Sesame Place, Part 2: Sing of Good Things, Not Bad

Nora, Nora, open the door. Open the door, Nora blue, Nora blue.
I just came from the baseball game, and everyone asked about you.
The slugger, the pitcher, and even the catcher:
everyone asked about you.
Baoomba, baoomba-oomba-oomba…

“It’s kind of a Paul Simon-Ladysmith Black Mambazo thing,” Bob explained before singing, with audience help, the story of Nora, a little girl being stalked by just about everyone in the universe. Of course, this reference point meant nothing to the toddlers, but surely the enrapted parents who had come to hear Bob sing and tell stories had heard of Graceland. Anyway, not only was the comparison accurate, but the audience got to sing the baoomba-oomba-oomba part. It was a happy few minutes, one that seemed to exist outside the rest of the complicated, despairing world … just Bob, his new fans, and his old ones, baoombing together.

Nora, Nora, open the door. Open the door, Nora blue, Nora blue.
I took a hike to the peak of Mt. Pike, and everyone asked about you.
The porcupines, mountain lions, and all the yellow butterflies:
everyone asked about you.
Baoomba, baoomba-oomba-oomba…

This is what Bob McGrath does, what he has always done: he makes people feel included, shares the spotlight. Here’s a good question: if I ask for your Sesame Street memories, what do you think of first? Big Bird, perhaps? Ernie and Bert bickering before bedtime? The guy with the cream pies taking a header down the stairs? Mr. Hooper dying, and the rest of the adults gently explaining to the kids what that meant? Whatever your very first thought is, it probably isn’t Bob; yet, in many ways, Bob (the longest-running cast member) was the glue, an unassuming, humble presence who always smiled, always reassured, always taught lessons with patience and warm humor. Would you like to know something? That’s really him. On this especially warm day at Sesame Place, Jenn and I could tell.

Nora, Nora, open the door. Open the door, Nora blue, Nora blue.
I just explored the ocean floor, and everyone asked about you.
The tuna, the porpoises, and all the seahorseses:
everyone asked about you.
Baoomba, baoomba-oomba-oomba…

One of the cool things about this trip was seeing Nate playing with more confidence than he had at Disney World in December. He was less nervous around characters, more excited about the rides, and more willing to jump in and participate. So at Bob’s music-and-stories show, Nate didn’t miss an opportunity to dance up front with the other kids (and the two pretty park attendants near the stage, the big flirt), especially when Bob sang “The Dinosaur Swing” and “Your Face.” And Bob’s reading of one of Nate’s favorite stories, The Monster at the End of This Book (spoiler: it’s Grover), was just gravy. As for me, I liked “Everyone Asked about You” the best, so I bought the CD for Nate … well, mostly for Nate. ’Cause I’ll be darned if Bob, at 75 years old, didn’t go and make this overgrown kid feel included once again, creating even more memories to take home.

All right, all right, Mr. Sunshine bright,
I've heard enough stories from you, so no more.
If everyone, everyone, everyone asked for me,
why don’t they come to my door?

We came back to the park that night. I ran to grab a map from the welcome center, and returned to find Bob chatting up my wife. He had been hanging out near the front gates, and he approached Jenn and Nate to reintroduce himself. I learned later that, when Jenn told him we enjoyed his show, he seemed genuinely humble and even a little insecure, like he really wanted our approval. He needn’t have worried. On this sunny day, everything was A-OK.

Comments

[jac]

1. Bob is exactly how I hoped he'd be.

2. How many children did you push out of the way to meet him?

3. How many children's television stars can we say WE grew up with too? Not many.

[John]

" (spoiler: it’s Grover)"

nice :-)

[Julie]

We went to one of Bob's performances this year. Our 3 year old son has one of his old old records and loves it. Even though our son was extremely overtired and would ordinarily have been cranky, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have to agree with your assessment of Bob. He's so very personable and makes everyone feel included, if for no other reason than that he obviously loves what he's doing and cares about the people he's performing for.