`SILLY DANCING' OFFERS HEAVY DOSE

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Ses~ame Street Live may offer some educational lessons to its young spectators, but it also offers a heavy dose of entertainment, says the show's producer, Vince Egan.

"The show itself is based upon the characters' various personalities," Egan said. "They all try to create the silliest dance, and the lesson is that it's OK for all of us to be different."

"Silly Dancing" will be at the Show Me Center April 12-14. Egan is president of VEE Corporation, based in Minneapolis, Minn., which owns and produces four touring Sesame Street Live shows.

Together, they play 180 markets and to 3.5 million people per year. The first show took to the stage Sept. 17, 1980.

What's kept the shows going is their wide appeal, Egan said, and the fact that "we love what we do."

Egan said: "In some cases, this is the first musical stage presentation children see. It's fast-moving and surprising, and there's lot of audience participation.

"When we started 11 years ago, we just wanted to bring the people good, quality entertainment at an affordable price. Now, in some areas, it's a tradition. It really creates an atmosphere where parents and children can get together for about an hour and a half and just have a blast."

The characters are straight from the television show "Sesame Street" and are familiar to kids and adults alike.

A marketing agreement with Children's Television Workshop and Jim Henson Productions gave the company exclusive rights to the life-sized replicas of the famous Sesame Street characters.

In fact, "Silly Dancing" is written by Norman Stiles, the head writer for Children's Television Workshop.

Some of the favorite characters in the show are Big Bird (who stands more than 8-feet tall), Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, The Count, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Prairie Dawn and Barkley the Dog.

Making her stage debut in the production will be Oscar's girlfriend, Grundgetta.

Egan said Barkley the Dog is usually a big hit with kids. "He's cute and kids can relate to his personality," he said. "Plus, he's on all-fours. The kids just love it."

The stage presentation is choreographed, and the characters will attempt to impress each other and the audience with their own versions of everything from jazz, tap and swing to polkas, sambas and the twist.

The set, properties, costumes and lighting were produced at a cost of $1.5 million. Costumes were designed by Jim Henson Productions in New York City.

"Of course, I'm prejudiced," Egan said, "but I think it's the finest musical show out there. We sell dreams and we make people happy, and we have a lot of fun in the process."

Ticket information is available through the Show Me Center box office at 651-5000.