The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Sesame Street to Celebrate Beloved Show’s 45th Season with Behind-The-Scenes Exhibition

“Somebody Come and Play”: 45 Years of Learning on Sesame Street Opens September 18, Featuring Muppets™, Children’s Area, Scripts, Scores and More.

(Map and Directions)

“Somebody Come and Play,” named after the  classic Sesame Street song, will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the show’s development process creating educational and entertaining content, and an opportunity to get close to the fuzzy and furry friends from everyone’s favorite street. The exhibition will feature items from the archives of Sesame Workshop and The Library for the Performing Arts including scripts, storyboards, lead sheets, designs, photographs, animation cels, scores and more. Snuffy and Super Grover will be on display in a child-friendly area where children can enjoy Sesame Street books, games, apps and e-books. Visitors will also learn about Sesame Street international programs and view Muppets from other countries.

Learn how show segments start with an educational foundation and the process from page to screen.

Scripts, storyboards, lead sheets, designs, and scores from the archives of Sesame Workshop and the Library for the Performing Arts illustrate how Sesame Street enhances early childhood education with the highest of production values.

See behind the scenes footage, animation cels, photographs, blueprints and an architectural model of the set from the early 90’s.

Get up close with Elmo, Oscar,  Grover and other favorite characters.

Watch show highlights, a retrospective of many  of the celebrated performers and notable people that have visited Sesame Street, and special appearances over the years.

Check out Sesame Street products from record albums, to toys and clothing.

View Sesame Street book art and original art from a Sesame Street newspaper comic.

Learn about Sesame Streetinternational programs and view Muppets from other countries.

Snuffy and Super Grover welcome visitors to a child-friendly area for reading Sesame Street books, creating art projects and playing with Sesame Street games, apps and e-books.

In conjunction with the exhibition, The Library for the Performing Arts will present film screenings and public programs on puppeteering, scriptwriting and creating digital media for Sesame Street, and special programming for children and families.

“Somebody Come and Play”: 45 Years of Learning on Sesame Street will be on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery, Shelby Cullom Davis Museum at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts located in Lincoln Center from September 18, 2014 through January 31, 2015.

“Somebody Come and Play”: 45 Years of Learning on Sesame Street was organized by Sesame Workshop and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Sesame Workshop®, Sesame Street®, and associated characters, trademarks, and design elements are owned and licensed by Sesame Workshop. © 2014 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

Major support for this exhibit provided by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation. Additional support provided by Barbara G. Fleischman.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the leadership support of Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman. Additional support for exhibitions has been provided by Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg and the Miriam and Harold Steinberg Foundation.