A is for Asthma

A Is for Asthma is a Sesame Street video created for parents and their kids to teach about asthma. Developed and distributed by the American Lung Association, the Prudential Foundation, and Children's Television Workshop, the video premiered on April 21, 1998 and was distributed to teachers and healthcare agencies. The 15-minute, bilingual video starred Elmo and Rosita, and featured Emilio Delgado as Luis.
The storyline involves Elmo and Rosita meeting a new friend, the asthmatic Dani. The video, in order to address asthma symptoms and how to deal with asthma episodes, as well as exploring the causes, included a rap from Dani, about how "many things... might/give me trouble breathing right," including animal hair and dust. Elmo and Rosita then become concerned that their fur is the source of his attacks, but Dani reassures them.
As one of the earliest resource videos conceived as a bilingual project, the cast and script were conceived accordingly. Much of the video was reshot entirely in Spanish, although the performances of Kevin Clash (as the doctor) and Pam Arciero (as Grundgetta) were dubbed rather than recorded live on set. Moises Belizario provided Elmo's Spanish voice live while Kevin Clash lip-synced. Rosemarie Sepulveda plays Andrea, who covers for the dialogue from Gina. Alternate props utilizing text (such as Gina's asthma awareness poster and Grundgetta's dust container) were translated and two of the original songs were rescored with a more Latin sound.
The full video is currently available as a free video download from Sesame Workshop via the iTunes Store as part of the Learn Along with Sesame series, and can be viewed at the Sesame Workshop website.
==Cast==
===Muppet performers===
:Kevin Clash as Elmo and Dani's Doctor
:Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
:with Pam Arciero, John Kennedy, Lisa Buckley, Alice Dinnean (as Dani's Grandma), John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel
:and Gabriel Velez as Dani
===Human cast===
:Emilio Delgado as Luis
:Alison Bartlett as Gina
:Rosemarie Sepulveda as Andrea
:Children: Lorraine Brancale, Channelle Nazaire, Sofia Rivera, Max Sacoto, Brendan Winkfield
===Spanish Voices===
:Moises Belizario as Elmo
:Francisco Rivela as Dani's Doctor
:Josie de Guzman as Grundgetta
==Credits==
*Project Director: Jeanette Betancourt
*Producer: Nettie Marquez
*Director: Emily Squires
*Writers: Annie Evans (English version), Luis Santeiro, Mayi Sanchez (both versions)
*Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop: Ed Christie, Mark Zeszotek, Stephen Rotondaro, Lara MacLean, Carlo Yannuzzi
*Associate Director: Cher Jung
*Lighting Director: Dan Kelly
*Audio Designer: Blake Norton, Carla Bandini-Lory
*Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
*Costume Designer: Bill Kellard
*Art Director: Bob Phillips
*Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Shaun Harkins, Dave Smith
*Talent Coordinator: Danette DeSena
*"The Breathing Song": Lyrics by Joe Kerr, Composed by Paul Jacobs
*"Dani's Rap": Lyrics by Alberto Bernal, Composed by Carlo Nicolau
*"Helping Hands": Lyrics and Composition by Joe Kerr
*Spanish Song Translation and Arrangement by Carlo Nicolau and Alberto Bernal
;For Children's Television Workshop
*Project Director: Jeanette Betancourt, Ed. D.
*Special Thanks: Judy Berezin, Donna Chandler, Christina Delfico, Pamela Green, Cheryl Henson, Joanne Livesey, Ángel Linares-Lugo, Jodi Nussbaum, Renee Rachelle, Carole Schechner
==External links==
*Sesamestreet.org: A is for Asthma toolkit
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Category:Sesame Street Resource Videos
Category:Medical