I went to two live children’s shows, within the span of two weeks, with a two-year-old! What’s the number of the day? Two! (Ah, ah, ah.)

Now that we got that out of the way, I can explain why I would do such a thing. Part of it is because I’ve been a Henson fan my whole life. There are very few famous figures in history who have directly influenced my career choice, view of the world, and parenting style. Jim Henson is that person for me. So when my local theater announced they were hosting Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock Live, I nearly fell out of my chair trying to get those tickets. 

But then shortly after, they announced Sesame Street Live Say Hello was coming just two weeks before! So there I was, with tickets to Fraggles and now tickets to Big Bird and the gang, and all I could think was: can my child manage to stay seated for a total of 160 minutes in those fold-up theater seats that nearly swallow his 30-something-pound body?

Welp, we were going to find out. (Spoiler: he didn’t). 

Let’s dive into how each show shines and where they missed the mark. 

Story

I went to Sesame Street Live twice as a kid. That sounds like a pretty big flex, but the first time was when I was of proper Sesame Street watching age, and the second was when I was way too old but still idolized Ernie and Bert (and had a younger brother). I don’t remember the plot of either of them, but I’m sure they weren’t terribly complex; it’s a show for preschoolers, after all. 

The story line of this year’s production of Sesame Street Live has just as quickly left my memory too. I do recall that it centers around Elmo’s dog, Tango, and for the OG Sesame fans, you might not be familiar with this new, non-speaking character. She was introduced in 2021 through an animated special, and has evidently become important enough to get a whole live show based around her. 

The premise in a nutshell is Tango is missing, and all the characters (excluding Ernie and Bert, who I had to tell my son were on vacation) are looking for her. There are the normal interludes from the show including the “What’s the Number?” and “Letter of the Day” segments, but story was really not the star here. The star is Tango, a muppet who is an animal … but not the talking kind. How do Tango and Rowlf the Dog inhabit the same universe? The world may never know.  

Similarly, the story of Fraggle Rock Live is also centered around a MacGuffin. The Fraggles spend most of the show searching for pieces of their Celebration Stone, leading them through various locations and to old and new characters. While both plot lines are essentially just the gang looking for stuff, the Fraggle story has a bit more meat to it. I won’t give away spoilers, but it’s silly and heartfelt and all the other emotions you can imagine from Fraggle Rock. 

Winner: Fraggle Rock Live

Stage Production

I was never a theater kid (though hindsight I wish I was!), so I am by no means an expert on what it takes to put together a live production. I can, however, assess which show just seemed to come together better on stage. Both shows were ambitious in different ways. Sesame Street Live had more set changes, more props, and more characters on stage at one time. I loved the combination of backdrops with tangible set pieces, and there were more varied scenes in general than Fraggle Rock Live.

The scene changes were really slick too — at times I barely noticed them, and many of the sets were moved by the human characters in the show. It made them seem more natural and part of the story, rather than seeing black figures fiddling around with things while the rest of the plot moved forward. 

Fraggle Rock Live, on the other hand, had much fewer scene changes. The sets were super minimal, and they mostly relied on video projection for their cave set and for characters they interacted with outside the core crew. The few times pieces were moved around the stage, it was definitely a more subtle reset than Sesame Street, but it made for a less interesting production overall. 

I will say the Fraggle costumes were more impressive to me, though. They were pretty seamless, which I cannot say for Cookie Monster’s head (if you have a curious kid, they might ask about it!). I was also thoroughly amazed by the Fraggles’ gigantic trash heap, Marjory, making her appearance on the stage. She was actually a massive, practical puppet that bounced up and down and moved her huge arms. Despite that major highlight, I still think Sesame Street Live takes this category overall.

Winner: Sesame Street Live

Music and Choreography

The songs were a major highlight of both shows, so if you’re going for the music, you will not be disappointed. Both the Sesame Street crew and The Fraggles sing some familiar songs you will recognize from their television shows. The proper name of Sesame Street Live this year is “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello” and the “Hello Song” stuck with us for weeks after the show. It’s a cute, simple song that my little guy has been gleefully singing on his own. There was another ear worm called “I Wonder, What If, Let’s Try” that repeated throughout the show and I have to admit, that one got a little grating. 

The Fraggles busted out some of their old favorites including “Pass it On” — a song that I’ve loved ever since the first time I watched the 1987 holiday classic, Muppet Family Christmas. It’s just a perfect song about paying it forward, and it brought back all the warm feelings of Mokey, Gobo, Boober, Wembley, and Red sharing one rock with each other as a gift. The new songs were sweet, but definitely less catchy and memorable than the songs in Sesame Street Live. 

The dancing was really top-notch at both shows, and I can’t imagine how hard it is to hop and click your heels in those full-body costumes. The humans on Sesame Street also had a ton of energy and their dance moves were so lively they could have been animated characters. 

Winner: Sesame Street Live

AV and Tech

Saving the best for last, there were some major differences in how the two productions used audiovisual and tech components. Sesame Street Live opted for the huge panel-style printed backdrops to make up their set, which I found to be super effective at making it feel like we were really on the set of the TV show.

There was also subtle movement added to the panels through video projection, like a hamster running on a wheel during the pet shop scene. This really brought the scene to life, and made it seem less like a set and more like a living environment. There were two LED screens on each side of the stage that showed either moving clouds, the name of the location they were in, or of course, the letter of the day!

The lighting on Sesame Street stayed pretty consistent in the first act, but after the intermission, things got a little funkier during the "Number of the Day" segment. This was when the Count made his debut, and the lighting got a bit darker while fuchsia and gold spotlights danced around the stage. The lighting and sound significantly changed the vibe of the show, and all the children and parents around me were really enjoying themselves.

Fraggle Rock Live leaned much more into video projection, so overall I would say the tech was a bigger star here. While the little Doozer creatures did make appearances as real puppets behind a rock set piece, many of the other characters showed up via video. Uncle Traveling Matt had his own short video feature while the entire rest of the stage went dark.

The Fraggles also get points for their more impressive lighting changes. At one point in the second act, the entire stage was lit fluorescent pink and the video backdrop glowed in neon blue and green — very reminiscent of 80s-style DayGlo. The lighting also contributed more to the general vibe of the show, and I think the lighting crew did a great job capturing the feeling of being inside a cave.

Winner: Fraggle Rock Live

Which Show Should You See?

So, which show did I (and my son) enjoy more overall? I enjoyed them both for different reasons, but if you’re taking a smaller child, I’d say aged 2-6, they’re just going to enjoy Sesame Street Live Say Hello more, based on the songs, characters, and overall production. If you have older kids and you grew up watching Fraggle Rock, I’d definitely choose Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock Live for the more interesting story, nostalgia, and cool effects (and seriously, another shout-out to Marjory the Trash Heap!) 

Taking a two-year-old to any live event is always a gamble, but my son stayed glued to Sesame Street Live, and he clapped along and cheered when certain characters made their appearance (the Count! Big Bird!) I also should add that my son was fighting a cold when we saw Fraggle Rock Live, so that, paired with the fact that he didn’t know these characters as well, made for one squirmy kid.

The Fraggles, in my opinion, appeal to an older audience. Make sure if you bring a little one, they won’t be frightened by an animated trash heap or dark caves (my son did say, “Mommy, I don’t like that cave.”) And if you’re a Henson fanatic like me and enjoy Muppets of all shapes, sizes, and story lines, why not check out both and let me know what you think?