Puppets celebrate!
It’s a big birthday bash for Big Bird and his Sesame Street friends down south.
READY for a big birthday bash? Sesame Street is 50 years young this year! Yes, that’s right. That’s 50 years of educating kids (and entertaining the kid-at-heart) and Universal Studios Singapore is bringing the birthday party closer to us.
The theme park is hosting the biggest, loudest birthday bash for our beloved childhood friends from now until April 28. And the party starts right at the entrance.
When I see the entrance adorned with a giant balloon marking the park’s special celebration of the famed puppets, I get giddy with excitement. I grew up learning with Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Grover, and learning to count with Count von Count, so getting the opportunity to celebrate the puppets’ birthday had me buzzing.
With programmes and performances planned throughout the day, I know that I am going to have a great, furry time.
OPEN SESAME
As soon as we pass the entrance we are greeted by various party installations throughout “Hollywood”. Giant party hats, gifts and other props are all ready for a memorable event.
As we stroll along, with a few stops for our cameras, near the intersection the whole area erupts into cheers. The first street performance celebrating Sesame Street’s birthday is ready to begin.
We party and dance along with the cast, forming a long conga line and playing games as we make our way to Sting Alley to have a photo opportunity with Big Bird and his nest. It is like seeing my childhood friend whom I haven’t met in a long time! The feeling of familiarity and sense of belonging is unbelievable as I greet the polite, 183cm-tall yellow bird.
After that we visit Abby Cadabby and her fairy garden is also located at Sting Alley. Abby has a skit on tending her magical garden, where she explains the seasons and how to grow broccoli, amidst some exciting dance numbers and a dash of magic.
Here, visitors can take a picture with
Abby as soon as her broccoli grows.
Next up is grooving along to Oscar’s Rhythm Trash show with the freshest beats, remixes and dances of popular Sesame Streets songs. Oscar also teaches everyone about recycling through his own version of Trash-ket ball.
It stays close to Sesame Street’s core values, teaching and entertaining at the same time. You just can’t help but toe-tap along with the beats and dances while remembering the importance of recycling.
Fancy a walk down the memorable Sesame Street? Skip along to Soundstage 28 which houses an immersive gallery featuring familiar Sesame Street scenes such as the 123 stoop, Bert & Ernie’s apartment where you can sing and drum along with Ernie. And check out Bert’s bottle cap collection and the buzzing little Twiddlebugs.
FUN WITH A CAUSE
Throughout your visit to Resorts World Sentosa, try and spot the first-of-its-kind 50 Oscar trash cans displaying themes and messages that embrace diversity and inclusion. They are the artistic works of students from Pathlight School’s artist development programme, as well as that of regional artists, celebrities and influencers.
Pathlight School is the first autismfocused school in Singapore that offers life readiness skills to students who are on the autism spectrum.
Celebrities and influencers whose artworks are showcased include actresshost Michelle Chong, fashion director and show producer Daniel Boey, marquage artist Cherin Sim, Malaysian artist Dudu De Doodle, Indonesian actress-singer Bunga Citra Lestari and Filipino basketball player Doug Kramer.
Honouring this milestone celebration, Resorts World Sentosa pledged SGD5 (RM15) towards the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) for every public setting Instagram post of a Sesame Street-themed trash can at Resorts World Sentosa. It can be a selfie with the can or just the trash can, and must include the #SS50xUSS hashtag and tag @RWSentosa in the posts. You will also have to follow @RWSentosa on Instagram.
The donation will go towards supporting children and adults on the Autism Spectrum Disorder.
GIANT TREAT
The piéce de résistance of the birthday celebration is the blowup birthday show, set against a 10-metre-tall, multicoloured cake set at the New York Public Library.
I am a tad disappointed that it is not an actual birthday cake, but redeemed when I am dancing along with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grouch, Count von Count, Abby, Bert and Ernie as they party it up with upbeat songs and exciting dance numbers.
The show has an extra special guest, Lily the Tiger from China, who joins the cast and in the true Sesame Street fashion of educating with hilarity, Lily teaches them how to say Happy Birthday in Mandarin.
To celebrate the special birthday, the park also has foods and treats inspired by Sesame Street! You can munch on Elmo’s Chicken Burger available at Mel’s DriveIn. There are also Big Bird’s Favourite Meatballs, Big Bird’s 3 Cheeze Melt Down, Ernie’s Lasagna, Elmo’s Spaghetti Space Chase, Super Grover’s Power Ball, Cookie Monster’s Cookies and Cream Milkshake, Oscar’s Popcorn Trash and Abby’s Lollipops available at Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor.
Universal Studios Singapore also provides halal restaurants for its Muslim patrons. The restaurants are Mel’s DriveIn (located in the Hollywood section), Oasis Spice Café (located in the area known as Ancient Egypt), and Goldilocks Fried Chicken and Friar’s (in Far Far Away and Casa Del Wild in Madagascar).
To commemorate the celebrations, Universal Studios Singapore has launched a series of exclusive Sesame Street collectible pins which visitors can take home for free with a minimum spend at the theme park. There are gashapon machines outside the Hollywood China Arcade where you can spin the dial to take home the exclusive pins.
The Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting celebration is included with regular admission to Universal Studios Singapore or with its annual or season pass. Details can be found at www.rwsentosa.com/ss50.
AFTER HOURS
Celebrations can be tiring. There is almost no time to go on the many rides at the theme park, and it can get really tiring waiting in line, with the heat and all.
But the good news is that nowadays you can enjoy all the thrills and shows which Universal Studios Singapore has to offer even after the sun goes down.
The Universal After Hours programme begins with the Hollywood Dreams Light Up parade. The parade procession starts with 12 illuminated embellished floats.
You can get up close with your favourite movie characters, such as the cute animals from Madagascar dancing to the jungle beats, and the realistic dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and their rangers, to the mystifying Egyptian gods and mummies.
The parade begins at 7.30pm and winds through Waterworld to New York, just follow the music and lights.
My favourite perk of the Universal After Hours programme is that you can catch up on all the rides you missed out during the day. At night, it can be a different sort of experience altogether.
For me, riding a roller coaster during the day and at night is so different! Imagine plunging down 14 storeys in the dark... I can attest that the adrenaline will hit you differently!
To settle your nerves, take a stroll down the streets of New York where there are multiple pop-up food stalls. You can bite into Singapore Chili Crab buns or Cheesy Toast and wash it down with a wide selection of drinks available along the street.
Local bands serve up popular songs at the new Rhythm Truck. They welcome audience participation so sing and dance along.
To top it all off, make your way to Hollywood Lagoon where fireworks light up the sky. The enthralling pyrotechnics are timed perfectly to sync with the curated music score.
It is the perfect setting for a pictureperfect end to your magical holiday. The breathtaking display is on Saturdays and selected Friday nights.