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Sesame Street, Yo Gabba live shows coming soon

Posted Oct 14, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Oct 14, 2011 at 03:55 PM

I grew up on Sesame Street, and one of the perks of parenting has been getting to revisit my favorite characters, sketches and songs (Ladybug Picnic anyone?).

One of the things I appreciated about the show as I got older was its nod to adults. It talks to kids, not down to them, and has a sense of humor that isn’t cloying. Throughout the years, it has featured guest stars who are popular with parents, making it fun to watch with your children.

Lucky for me (and my son), Sesame Street is still going strong – and if you have seen the “Glee” parody online, it’s obvious the show hasn’t forgotten its adult fans. Also lucky for me, there’s a newish kid on the children’s programming block that has similar strong points in a completely different package.

I’m talking of course about Yo Gabba Gabba, which will seem incredibly trippy and weird if you don’t have kids and maybe even if you do, the first time you watch it. Yo Gabba Gabba doesn’t have fuzzy monsters, it has other creatures (I knew Muno was a Cyclops but Foofa is a “pink flower bubble” apparently) who sing and dance along with catchy melodies. I will bet I’m not the only parent who dances in her chair at dinner singing “There’s a party in my tummy” to my 2-year-old. Am I?

It’s a fun, interactive show. Like Sesame Street, one of the biggest treats for parents is seeing what special guests are on – Jack Black, Anthony Bourdain, Amy Sedaris, The Killers and many more have appeared.

Both Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba have live musical shows touring right now and both – yay for us – are coming to the Tampa Bay area this fall. Your biggest dilemma might just be which one to attend.

Here’s the lowdown.

Sesame Street Live is presenting “Elmo’s Super Heroes,” where Elmo and his Fabulous Five help out Super Grover regain his superness. The crew teaches about healthy habits through their songs (“Old MacDonald,” “Splish Splash,” “Sunny Days” and more) to get Grover to feel better.

It’s playing at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Tickets range from $12 to $22, not including fees.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live is performing shows at 3 and 6 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street S., St. Petersburg. Tickets are $25 to $45, not including fees. 

You’ll see all the main characters, including DJ Lance Rock, and new Yo Gabba songs and performances as well as old favorites.

You know you want to go. Because singing and dancing is awesome.