IF YOU GO* What: Sesame Street Live: “Elmo’s Green Thumb.”* When: 7 p.m. today, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.* Where: Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave.* Admission: $10-$46.* Phone: 642-TIXS.
Angelo Williams plays Big Bird, but nobody would dare call him a featherbrain. The man inside that 8-foot yellow costume is a biochemist.
The 27-year-old actor is a senior at Benedict College in South Carolina, where he is double majoring in dance education and biochemistry.
“I’m a math and science geek,” Williams said in a telephone interview.
“Dancing and science are the two passions of my life. Once I’m done and get my last year out of the way (at college), I already have a job lined up as a biochemist. I’ve just got to get the dancing out of me first.”
Williams is in his sixth season performing in a Sesame Street Live touring production, his second tour as Big Bird.
He’ll join the gang at Memorial Auditorium tonight in the live stage production of “Elmo’s Green Thumb,” the first of four shows this weekend.
In this newest Sesame Street adventure, Elmo’s sunflower, Sunny, has outgrown its pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden is the perfect place to replant Sunny, but they’re too excited to wait for it to grow. So they let Abby Cadabby, the fairy-in-training, cast a spell to make Sunny grow.
As is typical of Abby’s work, the spell goes haywire and does the opposite of what’s expected. Instead of Sunny growing, Elmo and his friends shrink.
Before Abby finds the words to reverse her spell, Elmo and friends will have learned lessons in patience, overcoming their fears and appreciating the role every creature plays in the ecosystem.
“Abby’s spell is a big audience-participation number,” said Williams. “There is lots of singing and dancing in the show. Of course, there is ‘Sunny Days,’ (the TV theme song), and if you’re familiar with the song, ‘New Attitude,’ we have a different interpretation called ‘New Point of View’ sung by the shrunken kids.”
Williams has worked to perfect Big Bird’s mannerisms onstage. There is no winging it when it comes to portraying Big Bird, he said.
“We have a three-week production period where we learn the show. It gives us time to get used to the weight of the costumes (his is 45 pounds) and learn tricks to help move and do choreography so that I’m in sync with everyone else.
“By the time the show hits the road, we’re used to anything. I’m such a perfectionist myself, I want to make sure I get everything right,” said the actor.
Williams said the thrill of Big Bird’s entrance in each show never gets old.
“When I make my first entrance onstage and hear the children screaming, ‘Look, it’s Big Bird,’ that’s my greatest pleasure. I’m pretty pumped for the show, but that pumps me up even more. When I hear the audience, it’s an extra boost of adrenaline.”