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WATCH: The Sesame Street Tiny Desk Concert

Sesame Street muppets
NPR
Big Bird and other Sesame Street muppets perform a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This just in: The Muppets have arrived at NPR!

The news has stopped!

Count von Count and the NPR kids count us down: 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1!

And there they are at the Tiny Desk: Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Rosita, Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster, all singing about a sunny day and how everything is A-OK. The Sesame Street crew — including Elmo, Grover and other surprise guests — visited NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C., to celebrate Sesame Street's 50 years of teaching the world its A-B-Cs, its 1-2-3s, how to be kind and how to be proud, all while spreading love and joy.

Sesame Street has won more major awards than any other group to play the Tiny Desk, including 11 Grammys and 192 Emmys. There was a lot of love as the cast of Sesame Street got to meet NPR hosts and newscasters, who in turn got to geek out meeting their favorite Muppets and the creators behind the felt and fur. These folks include Matt Vogel, Sesame Street's puppet captain and performer, and music director Bill Sherman.

I even got to sing with Grover. And I'll also say, on a personal note, that this may well have been the hardest-working, most dedicated group of performers I've ever worked with. I'm so proud of these Muppets and so happy to celebrate all that they've meant to the world for these 50 years.

SET LIST

  • "The Sesame Street Theme (Sunny Days)"
  • "People In Your Neighborhood"
  • "What I Am"
  • "Sing After Me"
  • "Medley"
  • "Sing"

MUSICIANS

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph: Abby Cadabby, Penguin; Ryan Dillon: Elmo; Eric Jacobson: Bert, Grover, Oscar; Peter Linz: Ernie, Herry Monster; Carmen Osbahr: Rosita; David Rudman: Cookie Monster; Matt Vogel: Big Bird, The Count, Mr. Johnson; John Deley: keys; Rob Jost: bass; Michael Croiter: drums

CREDITS

Producers: Bobby Carter, Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; creative director: Bob Boilen; audio engineers: Josh Rogosin, James Willetts; videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Niki Walker, CJ Riculan, Kara Frame, Beck Harlan; production assistants: Bronson Arcuri, Mito Habe Evans; photo: Claire Harbage/NPR

Copyright NPR. 

In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.