Sesame Street Doesn't Need an Elmo Back-Up Plan Until 2014
The Sesame Street producers were left in quite the pickle when one of their biggest puppeteers, Kevin Clash, resigned, but apparently his Elmo will be a part of the show for the next two years.
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Clash resigned from Sesame Street this week over allegations he had sex with an underage male, so a lot of people were wondering if the lil' red muppet would show up in today's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Elmo is still a fan favorite after all. And, sure enough, when the Sesame Street float came on TV, Elmo was front and center, right in front of Big Bird. Elmo made his first public appearance in this morning, and while it wasn't Clash pulling the strings, it was his voice that sang to the thousands of parade go-ers. Sesame Street has vowed to continue using the puppet, and the parade was the first test.
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How did they do it? Well, the New York Times' Brian Stelter reports the cast recorded the song ahead of the parade, and before the allegations against Clash were revealed. And they're set for the foreseeable future, too, so long as they have someone who can move the puppet. The voice won't change at all. Sources told the New York Post this morning that Clash has two years worth of Elmo material already recored, so they won't have to worry about anything until 2014.
