naist-nlp/zeshel huggingface dataset:
Alan Muraoka Alan Muraoka ( b . Aug 10 , 1962 ) plays Alan , the current owner of Hooper ' s Store on " Sesame Street " . Early Years . Alan Muraoka was born in Mission Hills , California in 1962 . His first experience as a performer came at the age of ten in an elementary school production , where he appeared as " The Candy Man . " He continued to perform in school productions through high school . It was also high school that provided Muraoka with his first experience as a director - a highly praised production of " Who ' s Afraid of Virgina Woolf " . Early Performances . In 1980 he was accepted into the Theatre Department of UCLA , where he studied musical theatre . During this time UCLA presented Muraoka with the Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Award for performance . While at college , he also gained experience as a performer in various Walt Disney World productions , during sabbaticals and summer breaks . After receiving his B . A . in Theatre Arts from UCLA in 1985 , Muraoka spent time as a performer on Princess Cruises . He worked for the company for a year and a half before receiving his first Broadway credit , performing six roles in the short - lived production of " Mail " . After " Mail " opened ( and closed , after one month ) in 1988 , Muraoka remained in New York . Later Success . For the next ten years , Muraoka continued to act in theatrical productions , both on Broadway and in regional and touring productions . Most notably , he was a member of the original cast of " Shogun , The Musical " on Broadway and had a long run in the lead role of " The Engineer " in " Miss Saigon " . He also appeared in the 1996 revival of " The King and I " , with Jenna Ushkowitz and Lou Diamond Phillips . After auditioning several times through 1997 , Muraoka joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1998 . He plays " Alan , " the new owner of Hooper ' s Store . He has continued to appear as Alan through the 2006 season . While appearing in Sesame Street , Muraoka has continued to perform in theater , most recently earning good reviews in the 2004 Broadway revival of " Pacific Overtures . " Muraoka also has continued to direct . He was highly praised by the New York Times for his direction of a non - traditional ( all - Asian ) version of " Falsettoland " for the National Asian American Theater Company in 1998 . In 2004 he directed veteran Sesame Street puppeteers John Tartaglia , Stephanie D ' Abruzzo , and Jennifer Barnhart in " Empty Handed " and " John Tartaglia AD - LIBerty " . He also directed Ann Harada ( star of Avenue Q ) in her own one - woman show . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Peter and the Wolf Peter and the Wolf is a tone poem written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 . Performed with narration , it tells the story of a boy named Peter who is warned by his grandfather not to venture beyond his home for fear of being attacked by wolves . The fearless Peter defies his grandfather , by venturing out to catch one on his own with the help of some animal friends . Each character in the story is represented by a group of instruments in the orchestra , and assist in telling the story . Connections . Many celebrities have recorded narration to accompany the music of " Peter and the Wolf " , including :
Little Cookie Little Cookie is a titular culprit in the " Sesame Street " special , " The Cookie Thief " . Little Cookie makes his way around the Museum of Modern Cookie , stealing priceless pieces of cookie art . He leaves behind traces of crumbs , butter and chocolate chips , which help Elmo , Chris and Cookie Monster figure out who the thief is . They eventually corner him in his lair ( within the walls of the museum ) , where the cookie art is all kept . He claims he loves cookie art so much , he just can ' t control himself . The gang teaches him that art is for everyone to enjoy and he can focus his energy better by making his own art . Following an accident with art supplier Grover , he creates his own piece of cookie art - a colorful , splatter impression of himself , which he titles , " The Cookie " . The piece finds its way into the museum afterward . The puppet is the same one used for Chewie the Cookie and , but with a pair of arms added . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Matt Rogers Matt Rogers ( b . 1978 ) is an American television host and country singer . He is best known for hosting the Lifetime series " Coming Home " , and was a finalist on the third season of " American Idol " . On May 26 , 2012 , Rogers appeared with Elmo , Rosita , and Gordon ( Roscoe Orman ) at the " Little Children , Big Challenges " launch event at the Intrepid Sea , Air and Space Museum . Together with the Quantico Marine Corps Band , they performed a version of " What We Are . " Elmo and Rosita also appeared with Rogers in a season 2 episode of " Coming Home " .
Moki Moki is an unproduced concept for a TV film first pitched by Jim Henson in April 1967 . The film is described as " a genderbending case of mistaken identity in which a long - haired , androgynous young man is mistaken for a female fashion model . " Bernie Brillstein shopped the proposal around , however the unorthodox subject matter was seen as too controversial for networks . One potential director , Howard Morris , told Brillstein in May 1967 : " This guy Henson ' s obviously got a nutty visual mind , [ but ] this story scares the bejesus out of me . It ' s not exactly dirty — it just ain ' t quite clean . . . the guy is very talented and it ' s a funny idea , but I guess I ' m just old fashioned . "
I Can ' t Wait Until Christmas I Can ' t Wait Until Christmas is a 1989 " Sesame Street " Little Golden Book featuring Big Bird . On Thanksgiving Day , Big Bird tells Granny Bird that he can ' t wait four whole weeks until Christmas . He tells her that he wants a baseball bat for Christmas . Granny Bird remembers that when she was a child , her grandfather made her a beautiful birdhouse , but it was broken a long time ago . Maria helps Big Bird make a new birdhouse for Granny Bird ' s present . With three weeks to go , Big Bird is still having a hard time waiting , so he and Mr . Snuffleupagus go to Nickles Department Store to visit Santa Claus . Snuffy sits on Santa ' s lap - - practically squashing him in the process - - and says that he wants a skateboard for Christmas . With two weeks to go , Big Bird picks out a Christmas tree . His friends Ernie , Bert , Oscar and The Count help him set up the tree next to his nest . Christmas is just one week away , and Cookie Monster helps Big Bird make Christmas cookies . He eats all of his cookies , but not to worry - - he ' ll make more every day until Christmas . Granny Bird arrives for a visit on the day before Christmas , and they put their presents under the tree . They ' re both excited , but they manage to wait until Christmas morning to open them . Granny Bird is delighted with the birdhouse that Big Bird made , and Big Bird loves his new baseball bat . Snuffy got his wish , too - - a giant skateboard . Big Bird says that he can ' t wait until " next " Christmas !
National Grouch Day According to " Sesame Street Magazine " , October 15th is National Grouch Day - - a day for all Grouches to celebrate their way of life . A Grouch ' s mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible , and pass that feeling on to everyone else . Only then will a Grouch feel in touch with his or her world and be happy . Yet , even though a Grouch may show happiness at anyone ' s misfortune ( including his or her own ) , a Grouch would " never " admit to being happy . Such is the stability of a Grouch ' s life : so balanced , and yet so unbalanced .
The National Association of " W " Lovers The National Association of " W " Lovers is an organization devoted to recognizing and celebrating the virtues of the letter W . Bert is the chairman , and leads the club into their anthem , in which he sings about the letter , giving examples of what certain words would sound like without the W . Members include Ernie , Mr . Johnson , and various Anything Muppets . See also . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
The Fuzz Brothers The Fuzz Brothers performed " Muppera " in the UK Spot of " The Muppet Show " . The Fuzz Brothers are chin puppets performed by Jim Henson and Jerry Nelson . Puppet parts were added to the performers ' faces to create the puppet characters , with the image inverted so it is upside down . The puppets ' mouths are actually the performers ' mouths . The puppets ' hair is actually the puppeteers ' beard , while the puppets ' beards are the puppeteers ' moustaches . Although traditional chin puppets are usually performed with the puppeteer lying on their back with their chin in the air , for the Fuzz Bros . the Muppet performers were comfortably right side up , standing with their bodies hidden behind a bluescreen , and the image was flipped electronically . Close attention to their " chests " reveals that dangling elements of their " costumes " are defying gravity ; the performers ' heads were right side up and the picture was inverted . The Fuzz Brothers sketch was released to video in the Playhouse Video : " Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff " . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Lolita the Chicken Lolita the Chicken performs a dancing chicken act with Gonzo in " The Muppet Show " to the song " Tea for Two . " Despite Gonzo ' s urgings , Lolita hardly moves , being only moderately more active than Amy the Dancing Brick . Lolita is one of several live animals to be featured in the second season of " The Muppet Show " , and her act with Gonzo is reminiscent of his pairing in with Yolanda . Lolita is notable for being the first chicken to inspire Gonzo ' s passion . In " Of Muppets and Men " , Dave Goelz said : The attraction to chickens that began with Lolita would eventually lead Gonzo his long - term relationship with Camilla , which began in .
Pearl the Pika Pearl the Pika was seen " The Animal Show " episode " , " where she told Stinky and Jake about pikas and how their habitat is in the high mountains . The puppet also surfaced in the " Kermit ' s Swamp Years " song " Life as a Pet " in which its appearence is either a hamster or a guinea pig and asks Jack Rabbit if he gets his belly scratched , Jack answered " Every day , baby " . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Fisher - Price Fisher - Price is a toy company founded by Herman Fisher , Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930 . From the 1930s through the 1960s , the company ' s primary product was wooden toy dogs . In the 1960s , Fisher - Price began producing its popular line of Fisher - Price Little People - - small figures of people and dogs with cylindrical bodies , who fit into specially made vehicles and buildings . The first Little People set was a school bus , with human characters who fit inside , " sitting " in circular holes . The original Little People figures were made of wood , with plastic vehicles and buildings ; later , the figures would be made of plastic as well . The Little People toys were an instant success , and the school bus was soon followed by more sets . In 1969 , Herman Fisher retired as President of Fisher - Price , and the company was sold to the Quaker Oats Company . During the 1970s , Fisher - Price created two popular lines of Muppet toys : a " Sesame Street " set of Little People , and a line of dolls based on " The Muppet Show " characters . The " Sesame Street " Little People line , produced between 1974 and 1977 , included two sets - - an " Apartments " set modeled after the main buildings on Sesame Street , and a " Clubhouse " for the Muppet characters . 16 Sesame characters were produced as Little People , including three humans ( Susan , Gordon and Mr . Hooper ) . Beginning in 1977 , Fisher - Price produced a line of Muppet dolls . These were the first toys produced to tie in with " The Muppet Show " , and they were released during the summer between the show ' s first and second seasons . The first set of toys in the line were a Kermit doll , a Fozzie Bear doll and a Rowlf puppet . The set grew over the next five years to include more dolls and hand puppets , beanbag toys , Dress - Up Dolls , and a set of stick puppets . Sesame and Muppet characters were also included in the line of Talk - to - Me Books produced in the late 1970s . Fisher - Price became an independent company in 1991 , and was then acquired by Mattel , Inc . in 1993 . In 1997 , Mattel bought Tyco Toys , who had produced the hugely popular Tickle Me Elmo doll the year before . With Fisher - Price and Tyco owned by the same parent company , " Fisher - Price " became Mattel ' s overall brand name for its infant and preschool products . Now , with Tyco under the Fisher - Price umbrella , the company produces all of the mass - market " Sesame Street " and " Elmo ' s World " toys , including the Giggle Gabbers , the Silly Parts Talking Elmo , and the various dancing and talking Elmo dolls . They also produce toys specially made for international markets , like a Hindi - language Hokey Pokey Elmo , and toys featuring the names of Hindi names of American characters , as they appear on " Galli Galli Sim Sim " and other adaptations .
Dream , Save , Do Dream , Save , Do : Financial Empowerment for Families is an multimedia , international initiative created by Sesame Workshop and MetLife . Partnering 2009 , the two organizations announced in November 2013 a new five - year initiative with the goal to " advance financial capability among low and moderate - income families with young children throughout the world . " The initial media elements of the initiative rolled out two years later in November 2015 . The initiative uses well - known " Sesame Street " characters ( Elmo , his parents Louie and Mae , Grover and Cookie Monster ) , as well as characters from the co - productions the initiative is used in , including Bel ( of Brazil ' s " Vila Sésamo " ) , Lola ( Mexico ' s " Plaza Sésamo " ) , Chamki ( India ' s " Galli Galli Sim Sim " ) and Lily ( China ' s " " ) . Online videos and games and produced in each country using the characters in the local language , which are then redubbed in for the other countries . The segments were included in the Ramadan episodes of " Iftah Ya Simsim " , although no new material featuring local characters from that show was filmed . " O Desafio do Elmo " , a Brazilian animated series , is connected to the initiative .
David Misch David Misch is a writer for television , film , and stage . For The Jim Henson Company , he served as writer for " The Muppets Take Manhattan " ( credited as " special consultant " ) and " Inner Tube " . Other writing credits include " Mork & Mindy " ( with Robin Williams ) and " Police Squad " ( with Leslie Nielsen ) . External Links . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Muppet Treasure Island soakies ( UK ) A set of " Muppet Treasure Island " soakies was released in 1996 in the UK . The bottles , decorated with figural busts of Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollett and Miss Piggy as Benjamina Gunn , contained bath and shower gel .
Gary Grouch Gary Grouch is a gray Grouch who has appeared as a background character on " Sesame Street " . He was a contestant in " The Alphabet Game " , where he wanted to win his way , by losing , but kept getting points by accident . Since " The Alphabet Game " , Gary has often appeared in segments among other Grouches , such as in " Oscar ' s Junk Band " ( where he was performed by David Rudman ) , " Happy Birthday to Me , " and in episodes 3061 and 3300 . He also made a cameo appearance in " A Muppet Family Christmas " . See also . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Black Eyed Peas " Black Eyed Peas " is an instrumental song used to underscore a " Sesame Street " film about . A girl narrates the journey made by old bottles from her home to a recycling plant . There , they are crushed and melted into molten glass which is used to make new bottles . Finally , they are packaged for shipping , ready to be reused . See also . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Bert and Ernie : Soft and Loud Bert and Ernie : Soft and Loud is part of a 1988 series of " Sesame Street " books designed to introduce children to music concepts . The audio tape features Big Bird following the events of the book in which Bert and Ernie are confronted by various selections of loud and soft music . Excerpts include :
The Miss Piggy Calendar 1980 The Miss Piggy Calendar 1980 was published in 1979 by Abrams Art Papers with the Muppet Press . The concept was designed and directed by Michael K . Frith with Frank Oz serving as creative consultant , and photos by Nancy Moran and Donal Holway . Miss Piggy ' s wardrobe was provided by the House of Calista . This was the first of five calendars featuring Miss Piggy as the star . Throughout the calendar , an interview with Miss Piggy is conducted and various fake landmarks in her career are given on specific dates .
A Boy Like That " A Boy Like That , " from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim ' s musical " West Side Story " , is a song about racism in which a Puerto Rican girl tries to convince her dead boyfriend ' s sister to leave her Polish boyfriend and " stick to [ her ] own kind . " In the musical , it is sung in counterpoint to " I Have a Love , " the young lover ' s defense of her romance . It was also included in the 1976 Sondheim revue " Side By Side By Sondheim " . Miss Piggy and a chorus of Whatnots sings a portion of " A Boy Like That " as part of the " Camelot " medley in the closing number in " The Muppet Show " . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Willi Röbke Willi Röbke is a German voice actor who has been heard in several Muppet dubs . He voiced Junior Gorg in " Die Fraggles " and Baby Gonzo in " Muppet Babies " , and went on to dub Rizzo the Rat , in all projects from 1992 until 2002 . Röbke ' s other dub credits include various roles in the " Asterix " movies , Gobinda in " Octopussy " , the dentist in " Finding Nemo " , and Leonard Nimoy in " Futurama " .
Big Bird ' s Court Big Bird ' s Court is a play area located at Sesame Place . The area includes many " classic " interactive attractions which have been part of the park since opening in 1980 . The Nets ' n ' Climb ( first opened in 1980 , but since expanded ) are a large series of cargo nets that span three stories high . With hundreds of yards of cargo netting connected by 200 feet of suspended net tunnels , this webbed world is open for visitors of all ages . Ernie ' s Bed Bounce , a giant bed shaped moon - bounce , is located in the court and has been a part of the park since opening . The Monster Maze is a " forest of lightweight punching bags " designed to look like Monsters . Visitors are allowed to run and " fight " their way through the monsters . Cookie Mountain , part of the area since 1980 , is a bright blue vinyl cone that allows visitors ( under age 7 ) to climb , slip , slide and battle their way to the top just to slide back down again . The area also included The Count ' s Ballroom , a two - foot - deep pool of 80 , 000 lightweight green plastic balls , which was part of the area when the park opened . It has since closed to make way for pools of actual water . The area also is home to a large outdoor dining area ( beneath the nets ) .
The Egg and I The Egg and I was a 1945 novelized memoir by Betty MacDonald telling of her travails as a newlywed wife whose husband buys a chicken farm . It became a bestseller and spawned the 1947 film of the same name ( which itself launched the Ma and Pa Kettle movie series ) and a short - lived TV serial ( 1951 - 1952 ) .
Ted Shearer Ted Shearer ( 1919 - 1992 ) was an African American illustrator , cartoonist and painter best known for his work on the comic strip " Quincy " . He designed the character Billy Jo Jive on " Sesame Street " . Born in Jamaica , Shearer grew up in Harlem and sold his first cartoon as a young teenager . Entering the US Army during WWII , he served in the segregated 92nd Division and became an illustrator for " Stars and Stripes " . He later freelanced , selling drawings to " The Ladies ' Home Journal " , " The Saturday Evening Post " , and other publications . Shearer went on to become television art director at the famed ad agency of Batten , Barton , Durstine and Osborne before quitting in 1970 to launch the King Features comic " Quincy " , focusing on a ten - year old inner city kid . The strip ran until 1986 . Beginning in 1976 , Shearer and his son , writer John Shearer , collaborated on a series of children ' s mysteries starring Billy Jo Jive and Smart Susie Sunset . The illustrations , like Quincy , boasted a strong design sense and used ziptone to highlight skin colors . His designs were incorporated by Ray Favata ' s studio in a series of animated " Sesame Street " inserts . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
The Man in the Candy Store " The Man in the Candy Store " is a " Sesame Street " song performed by Bob . He sings about the neighborhood candy store he used to visit when he was a kid . It was an old - fashioned place with a checkered floor and a soda fountain , and lots of bright colored candy , and sometimes the owner would give you a piece for free . But years later , Bob went back to find the candy store , and he found that nobody remembered that it had ever been there . Releases . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _
Angela Cappelli Angela Cappelli is a New York session singer who has provided singing voices for " Sesame Street " segments . Most notably , she voiced one of the Oinker Sisters for several years . She also supplied background vocals for the Marlo Thomas album " Thanks & Giving All Year Long " . Cappelli worked in commercial jingles and as a back - up singer on albums by Sheryl Lee Ralph , Vaneese Thomas , Dionne Warwick , Bette Midler , Judy Collins , and Foreigner . On the animated series " Jem ! " , she was the singing voice of Jem ' s mother and background vocals . She was heard on the film soundtrack to " Beaches " and in other movies . She released her only solo single , " All Hung Up " , in 1985 .
Squee ! Squee ! is an independent comic book by , a spin - off of his previous book , " Johnny the Homicidal Maniac " . The first issue featured a story about the " Tickle - Me Hellmo " doll . The morbid spoof of Tickle Me Elmo had several levels of " tickle " responses : Level 1 : Hellmo giggles when squeezed ! Level 2 : Vibrates with glee ! Level 3 : Hellmo begins to question the nature of the relationship ( Why do you keep touching me ? ) . Level 6 : Secretes substance inducing vicious rash and temporary blindness . Level 8 : Alters child ' s taste buds so that everything tastes like pork . . . . and so on .
Monster songs Songs that are performed by a large group of as the lead singers , or where a prominent amount of monsters accompany a guest star or other non - monster character . Sesame Street Albums . Songs led by a group of monsters that were performed on albums but are not currently known to have been performed on the show itself .
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman ( b . 1937 ) is an Academy Award - winning actor best known for his roles in " Driving Miss Daisy " , " The Shawshank Redemption " and " Million Dollar Baby " . One of his earliest roles was as an ensemble member on the PBS series " The Electric Company " , playing Easy Reader , DJ Mel Mounds , Count Dracula , and other roles . In 1974 , Freeman appeared with the casts of " The Electric Company " and " Sesame Street " on the television special " Out to Lunch " . Freeman ' s additional credits include " Batman Begins " , " Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves " , the re - launch of " The Twilight Zone " series , and narrating " March of the Penguins " and the 2008 television adaptation of " Raisin in the Sun " .
Patricia Heaton Patricia Heaton ( b . 1958 ) is an actor most well known for playing Debra Barone on " Everybody Loves Raymond " ( with Ray Romano ) , and Frankie Heck on " The Middle " . She has also appeared in the first " Beethoven " movie ( with Charles Grodin ) , " Space Jam " ( with Bugs Bunny ) , and " Back to You " ( with Kelsey Grammer and Ty Burrell ) . In August 2015 , she appeared in a promotional spot for " The Muppets " with The Swedish Chef . She approaches Chef at the craft services table hoping to find some local - grown and / or organic options . When she can ' t understand a word he says , she walks away with just a bottled water .