By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
``Sesame Street Live,'' a musical based on the popular American TV series for preschoolers, will hit the stage at two venues in Gyeonggi Province.
Its creative team currently touring 17 countries for the musical performance has chosen Korea as its first venue for this year's Asia tour.
The original TV show has been televised in 140 countries and more than 30 international versions have been produced over the last 38 years since it was first aired in 1969.
The series has a high international reputation and has received 109 Emmy Awards, a record high win for any television series.
More than 4,134 episodes of the show have been produced in 37 seasons, making it one of the longest-running U.S. television shows in history.
The musical version was first created in 1980 and has attracted more than 50 million people around the world in 140 countries over the last 27 years.
The musical revolves around characters such as Elmo, the Cookie Monster and Big Bird who go on a trip to a fantasy world.
The musical was first staged in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center in 2003. For this year's performance, the musical will be staged at the Goyang SPART Complex and Park (Goyang Oulimnuri) in Gyeonggi Province from May 29 to June 3 and at the Opera House of the Seongnam Arts Center from June 5-10.
Since the TV series first premiered on November 10, 1969 on the National Educational Television network in the U.S., tens of millions children around the world have watched it.
The show gained popularity not only from children but also from their parents because of its educational benefits, especially, in Korea as English educational material.
Tickets are 20,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, call (031) 960-0000 for Goyang SPART Complex and Park or (02) 529-3530 for the Seongnam Arts Center.