Staying in Character

When it comes to playing a "Sesame Street" character onstage, the key is keeping it real.

"You have to make sure you give the kids the same Elmo as they see on TV," says Jestina O'Dell. She's the human in the familiar Elmo character costume during the "Sesame Street Live" show "Elmo Makes Music," which is in performance today through Sunday at Cox Pavilion.

O'Dell auditioned for "Sesame Street Live" at Dean College in Franklin, Mass., where she earned her associate's degree in dance, and got a call-back a few months later.

"Four years later and I'm still here," says O'Dell, who also has appeared in the "Sesame Street Live" productions "Elmo's Coloring Book" and "Out of This World."

Getting chosen for the part depended a lot on dance ability and height. "They also look for dance technique and your personality," O'Dell says. "They look for energy, too. Your movements onstage have to be 'big.' "

She prepared for the role by watching tapes of the show. "You have to have a sharp eye and watch what the character's doing. Elmo is a 3 1/2-year-old boy, and he's very energetic. Being energetic is probably the main part of what I do. It's not all just dancing, you have to act as well."

Although the show helps keep her in shape -- "It's a cardio workout for 90 minutes," O'Dell says -- she works out to maintain the stamina needed to perform eight shows a week.

O'Dell says the most rewarding aspect is the interactivity with the children in the audience. "You get to touch the kids on the hand or give them a hug. It's a little like a rock concert for them. Even a wave can make a kid's day."

For Leslie Bowen, who plays Big Bird in the show, the main requirement was height -- he's about 6-foot-1-inch, and Big Bird is 8 feet 2 inches tall.

"I had a friend in school who had a job with the company and she dragged me to an audition," Bowen remembers. "It was a snowy day and auditioning was the last thing I wanted to do, but I've been here ever since."

Bowen has been with the company for five years and has performed in other "Sesame Street Live" shows including "Elmo's Coloring Book," "Missing Music Mystery" and "Everyone Makes Music."

He's traveling 11 months out of the year. The key is "focusing on keeping the show fresh," he says. "You're giving the same performance each time, and you have to keep in the same character as on the TV show. Every now and then you have to tell yourself to get out there and just do it."

Bowen has played the role so much he no longer feels he has a costume on, even though it's wider and taller than the other characters' and there's limited movement.

"It's for the children," he says, "they make it exciting."