THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 8, 1995 TAG: 9512080501
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
Quick. . .
Name Big Bird's teddy bear.
How many feathers does the big bird have?
How old is Elmo?
And just who is Baby Bear?
If you know the answers to all or any of these questions, you must be a Sesame Street aficionado.
But, did you know that Big Bird wears earrings and sideburns? That Baby Bear is a cute anthropology major from Pennsylvania? Or that Prairie Dawn loves country line dancing and is a vegetarian?
You would if you had had popcorn and drinks in the pub at the Norfolk Marriott Hotel with three of the actors in town for a three-day run of Sesame Street Live's ``Let's Be Friends.''
The show, which has become an annual holiday tradition in Hampton Roads, opens tonight at Scope. It features most of the Sesame Street characters we and our kids have grown to love - everyone from Grover to Cookie Monster to the Count - and a few new ones. Such as Baby Bear (taken straight from the fairy tale ``The Three Bears,'') and Zoe, a new female monster.
But we were curious about more than just the theme of this weekend's performance - it's about acceptance and friendship. We wanted to get behind the scenes. To learn what the real Big Bird was like. Was the cast as friendly and innocent as it appeared? And just what is at the core of Bert and Ernie's relationship?
First, we should tell you we didn't get to see Big Bird in costume. It's an ironclad rule that the feathered fowl's actor never leaves the stage in costume. But, thanks to a savvy publicity department, we do have one bright yellow feather - he loses about one a day - as a memento.
Big Bird, for those who don't know, is the eternal 6-year-old. He represents the curiosity in all children, says Jason A. Shaw, the 20-year-old, 6-foot, 2-inch actor who portrays the 8-foot, 2-inch winged wonder.
In fact, each Sesame Street character represents some part of a child, cast members say.
There's Grover - the perpetual 2-year-old in all of us.
Baby Bear - the part of every child that throws tantrums and hates it when someone gets to do things before him (like Goldilocks eating his porridge first).
Cookie Monster - the consummate party animal.
And Prairie Dawn - the bossy, pretty, 7-year-old who takes extreme delight in leading her friends around by the nose.
The actors know this, because they know their characters well.
Playing a role in Sesame Street - which has taught kids their numbers and letters for 27 years - means more than putting on a costume and dancing and singing in the stage lights. It means bringing a child's fantasy to life.
``You have to have your heart in it, because you have a lot of responsibility,'' says Mary Jo Marzilli, the 30-year-old Chicago native who plays Prairie Dawn. ``These kids look at you as their idols.''
Shaw puts it another way. ``It's as if we were going to see the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith. We'd look forward to it for months. Plan for it. That's how it is for the kids.''
So during eight shows a week, 44 weeks a year, the actors dive into eternal childhood. It's not difficult for them - most grew up watching Sesame Street. They had to do little or no research for their roles - these Generation Xers knew all there was to know about that magical neighborhood in New York City where age childhood lasts forever.
In many ways, they've merged their own personalities with their characters'.
Christy Wilhelm, the 23-year-old who plays Baby Bear, looks kind of like a cuddly teddy bear, with her wide smile and plump cheeks. She's used to fending off good-natured insults from both her adult cast members and the characters they play. She knows what Baby Bear wants for Christmas - a new bed (since Goldilocks broke his), and who he'll spending the holidays with (Mama and Poppa Bear, of course!).
Marzilli is thin, like her character, and appears more serious than her cast members - like her character. Ask her about Prairie's Christmas wish and she replies smugly, ``She's more concerned about giving presents to her friends than getting them.''
This after Shaw ticked off a plethora of presents for Big Bird: a giant bird feeder, a heated bird bath, a backpack stuffed with bird seed and straw through which to suck the luscious loot.
All agree, however, that the best present comes during and after the show, when they move into the audience and receive hugs and smiles from their young audience.
``The kids make it worthwhile,'' said assistant company manager Aaron Rowe. Sometimes they cling to the actors' legs. Other times they're so overwhelmed to see their idols that they shrink back, afraid. And when the show is over, several cry hysterically, insisting that it not end.
But always, they believe.
``To the kids, it's like it's TV come to life,'' Rowe said.
Oh, and for the record: Big Bird's teddy bear is named Radar; the oversized canary has 4,000 feathers; Bert, 7, and Ernie, 5, really are just very good friends, with Ernie playing the lighthearted buddy to Bert's overly controlling and always-worrying persona.
And yes, if Big Bird, Prairie Dawn and Baby Bear are any indication, the muppets who live on Sesame Street really are that friendly, happy and innocent. by CNB