The muppet show in China

This is Kevin Michale's second tour of China. Not that audience members are likely to place his face. The American dancer spends most of his working life inside a green costume playing "Oscar" the famous grouch. Michale is here with a cast of dozens as part of Sesame Street Live's China Tour.

The show is based on the US children's television show of the same name - Sesame Street.

The muppets in Sesame Street Live – Elmo’s Green Thumb. [Global Times]

The letter 'e'

The show features muppets, animation and short films and is regarded as the pre-eminent children's television program of the last 50 years, for its successful combination of the two "e"s: education and entertainment.

Michale told the Global Times that he has been watching Sesame Street since he was 4 years old.

"I remember having fun while learning how to count and how to recite the alphabet. And the characters in Sesame Street, known as muppets, became my good friends in my imagination, and they helped me to learn. Also, it was a part of my mother's routine; first we watched Sesame Street, and then we watched her afternoon television shows," he said.

Sesame Street Live is based on the TV show and was created by Vincent E. Egan in 1980. Today he is also the executive producer of the VEE Corporation, which produces the show.

"I had the opportunity to work with Jim Henson who created the muppet characters in the Sesame Street television show. I realized that bringing these characters to life on stage would fulfill my vision. I wanted to bring live family entertainment into the mainstream, something that both children and caregivers could enjoy," he said.

The live show of Sesame Street features the most popular aspects of the television show including the characters Big Bird, Elmo, Bert, Abby Cadabby and Oscar. In the live show, these characters are all played by professional dancers and singers. On stage they each appear in life-sized muppet costumes, performing in a theatrical style, accompanied by original music scores and songs.

Egan told the Global Times that the biggest difference between the live show and the television version is that "the live shows are highly interactive."

"The characters encourage audience's participation, such as clapping and singing along, and even leave the stage to engage children in the audience. The thrill of live theater is something we encourage all families to experience. Nothing can replace the dynamic of live entertainment, shared with others in a given moment in time," he said.

On the road

The first Sesame Street Live made its debut at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota in 1980. Since then, it has been touring both in the US and around the whole world. During every touring season, which lasts between eight and 10 months, there are usually three separate productions handled by three independent touring teams.

For its 2010 to 2011 season, Sesame Street Live has three productions: 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo & Friends, Elmo's Green Thumb and When Elmo Grows Up. Last year, when the Sesame Street Live came to China for their first time, they presented When Elmo Grows Up in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It is based around lessons for perseverance, teamwork and the power of the imagination.

And this year, from June to August, Sesame Street Live presents Elmo's Green Thumb, a story about environmental protection in major Chinese cities such as Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing.

As a professional dancer, Michale has been performing with Sesame Street for almost nine years. He played the role of Super Grover for four and a half years and Bert for three years before taking on his current part of Oscar.

"Oscar has green, dirty fur, and lives in a trash can," Michale said. "He is grouchy and grumpy all of the time, but he is still loved by his friends on Sesame Street. I think that Big Bird, Elmo, and especially Cookie Monster receive the biggest reaction from the audience. They are recognized worldwide."

"We are a large, Broadway-style production with 13 performers, six crew members, and three managers. Some dancers have multiple roles within the show. If they don't switch quickly and precisely from one costume to the next - sometimes with only minutes between changes - then they could miss their cue or mess up an onstage dance number. These quick changes are difficult, especially when a performer is hot and sweaty," Michale said.

Egan told the Global Times that, for Elmo's Green Thumb, they specifically designed the Mandarin version in advance, translated and recorded by native Mandarin speakers with the help of Los Angeles-based SDI Media Group.

Date: July 28 to August 3, 7:15 pm

Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center

Address: 425 Dingxiang Road

Tickets: 80 to 580 yuan

Call: 021-6854-1234 for details