3 minute read
Make Magic With Sesame Street!
by Jacqueline Moon
Sesame Street LIVE! Make Your Magic is coming to Roanoke on April 2, and we are so excited! Along with all your favorite characters from Sesame Street (plus a new-to-the-stage fuzzy friend!), this show promises to take its audience on an amazing journey with Elmo to discover the “power of yet” — the lesson that with perseverance and practice, nothing can stand between you and your dream.
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In the show, Elmo meets a magician named Justin and is inspired to learn a magic trick of his own. But there’s one problem . . . Elmo doesn’t know how to do magic! Justin encourages Elmo to practice, work hard, and never give up, and this leads Elmo on a wonderful journey. He learns that it’s okay to make mistakes and that magic can be found anywhere when you believe in yourself and the power of what’s yet to be.
Maddie Wheatley, the actor who portrays Elmo in the show, said that her favorite part of being in this production is that she’s out there as many kids’ favorite Sesame Street character. “I love being up on that stage and seeing their reactions,” said Maddie, who grew up watching and loving Elmo’s World on TV.
Justin the magician — and host of the show — is Justin Baret, who has been performing on one stage or another since he was 12 years old. He, too, grew up watching Elmo’s World. About being involved in Sesame Street LIVE!, Justin said, “It’s a dream come true. It hardly feels like work!” He wasn’t a magician prior to taking on this role, but was coached by a professional magician in order to do the tricks on Make Your Magic.
The show’s magic continues with Cookie Monster and Gonger, the lovable sous chef of the Sesame Street segment Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck, as they uncover the science and fun of baking, and Abby Cadabby, who experiences the transformative abilities of caterpillars. Rosita orchestrates a rhythmic beat using everyday objects around her while Big Bird learns about the magnifying magic of shadow puppetry. And artist Grover mixes up the pigment power of the three primary colors.
Big Bird is portrayed in the show by aerial artist Brandon Wagner, who absolutely adores his character. “What I love about Big Bird is the childlike wonder and awe he invokes in both children and adults,” Brandon said. “He’s a favorite of young and old alike, a bridge between generations of Sesame Street fans.”
Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic has high-energy dance numbers and a soundtrack that’s sure to get everyone out of their seats, and it’s an inspirational introduction both to live theater and the art of illusion that the entire family — even big kids— will enjoy. “Bring older brothers and sisters,” Justin said. “Kids of all ages, and parents, will love it.”
“One of the messages of the show,” said Brandon, “is that you can find magic in everyday life — in baking cookies, in shadows, in butterflies. Life really is magical, and we’re helping people learn that in a fun, engaging way.”
Another message kids (and everyone) will walk away with, Maddie said, is that it’s okay to struggle. “It’s the power of yet. Everybody struggles. Just never give up.”
Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic will be on the
Berglund Performing Arts Theater stage on April 2 at 6:00p.m. And before the show, at 5:00, there’s an Elmo & Friends Meet & Greet, where you can interact with Elmo and other characters, get pictures with Elmo, walk on stage to experience Sesame Street, participate in a scavenger hunt (with a special prize upon completion!), and experience an in-person magic trick.
Tickets for the Meet & Greet are $25, and tickets for Make Your Magic range from $21 to $56, depending on seat selection. You can purchase tickets by calling the Berglund Center box office at 877-482-8496, going to theberglundcenter.com, or visiting the box office at 710 Williamson Road, Roanoke, VA 24016. (Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.)
