Sesame Street Live is a series of live touring stage shows based on the popular educational children’s television series Sesame Street. The shows feature costumed actors portraying the Sesame Street Muppet characters singing, dancing, and interacting with the audience. Sesame Street Live shows are geared towards younger children and their families. The shows aim to educate and entertain kids through music, humor, and audience participation. As with any live stage performance, the length of Sesame Street Live shows can vary. But most Sesame Street Live productions run between 60-90 minutes.
Typical Run Time for Sesame Street Live Productions
The majority of Sesame Street Live shows over the years have had a run time of 60-90 minutes. This allows enough time to feature numerous skits, musical numbers, special effects, and audience interactions to keep young kids engaged. Some examples of typical run times for Sesame Street Live shows include:
- Sesame Street Live “Let’s Party!” (2019-2020 tour) – 75 minutes
- Sesame Street Live “Make a New Friend” (2018 tour) – 60 minutes
- Sesame Street Live “Elmo Makes Music” (2017 tour) – 90 minutes
- Sesame Street Live “Elmo’s Super Heroes” (2016 tour) – 60 minutes
- Sesame Street Live “Can’t Stop Singing” (2014-2015 tour) – 75 minutes
As you can see, most Sesame Street Live shows over the past several years have run between 60-90 minutes in length. This provides a good amount of content while not exceeding most young children’s attention spans.
Factors Impacting Run Time
Several factors can influence the exact run time of a particular Sesame Street Live production:
- Number of skits, songs, and performer interactions – More content will increase overall show length
- Complexity of scene changes – Quicker scene changes allow for more compact show
- Amount of intermission time – Intermission provides bathroom break but adds time
- Audience interactions – More kids on stage equals more time
- Use of double cast – Having two casts alternate allows for longer shows
So the run time may vary slightly between venues or performances, but expect a Sesame Street Live show to last between 60-90 minutes in most cases.
Sample Sesame Street Live Schedule
To give you a better idea of how the content is timed out for a typical Sesame Street Live show, here is a sample schedule:
Time | Segment |
---|---|
0:00-0:02 | Introduction/Welcome |
0:03-0:12 | Elmo’s Dance Number |
0:13-0:19 | Cookie Monster Skit |
0:20-0:25 | Abby Cadabby Magic Tricks |
0:26-0:31 | Big Bird’s Imagination Adventure |
0:32-0:37 | Count von Count’s Number Dance |
0:38-0:46 | Bert and Ernie Skit |
0:47-0:52 | Zoe’s Dance Lesson Audience Participation |
0:53-0:59 | Grover’s Sing-Along |
1:00-1:07 | Intermission |
1:08-1:19 | Super Grover to the Rescue |
1:20-1:29 | Elmo’s Bubble Fun |
1:30-1:38 | Abby’s Magic Mayhem with Volunteer Kids |
1:39-1:47 | Cookie Monster’s Food Songs |
1:48-1:55 | Big Bird’s Goodbye Sing-Along |
1:56-2:00 | Goodbye and Thank You |
As you can see from this sample schedule, it allows for a nice mix of upbeat musical numbers, slower skits, audience interactions, and an intermission – all adding up to around 90 minutes total.
Ideal Length for Audience
A 60-90 minute run time hits the sweet spot when considering the attention span and bladder capacity of most preschool and early elementary school aged kids. Any shorter and it wouldn’t allow for enough Sesame Street content and interactions. But any significantly longer could test the patience of such young audience members.
Most parents of 3-8 year olds find this timeframe reasonable for their children. It gives them enough Sesame Street entertainment without going overboard. And the inclusion of an intermission halfway through the show provides a natural break allowing kids to use the restroom and parents to get snacks to keep their energy up until the end.
Benefits of 60-90 Minutes
Some benefits of the typical 60-90 minute run time for Sesame Street Live include:
- Engages young audience with enough variety without dragging
- Allows for 15-20 different skits/songs to feature key characters
- Provides natural intermission break halfway through show
- Enough time for multiple kids to participate on stage
- Fits well with attention span and bladder capacity of target age range
So while every venue and performance may vary slightly, the 60-90 minute run time has proven to be the standard length most suitable for Sesame Street Live’s preschool target audience over the decades.
Changes to Run Time Over the Years
While 60-90 minutes has been the norm, the run time for Sesame Street Live shows has evolved somewhat over the decades:
- 1970s-1980s – First shows were closer to 60 minutes
- 1990s – Expanded to 75-90 minutes with more characters/content
- 2000s – Added more interactivity and audience participation
- 2010s – Began targeting under 3 crowd with 50 minute “One-Two-Three” shows
In recent years they’ve experimented with “Elmo Rocks” concerts aimed at older kids up to 60 minutes. So run times have adapted over the generations, but that “Sesame Street Live” magic has continued engaging young audiences for over 45 years.
Future Run Time Considerations
Some ways run times may shift for future Sesame Street Live shows include:
- More pre-show activities to engage kids arriving early
- Adding a short 10-15 minute “opening act” before main show
- Continuing to expand target age downwards with 45 minute toddler versions
- Splitting shows into two 40 minute halves with intermission focused on merch/concessions
But the core 60-90 minute format will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
Conclusion
In summary, most Sesame Street Live productions run between 60-90 minutes in length. This allows enough time to feature a variety of skits, musical numbers, audience interactions and a mid-show intermission – all timed right for the average attention span of their preschool target audience. Many factors go into the exact run time, so it may vary slightly between venues and performances. But you can expect the show to last around 1-1.5 hours from start to finish. That hour or so of Sesame Street fun will fly by quickly for most young fans!