Elmopalooza

Elmopalooza is a one-hour TV special that aired on ABC on February 20, 1998.
Jon Stewart plans to host a music special at Radio City Music Hall to celebrate Sesame Street’s 30th anniversary. Jon and the show's crew, including producer Prairie Dawn, are in a dressing room getting ready for the show. Elmo visits them before the show starts and then leaves, shutting the door before Jon can tell him that the door is broken: it won't open once it's shut. Elmo decides to host the show, and the rest of the Sesame Street cast work behind-the-scenes, presenting music video remakes of classic Sesame Street songs.
Meanwhile, Grover drives Susan, Gordon, Gina, Bob, and Mr. Handford in a limo to the studio, but Grover gets lost and they end up in Roswell, New Mexico.
A soundtrack album was also released on cassette and CD, and the special was released on VHS two months after it aired, on April 14.The Amazon.com page lists the release date as April 14, 1998. An activity book and Dairy Queen toys were released in conjuction with the special.
==Songs==
* "Just Happy to Be Me" with The Fugees
* "Mambo I, I, I" with Gloria Estefan
* "Zig Zag Dance" with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
* "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" with Shawn Colvin and Ernie
* "I Want a Monster to Be My Friend" with En Vogue
* "Nearly Missed" with Rosie O'Donnell and Elmo
* "Caribbean Amphibian" with Jimmy Buffett and Kermit the Frog
* "One Small Voice" with Kenny Loggins
* "Songs" with Jon Stewart, Elmo, and the cast
:(medley):
:*"Rubber Duckie"
:*"ABC-DEF-GHI"
:*"I Love Trash"
:*"C is for Cookie"
:*"The People in Your Neighborhood"
*"Sesame Street Theme" (over credits) with various celebrities and Muppets
==Notes==
*Kevin Clash makes an onscreen cameo as Big Bird runs through the hallways of Radio City Music Hall.
*In the original ABC airing of the special, the "Sesame Street Theme" performance during the credits is shortened. It omits the bridge and reprise of the first verse.
*The game console that Grover mistakes for a GPS is Tiger's Game.com.
==Video releases==
Image:ElmopaloozaVHS.jpg|Sony WonderLV 49441
Image:4c4a38d6dfa0b 120355b.jpg|Sony WonderLV 49444Alternate cover
Image:Elmopalooza.jpg|Sony WonderLVD 49441
Thebestofsesamestreet3dvdpacks.jpg|2002Sony Wonder3 disc set with The Best of Elmo and Do the Alphabet
File:Newelmopalooza.jpg|Genius Entertainment
Newelmopaloozaversion2.jpg|2010Warner Home Video
ElmoAndFriendsDVD.jpg|2014Warner Home VideoDouble feature with Elmo's World: Singing, Drawing & More!
Elmopalooza australian vhs.jpg|1999ABC Video for Kids
Elmopaloozaaustraliandvd.jpg|2006ABC Video for Kids
3 dvd set Aus DVD.jpg|20073 disc set with Get Up and Dance and Kids' Favorite Songs
Elmopaloozavilasesamodvd.gif|2003ST2 Kidscat. no 100543
ElmopaloozaPlazaSesamo.png|Mexico, 2008Ventura Entertainment
Elmopaloozaasianvcd.jpg|Berjaya HVNcat. no 448004
Noimage-big.png|Berjaya HVN
Elmopalooza DVD HVN.jpg|2009Berjaya HVN
Elmopaloozainspanishfrontdvdcover.jpg|2012OznozSpanish audio track
==Characters==
;Muppet Characters
:Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Zoe, Prairie Dawn, Bert, Ernie, Count von Count, Grover, Cookie Monster, Telly Monster, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, The Martians, Two-Headed Monster, Rosita, Biff, Kermit the Frog, Baby Bear, The Elephant, Sparky
;Background Muppets
:The Oinker Sisters, Forgetful Jones, Herry Monster, Frazzle, Roxie Marie, Sully, Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Granny Bird, The Squirrelles, green Anything Muppet lady, Gil, Jill, Frogs, Honkers, Chickens, Penguins, Sheep, Dinger, REM
;Sesame Street Humans
:Susan, Gordon, Bob, Mr. Handford, Gina, Luis, Maria, Ruthie
==Cast==
*Starring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets:
**Featuring Kevin Clash as Elmo
**and Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar
**with Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire, Martin P. Robinson, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, Pam Arciero, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Jim Martin, Alice Dinnean, Bryant Young, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, John Kennedy, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Eric Jacobson, Rick Lyon, Don Reardon, Julianne Buescher, Drew Massey, Kevin Carlson, Joe Selph, Brad Abrell, and Frank Oz
*Also Starring:
**Ruth Buzzi, Emilio Delgado, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Alison Bartlett O' Reilly, Roscoe Orman, David Langston Smyrl
*Celebrity Guest Stars:
**Jon Stewart, David Alan Grier, Rosie O'Donnell, Gloria Estefan, En Vogue, The Fugees, Kenny Loggins, Shawn Colvin, Jimmy Buffett, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Richard Belzer, Chris Rock, Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, Conan O'Brien, Andy Richter (archive footage: Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tony Bennett, Madonna)
==Credits==
*Executive Producer: Nancy Kanter
*Co-Executive Producer: Kevin Clash
*Produced by Karin Young Shiel
*Written by Tom J. Astle and Joey Mazzarino
*Directed by Tom Trbovich
*Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash
*Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop: Mark Zeszotek, Stephen Rotondaro, Lara MacLean, Karena Wienands, Carol Binion, Peter MacKennan, Carlo Yannuzzi, Naomi Eisenstadt, Jane Gootnick, Scott Johnson, Marian Keating
*Lighting Director: Bill Berner
*Costume Designers: Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson
*Associate Director: Ted May
*Music Director: John Boylan
*Music Supervisor: Alan Silverman
*Additional Music: Gary Anderson, Steve Skinner
*Music Consultant: Chris Cerf
*Camera: Frank Biondo, Mark Whitman, Larry Solomon
*Audio: Blake Norton
*Music Coordinator: Ed Mitchell
*Locations courtesy of: Conan O'Brien, MTV Networks, Radio City Music Hall
*Taped at Sony Music Studios, NYC
*Special Thanks: Ben Campisi, Dana Coccara, Melissa Dino, Danny Epstein, Ted Gardner, Ellen Lewis Gideon, Ellen Goldfader, Ted Green, Eric Greenspan, Karen Ialacci, Nan Halperin, Andy Kadison, Majorie Kalins, Ann Kearns, Wendy Moss, Chuck Nankivell, Vicky Newman, Jodi Nussbaum, John Phillips, Renee Rachelle, Arlene Sherman, Deborah Strafella, Neil Sullivan, Daphne Walter, Alan Winnikoff
===Music video credits===
*"Just Happy to Be Me"Kevin Bray and Benita Husband, Satellite Films
*"Mambo, I, I, I"Mustapha Kahn and Rob Alter, Washington Square Films
*"Zig Zag Dance," "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" and "I Want a Monster to Be My Friend"Lionel C. Martin and Rae Permann, Raven Knight Productions
*"Caribbean Amphibian"Sally Cruikshank and Victor DiNapoli
*"One Small Voice"Mark Rowen and Julie Donatt, Stardust Productions
==See also==
* Elmopalooza! (soundtrack)
* Elmopalooza toys (Dairy Queen)
==Sources==
==External links==
*Tough Pigs: "My Week with Elmo Part 2: Elmo as the Kermit," "My Week with Sesame Anniversaries: Day 4, Year 30"
__NOWYSIWYG__
Category:Sesame Street Specials
Category:Sesame Street Video
Category:Broadcasting
Category:Anniversary Productions