and dances than a Broadway revue, more audience participation than a game show.
The songs -- which cover everything from letters (a fast trip through the alphabet) to measurements -- borrow heavily from '80s pop songs.
And Bart Doerfler's choreography? At times it looks like it was cobbed from the Backstreet Boys, Cher and Gene Kelly.
Amazingly, the performers pull off some pretty intricate steps, considering they're working with oversized feet. Big Bird and Cookie do a little soft shoe. Some bugs try rapping and Baby Bear knows how to hoe his down. It's fun to watch but the show tries to appeal to so many different age groups there are bound to be moments of restlessness. (Parents of kids under 3, take note.)
While the first act is spent setting up the premise, the second is devoted to getting out of it. Because Abby can't think of the right word to reverse her spell ("All you need is ... glove?"), she's forced to make a cell phone call to her mom. She doesn't reach her ("No bars") but does get someone else who can give her the tools to find the right word. Interestingly, there's no riff on a certain Beatles song.
Instead, the Sesame Streeters do their versions of "New Attitude" the "Mexican Hat Dance" and "What's Goin' On." That gives parents a touchstone and kids a beat they can jump to.
The show doesn't have a lot of repetitive learning (you've got to keep up to get the Spanish lesson) but it does provide enough face time with the favorites. Elmo's everywhere and Big Bird gets the kind of attention a legend deserves.
The dancing is good and a couple of bug scenes are pretty inventive. In place of the black light number (a "Sesame Street Live" staple), Hase has added a video screen. It adds another dimension and helps hold audience attention.
"Elmo's Green Thumb" may take a while to grow on you, but once it does, you'll wonder why they didn't spend more time in the garden just to do a little hoe, hoe, hoeing.
"Sesame Street Live" has two performances today, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 7 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center. Tickets are available for both.
Adult? In places, "Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb" is.
But there's still plenty for kids under 5 to enjoy.
In the latest edition (which plays through today at the Tyson Events Center), Elmo has decided to plant his friend Sunny, the sunflower. But where? Friends try to help, but he's not sure they know what's best.
So, Abby tries a little magic and makes Elmo and company small. As in Steve Martin small. They see the garden from a new perspective and get to do a little line-dancing with some ladybugs.
Directed by Sylvia Hase, the new show has more songs and dances than a Broadway revue, more audience participation than a game show.
The songs -- which cover everything from letters (a fast trip through the alphabet) to measurements -- borrow heavily from '80s pop songs.
And Bart Doerfler's choreography? At times it looks like it was cobbed from the Backstreet Boys, Cher and Gene Kelly.
Amazingly, the performers pull off some pretty intricate steps, considering they're working with oversized feet. Big Bird and Cookie do a little soft shoe. Some bugs try rapping and Baby Bear knows how to hoe his down. It's fun to watch but the show tries to appeal to so many different age groups there are bound to be moments of restlessness. (Parents of kids under 3, take note.)
While the first act is spent setting up the premise, the second is devoted to getting out of it. Because Abby can't think of the right word to reverse her spell ("All you need is ... glove?"), she's forced to make a cell phone call to her mom. She doesn't reach her ("No bars") but does get someone else who can give her the tools to find the right word. Interestingly, there's no riff on a certain Beatles song.
Instead, the Sesame Streeters do their versions of "New Attitude" the "Mexican Hat Dance" and "What's Goin' On." That gives parents a touchstone and kids a beat they can jump to.
The show doesn't have a lot of repetitive learning (you've got to keep up to get the Spanish lesson) but it does provide enough face time with the favorites. Elmo's everywhere and Big Bird gets the kind of attention a legend deserves.
The dancing is good and a couple of bug scenes are pretty inventive. In place of the black light number (a "Sesame Street Live" staple), Hase has added a video screen. It adds another dimension and helps hold audience attention.
"Elmo's Green Thumb" may take a while to grow on you, but once it does, you'll wonder why they didn't spend more time in the garden just to do a little hoe, hoe, hoeing.
"Sesame Street Live" has two performances today, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 7 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center. Tickets are available for both.
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