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Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration is a special produced for Sesame Street’s 25th anniversary. Released in a slightly different form on video as Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years in October 1993, the special was shelved for its broadcast premiere on PBS until 1994, during pledge drive season, and in many markets, aired as part of a marathon block with Sesame Street Visits the Firehouse, Put Down the Duckie, and A New Baby in My House. The special was a companion to the prime-time network special, Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!

The broadcast and home video versions have the same linking footage (with a couple of added scenes and alternate takes), but different clips. Sesame Street Jam focused on celebrity segments, many coming from segments filmed for the 25th season; A Musical Celebration replaced most of these segments with classic Sesame Street songs. However, they both end with the cast and Ladysmith Black Mambazo performing "Sing." The music score throughout the special is also changed in many places for the home video release.

Picture Segment Description
SCENE 1 Everyone enjoys a day in the park as the calypso version of the Sesame Street Theme plays.
The home video version does not include the credits shown on-screen, primarily listing the celebrity guests.
SS25-scene1b
SCENE 1 cont'd Big Bird, Prairie Dawn and Telly watch as everyone expresses themselves with music, dance and other talents. Big Bird is reminded of a quote his Granny Bird told him, "The whole world is a stage." Prairie gets the idea to put on a show. Prairie assures them that their search will be an adventure!
EnVogue.Adventure
Song En Vogue sings "Adventure."
(First: Episode 2951)
SS25-scene2a
SCENE 2 They split up their duties - Telly and Prairie will look for dancers and musicians, while Big Bird looks for "la-la"-ers.
SS25-scene2b

SS25-scene2c
SCENE 2 cont'd Telly and Prairie come across Jamal, Angela, Celina, Carlo, the kids and other Muppets singing an a capella version of "Do-Op Hop." They've found their singers for the show!
SS25-scene2d

SS25-scene2e
SCENE 2 cont'd Big Bird has formed a "LA LA LINE" to audition la-la-ers. After a failed audition by Humphrey and Natasha, The Count steps up, not wanting to la-la, but to count those in line. Big Bird thinks his day will drive him batty, cuing the next song...
Marilynhorne
Song Marilyn Horne sings an opera version of "C is for Cookie."
(First: Episode 3189)
SS25-scene4a

SS25-scene4b
SCENE 3 Big Bird's next audition is with a duck. The duck happens to belong to The Amazing Mumford, who knows a spell that will make everyone la-la. Although, when he tries it, the spell instead makes them quack.
4121ar
Song "Rubber Duckie" with Little Richard.
(EKA: Episode 3309)
Introduction and closing shot cut
SCENE 4 Telly and Prairie report to Big Bird that they've found some singers. Big Bird responds he's having some trouble finding his la-la-ers. Telly wonders if it's as hard as finding a letter O...
ThatsLetterO
Song "That's the Letter O" with Queen Latifah
(EKA: Episode 3066)
Additional sound effects added
SCENE 4 cont'd Big Bird is glad Telly found his letter and wonders when he'll have the same success in finding la-la-ers.
Neville-moon
Song Ernie and Aaron Neville sing "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon."
(EKA: Episode 3242)
SS25-scene5a
SCENE 5 Mumford tries his trick again, but makes people "baa-baa" like sheep.
SS25-scene5b

SS25-scene5c
SCENE 5 cont'd Telly and Prairie now find a jam session going on and think they're the musicians they need. Elmo, playing the drum, comments that playing it is almost as easy as saying his name...
MyName-Maya
Song Maya Angelou sings "My Name" with Lexine, Carlo and Elmo.
(First: Episode 3139)
Introduction cut
Pledge Break Elmo calls for a break and teases some of the highlights from the next half of the special.
SS25-scene6a

SS25-scene6b
SCENE 6 Telly and Prairie ask Big Bird if he'd like to help them find dancers, but he's busy with his line. The next auditions don't do well, and Big Bird remarks he'll go bananas. Joey and Davey Monkey pop up at the mention of "bananas."
An alternate take of this scene was used in the home video version.
SS25-scene8a
SCENE 6 cont'd

Prairie and Telly run into Jason and Savion while looking for dancers. Savion tells them that there are dancers everywhere in the park. Prairie comments at all the people dancing. "And pigs too," Telly adds, pointing nearby...

NewWaytoWalk-1

NewWaytoWalk-2
Song "A New Way to Walk"
Celebrity version
(EKA: Episode 3233)
SS25-scene9a

SS25-scene9b
SCENE 7 Big Bird shows Telly and Prairie Dawn the la-la-ers he's chosen - The Martians. He tells them they're going to become stars, causing the Martians to vanish for the stars in space.
Moon.elmo-lavender
Song Los Lobos sings "Elmo and the Lavender Moon."
(EKA: Episode 3101)
SS25-scene10
SCENE 8 The next la-la-ers in Big Bird's line is a man who plays accordion, while a chicken clucks. Big Bird begins to lose hope.
Monsterinthemirror
Song Grover sings "Monster in the Mirror." (celebrity version)
(EKA: Episode 2835)
Additional Grover vocal track added to ending, "Simpsons" ending cut
SS25-scene11a

SS25-scene11b
SCENE 9 Big Bird's line is now empty. Mumford tries his trick again, but no one's around to be entranced by it
SS25-scene11c

SS25-scene11d

Sesamestreetjam
SCENE 9 cont'd Big Bird slinks over to a bench and begins singing "Sing" to himself. Ladysmith Black Mambazo immediately answers with a chorus of la-las, exactly what Big Bird's been searching for. Mumford tries his trick again, summoning all of Big Bird's friends to sing with him.

Cast

Muppets:

Big Bird, Telly Monster, Prairie Dawn, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Herry Monster, The Amazing Mumford, Davey Monkey, Joey Monkey, Count von Count, Merry Monster, Humphrey Monster, Baby Natasha, the Martians

Background Muppets:

Oscar the Grouch, Ernie, Bert, Forgetful Jones, Buster the Horse, Roxy Marie, Kingston Livingston III, The Oinker Sisters, Hoots the Owl, Madame Chairbird, Two-Headed Monster, Polly Darton, Mr. Honker, Dinger, Henrietta Honker, Kathleen the Cow, Leo Birdelli, Rosita, Barkley, Penguins, Chickens, Ducks

Human Cast:

Savion, Jamal, Angela, Gina, Maria, Celina, Carlo, Bob

Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets:

Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Martin P. Robinson, Fran Brill, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, David Rudman, Joey Mazzarino, Pam Arciero, Jim Kroupa, Noel MacNeal, Jim Martin, Bryant Young, Carmen Osbahr, Alison Mork, Peter MacKennan, Lisa Buckley, Frank Oz and Jim Henson
Uncredited: Stephanie D'Abruzzo

Cast:

Carlo Alban, Alison Bartlett, Ruth Buzzi, Annette Calud, Savion Glover, Angel Jemmott, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Jou Jou Papailler

Credits

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