All the way from Sesame Street to Dubai

Elmo Makes Music will have all of the 34-year-old show’s favourite characters, including Abby Cadabby and Big Bird making music out of pots, spoons, bin lids and cookie jars from September 29 to October 4 at Madinat Theatre.

Elmo and Cookie Monster. Courtesy Sesame Workshop

Elmo and his famous neighbours from Sesame Street are coming to Dubai next week with a new musical stage show.

Elmo Makes Music will feature all of the 45-year-old show's favourite characters, including Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and Big Bird – who promise to make music with pots, spoons, bin lids and cookie jars.

With the revival of Iftah Ya Simsim – the Arabic version of Sesame Street that was broadcast in the region from 1979 until 1991 – due to start filming in Abu Dhabi later this year – the timing couldn't be better.

Alex Mir, the managing director of the show organisers DNA PR and Events, says his daughter had helped to persuade him to bring the latest live version of the children’s show to the UAE.

“Elmo is like a rock star for children and they go crazy when they see him,” he says. “My 2-year-old daughter is a big fan, and we saw the requirement for good children’s entertainment here.

"So we sat down with the Sesame Street team and have planned many more shows in the next few months for Dubai and the region."

The Broadway-style production features work from the Emmy Award-winning writer and Sesame Street puppeteer Joey Mazzarino, the writer Christine Ferraro and the playwright Annie Evans.

Elmo Makes Music is one of the several Sesame Street shows touring the world this year and is produced and presented by VEE Corporation in association with Sesame Workshop, which makes the television show.

The stage show – which presents its young audience with entertaining lessons in patience, acceptance and teamwork – features 24 songs, including The Hustle, You Should Be Dancing, Rockin' Robin and the classic sing-alongs C Is for Cookie and The Alphabet Song. (Trivia alert: Elmo and Cookie Monster are among the highest ranked TV and cartoon characters among children between the ages of 2 and 5.)

“It’s a family show and will appeal to toddlers, 10-year-old children, teenagers and even adults,” says Mir. “Parents who grew up watching the show continue to appreciate the educational element of this programme.”

• Elmo Makes Music is at Madinat Jumeirah Theatre from Monday until October 4. Tickets are Dh199 for children and Dh299 for adults from www.ticketmaster.ae