The ever-amazing Elmo's Circus Dream is currently playing in Melbourne and travelling around regional Victoria from February to April this year.
Live theatre already brings with it a special kind of magic, however if you want your joy-receptors peaking in the red then nothing compares to the look of wonder and amazement on the face of a small child when they see their favourite character bound out onto the stage in front of them.
It’s genuinely delightful to hear the collective gasp of these little voices when they first spot them, and see mile-wide smiles and sparkly eyes taking in all the captivating colour and movement, as the lights from the stage glow back on their faces.
Elmo certainly created this kind of electrifying energy in the room last year when Elmo’s Circus Dream toured Victoria to packed houses. Back by popular demand, this live theatre show has returned in 2024 for a much larger tour, which is currently up and running and taking in plenty of metro and regional venues so even more audiences can enjoy all the fun.
Keep up with the latest in local news and entertainment here.
View this post on Instagram
From Preston to Albury, Ballarat to Bairnsdale, the show is visiting more than twenty towns all across Victoria and up around the border, sometimes scheduling up to three shows a day to ensure locals don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy Elmo, a collection of his Sesame Street friends and some very talented humans in this high-energy, feel-good stage show.
While the iconic Elmo probably needs no introduction, this adorable red fluffy monster Muppet is a character from Sesame Street, which is one of the longest running, and most influential, television shows ever made.
Sesame Street, which has been screened in countless countries across the globe, first began as a children’s television series in the mid-1960s. The idea was to use television, still an emerging entertainment medium then, to provide education for pre-schoolers and their families, so it worked in lessons about fundamentals, such as literacy and numeracy, along with basic life skills, such as how to cross the road safely, eat well and maintain proper hygiene.
Using a dynamic mix of live action, animated cartoons, puppets, games, songs and sketch comedy to maintain the attention of little ones, their older siblings and even encourage parents to watch and participate in the education of their kids, the show is also about empowering pre-schoolers in other key ways, teaching them to be strong, confident and kind.
View this post on Instagram
All of these ideas are infused in Elmo’s Circus Dream stage show, which includes many of Sesame Street’s most famous residents, such as Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Grover and Bert and Ernie, all in their larger-than-life 3D glory and vibrant colour.
The show begins with Elmo’s enchanting bedtime story about the circus, which soon leads to Elmo and friends being magically transported to a dreamtime circus, where some internationally renowned circus performers will dazzle and delight with their impressive acrobatic displays, jaw dropping juggling acts, and mind-bending illusions. It’s a high-energy show, packed with plenty of songs (including the iconic Sesame Street theme song), dance numbers and colourful costumes.
Elmo and his Sesame Street friends are performing two shows a day, at 10.30am and then 1pm, in each venue. Their first stop on the tour is the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre in Preston on February 20 and 21.Then on Feb 22 and 23, they will be performing four shows at Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre in South Morang. Weekend audiences at Bunjil Place Theatre, the arts epicentre of Narre Warren, will have the option of a third show on both Saturday and Sunday, happening at 3pm.
After so many shows, Elmo will take a well needed rest before jumping back up on Wednesday 28 February in Shepparton, Thursday in Echuca and finishing the week with Saturday shows in Wangaratta.
View this post on Instagram
On Monday 4 March, and again the following day, they’re in Albury before heading to Bairnsdale on the Thursday, and Sale on the Saturday at the Wedge Performing Arts Centre. It’s then Traralgon’s turn on Sunday 10 March.
The following week, the show arrives at the Wonthaggi Union Community Arts Centre on Thursday 14 March before a packed schedule in Ballarat, starting on Sunday 17 March, with an extra show at 3pm, then two shows a day on Monday and Tuesday at Civic Hall.
Tickets for all of these shows are already on sale, including the Thursday 21 March show in Hamiliton. Tickets will soon be on sale for shows still to come in Mount Gambier, Horsham, Murray Bridge and ten shows over four days in Norwood from 30 March to 2 April.
For Sesame Street fans in Evanston Park, Renmark, Mildura and Bendigo, you’ll be able to see the show during the first half of April, so for all upcoming dates be sure to check the website www.sesamestreetcircus.com.au for when they become available.
Elmo’s Circus Dream is presented by Showtime Attractions, an Australian entertainment company who have the local rights to the biggest and latest licenses in children’s entertainment, including major worldwide brands, such as Nickelodeon, Universal, DreamWorks, Warner Bros, and many more.
Just like the TV program that inspired it, Elmo’s Circus Dream is intended to ignite the imaginations of children, encourage self-expression and teach valuable life lessons in a fun and engaging way. Plus, there’s also the opportunity to meet and greet Elmo after the show, for those who purchase the VIP tickets. Those start from $69 and also include premium seating and a showbag, while a general admission ticket starts at $33.50.
Given the television show has aired over 4500 episodes, there’s generations of us who have grown up with these characters and Elmo’s Circus Dream will allow older audience members a trip down memory lane while creating unforgettable memories for younger ones.
For all the information, head to www.sesamestreetcircus.com.au.
This article was made in partnership with Showtime Attractions.
