It’s going to be a sunny day in New York City when Sesame Street Live: Make our Magic comes to town. The family-friendly show is going to be full of great stories, songs, dances and some extra special magic for kids of all ages! We got a sneak preview of the show with Beatriz Antunez who portrays Abby Cadabby.
Q&A with Beatriz Antunez of “Sesame Street Live”
JB: Tell us about yourself and how you began your work with Sesame Street Live.
BA: I am from Orlando, FL and began performing at the age of 13. Prior to joining Sesame Street Live! I was performing at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and Busch Gardens. I auditioned in May of 2017 for Sesame Street Live! and was honored when I received the opportunity to perform for a few months with Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party and then ecstatic to find out that I had been cast as Abby Cadabby in Feld Entertainment’s brand-new production, Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic.
JB: How do you bring Abby Cadabby, my kids’ favorite small screen TV character alive on the big stage? And prepare all our favorite characters to take the stage?
BA: The creative team behind Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic worked for over a year to assemble this brand-new show! They worked closely with Sesame Workshop to ensure that the story, activities, songs and games align with the Sesame Workshop mission to help make children smarter, stronger and kinder. Myself and my fellow cast members rehearsed six days a week for eight weeks to bring this show to life. The rehearsal process involved intense puppetry, animation and magic workshops along with learning the high energy dance choreography to the pop infused songs like “Sunny Days,” “The Power of Yet,” and “Elmo’s Got The Moves” and of course learning all our blocking. It’s a demanding and exhausting process to be a part of a new show opening, but extremely rewarding at the same time.
JB: How does being bilingual help your work and influence your character/performance?
BA: For an additional cost, families who attend Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic can participate in and up-close-and-personal pre-show experience with Elmo and Friends Meet & Greet. I enjoy being able to meet and interact with these families that we are going to be performing for prior to the show. Being bilingual provides me the opportunity to communicate with a wider portion of our audience members.
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JB: Make Your Magic is a new production. Can you fill us in on this new show concept? What you are most excited about?
BA: Make Your Magic is a highly interactive and musically driven live stage show featuring Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Count Von Count, Big Bird, Rosita, Grover and for the first time Gonger! Families go on an amazing journey with Elmo and Abby Cadabby to discover the “power of yet” —the lesson that with perseverance and practice, nothing can stand between you and your dream. Throughout the journey, Elmo and Abby Cadabby inspire all their friends to find magic in their everyday lives.
JB: Tell us how the show will be different from other Sesame Street Live productions?
BA: Make Your Magic is a brand-new show featuring illusions and a unique story line. For the first time anywhere – Gonger, Cookie Monster’s Sous Chef, will be making a live appearance. Cookie and Gonger will arrive on stage in their Foodie Truck! They will have the entire audience out of their seats and dancing along with them to the “Cookie Shuffle” – Audience Members will be: “Pouring, Mixing and Baking It With a Friend!”
JB: What can the audience expect?
BA: Audiences at the Hulu Theater at MSG can expect to experience a high energy interactive production with a pop infusion soundtrack that features some of their favorite songs. They will uncover the science and fun of baking with Cookie Monster and Gonger. They will hear Rosita orchestrate a rhythmic beat using everyday objects around her. They will learn about the pigment power of the three primary colors from Grover. They will learn about the magnifying magic of shadow puppetry with Big Bird and experience the transformative abilities of caterpillars with Abby Cadabby. I am most excited for families to be able to experience the magic of Sesame Street Live! together and make memories that will last a life time.
JB: What are your favorite songs/dances from the show?
BA: Sesame Street Live! has a pop-infused soundtrack and high-energy dance numbers that will get everybody on their feet and dancing to favorite Sesame Street hits such as: “Sunny Days,” “Power Of Yet,” “Elmo’s Got The Moves,” “C is for Cookie,” “What Makes Music,” and “Three Primary Colors.”
JB: Any super special effects secret surprises you can share with our readership?
BA: Your readers don’t want to miss Abby Cadabby’s entrance! Let’s just say she will be winging in for her grand entrance, “It’s So Magical!”
JB: What will Families enjoy most about seeing the show together?
BA: Sesame Street Live! is a great opportunity to introduce young children to their first theatrical experience. With musically and visually driven storytelling, parents and children alike will enjoy participating in the interactive and fun moments on and off the stage. Families will have the opportunity to meet & speak with Maya Monster in the lobby of the Hulu Theater 30 minutes prior to every performance. Maya Monster is a Muppet that was created specifically for Sesame Street Live! She works in the information booth is there to interact with children prior to the show. She sings songs and counts with them and answers any questions they have.
JB: What is the one thing everyone should know about the new show?
BA: I would personally like to invite families to attend Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden February 15-24! You will join Elmo and Abby Cadabby to discover the “power of yet” —the lesson that with perseverance and practice, nothing can stand between you and your dream.
As Abby Cadabby would say, “Twinkle Out!”
You can purchase tickets now at sesamestreetlive.com
