You don't have to tell Les Bowen how to get to Sesame Street -- it's in a theater filled with screaming kids, ready to rip the feathers off his Big Bird outfit.
In Sesame Street Live: Everyone Makes Music, music teacher Jenny, who's just moved to the block, unpacks and discovers that the truck carrying all her instruments has been lost in the shuffle. Once Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and pals find out, they show Jenny some instruments that nobody thought existed. "From banging pots and pans and clapping your hands to stomping your feet, we want to get the kids up and moving," says the six-foot-one Bowen, who gains an additional two feet in his costume.
After the audience is whipped into a frenzy, Bert, Ernie, and the gang get down to business with a score of songs about colors, numbers, and the ABCs. Toss "The Hustle" and "Rockin' Robin" into the mix, and the show becomes a rock concert for preschoolers. "They're dancing around the front of the stage and hollering your name, and they think I'm really Big Bird," Bowen says. "It's kinda like a little-kid mosh pit." It happens at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the Akron Civic Theater, 182 South Main Street in Akron. Tickets are $13 to $16; call 330-253-2488. -- Cris Glaser
Flurry Fest
Step inside to bask in the joy of winter weather.
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If your kids love winter but hate going outside to experience it, they're sure to warm to Lakewood Public Library's Let It Snow program. The celebration of chilly weather features stories, songs, a finger play, and craft-making. "Although the stories are geared more toward two- to six-year-olds, children of any age will appreciate them," says spokesperson Katie Call. "But first, we always sing 'The Welcome Song.'" Fittingly, a rousing version of "The Goodbye Song" wraps things up. It all takes place at the library (15425 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood) at 10:30 a.m., 2, and 7 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m., 2, and 4 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Call 216-226-8275 for more information. -- Diane Sofranec
