Celebrated puppeteers Kevin Clash (Elmo) and Carmen Osbahr (Rosita) bring their Sesame Street characters to life during a performance at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany October 14, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. In a show of appreciation, Elmo and Rosita sang, danced, and interacted with military kids throughout their performance. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)
“I am so proud to be a part of Sesame Workshop’s Talk, Listen, Connect Initiative and to have the opportunity to go on a USO tour to Germany and uplift the spirits of today’s military schoolchildren. They, unlike most of today’s youth, often face an array of changes on a routine basis and it is nice to know they aren’t being ignored or forgotten.” – Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo
Elmo and Rosita and the celebrated puppeteers who bring them to life, Baltimore native Kevin Clash and Mexico City native Carmen Osbahr, lifted the spirits of nearly 1,000 troops and military schoolchildren stationed at four military school in Germany! It’s the first tour for both Clash and Osbahr, whose performances are an extension of the USO/Sesame Street Experience for Military Families in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, and the USO.
As part of the ten performances they put on, Elmo and Rosita sang songs and interacted with military school kids. They also danced and expressed their thanks to schoolchildren, in addition to helping the young children in the audience – most ages 2 to 8 – cope with challenging transitions in their lives, such as deployments and when a parent comes home with a combat-related injury.
It was a fantastic, family friendly tour that won’t soon be forgotten. Check out more pictures below!
A student at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany hugs Sesame Streetâ's Rosita after a USO-sponsored performance October 14, 2010. Osbahr, who performs Rosita, began her relationship with Sesame Street as a teenager in 1985. Part of Sesame Workshop's Talk Listen Connect program for military families, her other credits include Kiki in The Puzzle Place, a role in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and as Lily in Johnny and The Sprites for the Disney Channel. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)
Celebrated puppeteers Kevin Clash (Elmo) and Carmen Osbahr (Rosita) bring their Sesame Street characters to life during a performance at Ramstein Elementary School in Germany October 14, 2010. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)
Sesame Street's Rosita (right) and Elmo pose for a photo after a performance at Vogelweh Elementary School in Germany October 13, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)
Kevin Clash head out into the crowd to let the children get up and close and personal with on of their favorite Sesame Street characters - Elmo, of course! - during a performance at Kaiserslautern Elementary School in Germany October 13, 2010, as part of a USO educational tour. (USO photo by Jackie Zettles)
