Sesame Street Live is a live touring show based on the children's television show Sesame Street produced by Roundroom Live under license of Sesame Workshop .
21-509: The VEE Corporation was started in March 1980 by founder Vincent Egan , who had an idea to produce a live-character show based on Sesame Street . He had worked for the Ice Follies tour, which had a segment featuring Muppets. Egan approached Jim Henson 's company and Children's Television Workshop , who were interested. With outside funding, Vee was able to sign a licensing agreement with
42-665: A chance to move to the new Target Center upon its opening in 1990 due to conflicting soft drink rights (the Met Center was served by Pepsi whereas the Target Center's pouring rights belonged to Coca-Cola). After the North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas , in 1993 and became the Dallas Stars , the Met Center was demolished on December 13, 1994, in a series of three controlled implosions . The series of implosions
63-484: A consultant. In 2015, VEE Corporation and Blue Star Media, a producer and promoter of consumer shows and events, became VStar Entertainment Group . In August 2015, the company agreed to partner with the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a mobile tour. In April 2016, Vstar hired Eric Grilly as CEO from Comcast Sports Group. In November 2016, Sesame Workshop announced an agreement with Feld Entertainment for
84-711: A new Sesame Street Live show thus ending VStar's arena version in July 2017. The company continues to support and produce other Sesame Street shows at various locations and the United Service Organizations tour while still providing costumes. In January 2017, Vstar acquired Cirque Productions , based in South Florida. Neil Goldberg, Cirque Productions founder and Broadway director, was retained as president of Cirque Dreams. On July 5, 2018, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announced that it
105-586: A partner finding AUA Private Equity, who purchase a share of the company from Syal in early June 2014 via a leverage buyout. A tented version of the Discover exhibition was launched in 2014 at two state fairs, New York State Fair, and the California State Fair, and had 14% of total yearly attendance for the exhibition. On April 1, 2015, Blue Star Media, LLC under the direction of Sanjay Syal as CEO purchased VEE Corporation with Egan continuing as
126-543: The 1980s). As a sports facility, it could best be described as utilitarian, a theme which repeated itself in most Minnesota sports facilities built before 1988 (such as Metropolitan Stadium and the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome ). Like the Metrodome, the Met Center was heavily utilized as a Minnesota sports venue, hosting various high school hockey and basketball events over the course of its lifetime. The North Stars turned down
147-507: The 1988–1989 season there were only two Sesame Street Live shows on tour. On April 1, 2015, Blue Star Media, LLC purchased VEE Corporation with Egan continuing on as a consultant; later that year the combined company was renamed VStar Entertainment Group. In November 2016, Sesame Workshop announced an agreement with Feld Entertainment to take over producing Sesame Street Live . VStar continues to produce other Sesame Street shows at various locations, and provides costumes. In order to keep
168-499: The Big Blue House , Dragon Tales , Baby Shark's Big Show! , and Curious George . Vee Corporation was started on March 14, 1980 from an idea by founder Vincent Egan to produce a live character show just for Sesame Street. At the time, there were only three touring family shows, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and two ice shows, Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice . He based it off his time working for
189-746: The Children's Television Workshop for the characters. The first Sesame Street Live show opened in September 1980 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota for a five-day run. That show was successful. The following shows in five locations had lackluster attendance costing VEE the profits made in Bloomington. Egan figured that the marketing material was confusing people in those markets as what type of show
210-421: The Children's Television Workshop for the characters. The first Sesame Street Live show opened in September 1980 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota for a successful five-day run. The following shows in five locations had lackluster attendance costing VEE the profits made in Bloomington. Egan figured that the marketing material was confusing people in those markets as what type of show
231-545: The Ice Follies which had a segment with those Sesame Street Muppets . Egan approached Jim Henson's company and Children's Television Workshop , who were interested. He then found an investor in Gordon Stofer, whose Norwest Growth Fund took half ownership in the company for $ 500,000. Egan refinanced his home mortgage for $ 25,000 in additional funding. With the funding, Vee was able to sign a licensing agreement with
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#1732801387803252-555: The company. Sanjay Syal started Blue Star Productions before 1995 to produce trade shows. Where Syal produced over 100 events per year, Syal then formed Blue Star Media in 2011 for the traveling exhibition, Discover the Dinosaurs, which became one of the most successful traveling family events in the country with over 120 event per year. With the success of the exhibition, Syal then proceeded to wind down Blue Star Productions as contracts expired. Blue Star Media then started to look for
273-640: The defending champion Pittsburgh Pipers to Bloomington, but the Pipers left to return to Pittsburgh after the season. The NASL 's Minnesota Kicks played two indoor seasons at the Met from 1979 to 1981. The Minnesota Strikers of the Major Soccer League (MISL) played indoor soccer at the Met Center from 1984 to 1988. The Boys' High School Hockey Tournament was also held there from 1969 to 1975. The arena also held entertainment-related shows, including
294-564: The first performance of Sesame Street Live in September 1980. The Met Center was considered to be one of the finest arenas in the NHL for many years. Among NHL players, the Met was known for its fast ice and good lighting. Players also had much praise for the locker rooms and training facilities. Fans gave the arena's sightlines very high marks as well. The Met never boasted fancy amenities, and had cramped concourses and very few frills compared to modern arenas (though some luxury suites were added in
315-555: The producing organization of Sesame Street Live is Roundroom Live Roundroom Live VStar Entertainment Group VStar Entertainment Group is a family entertainment production company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota , United States. It produced Sesame Street Live , a live touring stage show based on the television series . It has also produced stage shows based on The Muppet Show and Muppet Babies , PAW Patrol , Barney & Friends , Trolls , Bear in
336-537: The show running annually in the same cities, new plot lines are created and rotated through the tour. Because the target audience changes as children grow up, shows are often removed from the rotation for a few years, then return with some modifications. In order of their creation, the Sesame Street Live shows have been: VEE Corporation (1980–2015) VStar Entertainment Group (2015–July 2017) Feld Entertainment (July 2017 – 2023) As of spring 2024,
357-504: Was acquiring VStar. On June 29, 2020, Cirque du Soleil filed for bankruptcy in Canada. Three days later, on July 1, 2020, they filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy . Metropolitan Sports Center The Met Center was an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota , United States, a suburb of Minneapolis . The arena, which was completed in 1967 by Minnesota Ice, just to the north of Metropolitan Stadium , seated 15,000. It
378-518: Was not specified. He overhauled the script and marketing while getting his creditors to wait for payments. That Christmas, the show went on to play for four weeks at Madison Square Garden 's 4,000-seat Felt Forum in New York City before an audience of 100,000 people. Around 2000, Egan purchased Norwest Fund's stake in the corporation. He also formed two divisions, Vee Costumes & Creatures and Vee Production Services, to successfully diversify
399-422: Was not specified. He overhauled the script and marketing while getting his creditors to wait for payments. That Christmas, the show went on to play for four weeks at Madison Square Garden 's 4,000-seat Felt Forum in New York City before an audience of 100,000 people. VEE quickly ramped up to two different shows for the 1981–1982 season, then added a third Australia show in 1982–1983. From the 1983–1984 season until
420-579: Was required after the initial detonation (which was intended to be the only one) failed spectacularly to bring down the building on live television. The NHL returned to Minnesota in 2000 when the expansion Minnesota Wild began play at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul . Meanwhile, the Harlem Globetrotters , an annual visitor to the Met Center, moved on, as had a large portion of Met Center's concert business, to Target Center. For several years after
441-601: Was the home of the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1993. For its first 15 years, its official name was the Metropolitan Sports Center ; the more familiar shorter name was adopted in 1982. The Met's other tenants included the ABA's Minnesota Muskies , which played just one season before moving to Miami for the 1968–69 season. The league responded by moving
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