press releases

Plaza Sésamo Kicks off 40th Anniversary Celebration With Spectacular Event Full of Children and Celebrities at Teatro Aldama

(Mexico City, MEXICO, and New York, NY, January 30, 2013) Plaza Sésamo kicked off its 40^th anniversary with a very special event at Teatro Aldama.  The red carpet event showcased the vibrancy of the award-winning children’s television series, which airs on Televisa, with a Muppet performance, live show musical preview, screening of iconic segments, children’s activities, and specially-created Plaza Sésamo–themed desserts for its guests.

“Today is a day to celebrate 40 wonderful years of the most engaging furry characters, top celebrity guests, memorable music, and unforgettable storylines,” said Marie-Cecile Girard-Jones, Sesame Workshop’s Assistant Vice President of Global Licensing.  “We feel extremely privileged to produce the gold standard of children’s television—continually creating fun new content, based on research, for the latest platforms.  This is what keeps Plaza Sésamo fresh, exciting and relevant to the needs of today’s children.”

“All of us within Televisa who have been lucky enough to be a part of these 40 years of Plaza Sésamo feel quite proud to have contributed in any way to help produce and have this show on our channels,” said Javier Williams, Executive Producer in Televisa. “We know and understand the impact that this show has had on several generations in our countries and therefore it has always been a very important part of our aim to provide valuable content for children.”

Other Plaza Sésamo 40^th anniversary activities taking place in the next few months include:

• “40 años de Plaza Sésamo en 40 Imágenes,” a traveling photo exhibit at 18 shopping malls throughout Mexico including:
  • Season 1 (February 1^st – 14^th) Galerías Atizapan y Galerías Metepec (Edo. México), Galerías Chilpancingo (Gro.), Galerías Coapa, Galerías Insurgentes y Perinorte (D.F.);  Galerías Laguna (Coahuila); Galerías Cuernavaca (Morelos), Galerías Vallarta (Jalisco).
  • Season 2 (April 8^th – 22^nd) Galerías Querétaro (Qro.); Galerías Saltillo (Saltillo); Galerías Tabasco (Tabasco); Galerías Zacatecas (Zacatecas); Galerías Acapulco (Gro.), Galerías Monterrey (Monterrey); Galerías Celaya (Guanajuato), Galerías Mérida (Yucatán); Perisur (D.F.)
• The exhibit is sponsored by Xerox and Centros Comerciales Galerías is providing the spaces/areas.
• The launch of the new Plaza Sésamo website, www.plazasesamo.com, featuring kids’ activities, parenting tips, videos, news on their favorite Muppets, and blog to keep fans up-to-date.  To get the latest news, fans can also follow Plaza Sésamo via Facebook.
• Plaza Sésamo Hace Musica, a touring live show musical featuring Lola, Pancho, Abelardo, Elmo, and all their furry friends sharing their love of music.  Susanna, an enthusiastic music teacher, performed by well-known actress and singer Mariana Garza, arrives on Plaza Sésamo only to discover that her instruments are missing. Susanna’s new Muppet friends quickly come to the rescue and discover “'instruments” they never knew existed...rubber duckies, trash can lids and even cookie jars.  The Plaza Sésamo friends teach children that everyone can make and enjoy beautiful music together.  The Plaza Sésamo Hace Música live show premiers on the weekend of March 9^th at the Teatro Metropolitan in Mexico City.  It will then tour throughout Mexico and Latin America bringing great music to all our little friends hearts.  Plaza Sésamo Hace Música is produced by VEE Corporation and TycoonGou Producciones.

• Fun new Plaza Sésamo products including Abelardo and Lola plush from Hasbro.
• Licensed product will feature the Plaza Sésamo 40^th anniversary logo to mark the milestone year.
• Continued distribution of healthy habits messages and materials to local communities from MetLife Foundation and Tetra Pak.

Last October, the Plaza Sésamo producers organized a stakeholders meeting in Colombia that included regional experts hailing from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia to discuss the evolving needs of children in the digital age, what Plaza Sésamo content can be developed  to best address those needs, and what additional opportunities are available to promote early education.

“As we embark on the next 40 years, it is truly an honor to have had a distinguished gathering of experts from government, civil society, and the private sector jointly reflect on the needs and priorities of early childhood development in Latin America,” said Girard-Jones.  “We are planning the next phase of Plaza Sésamo and are excited for the next great adventure with our fans!”

Plaza Sésamo, the Latin American adaptation of the groundbreaking series Sesame Street, has captivated viewers since 1972.  Meshing live-action film, animation, and the beloved Muppets, the series has aired on public and private stations in 34 Latin American countries, reaching millions of children and families.

Contacts:

Martha Montemayor
Directora Local Plaza Sésamo México
mmontemayor@ccconsultores.com.mx
(52-55) 1520 0007

Beatrice Chow
Corporate Communications,
Sesame Workshop
beatrice.chow@sesame.org
(212) 875-6586

Mario San Martín
Dirección General Corporativa de Comunicación
msmartin@televisa.com.mx
(52 55) 57 28 36 68
Twitter @televisaprensa