Sesame Street wrap party

Flyer for the season two party by Caroll Spinney.

Group Photo from the Season 16 wrap party: December 21, 1984.

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph with the Richard Hunt Spirit Award in 2010.

When the Sesame Street cast and crew finish taping a season of shows, they traditionally celebrate with a wrap party. Party goers have dinner, watch a reel of outtakes and highlights from the season, and enjoy live skits that often poke fun at the show. In addition, toasts are exchanged, and awards and bottles of wine are presented to people who got engaged, married or had babies since the last party. The very first wrap party was held at the studio on April 6, 1970. By the season 38 wrap party in 2006, the party began to be held at a local bar instead.

In the earliest days of the show, Richard Hunt took it upon himself to provide entertainment for the parties, doing his own material and recruiting others to perform as well. For one party, cameraman Frank Biondo was given the role of introducing one of Hunt's acts and from then on, he served as the emcee for the live show. These early shows had sparse performing spaces and apple boxes for platforms. Eventually, Biondo was granted a full stage that could be set up for the show.

The parties have also given out a "Richard Hunt Spirit Award," presented by the Sesame cast and crew to "someone that everyone feels continues the humor and spirit of Richard on set."

In a 2009 blog entry, Annie Evans wrote about the tradition:

“We used to do the wrap parties on the actual set. Because the crew had to work these parties rather than enjoy them, and we moved to a smaller studio, the wrap parties started happening "off campus" a few years ago. These earlier studio wrap parties used to be quite lavish affairs. People such as John Tartaglia and Alan Muraoka would perform as well as other talented crewmembers [sic]. Often these were spoofs such as Alan and Telly singing "Everybody Poots." And then, there was the infamous Muppet performance. This show, usually written by Joey Mazzarino, was always a parody and very blue. Parents were warned ahead of time it was NOT suitable for children (but children came anyway). One year, it was Elmo the snobby star in Hollywood because of the "Tickle Me Elmo" craze. Another time, it was a Letterman-style show called "Late Night with Oscar the Grouch" and once it was a marketing spoof about all the Sesame Street products.”

Known performances and events

Mr. Snuffleupagus eating the grandson of cameraman Frankie Biondo.

Bob McGrath with some Muppet scumbags at the Season 18 wrap party.

Big Bird singing at the Season 30 wrap party.

Rick Lyon plays Mr. Noodle in an "Elmo's World" sketch at the Season 30 party.

Since the wrap parties are a private affair, not much is made public about them. However, some tidbits from the parties have been revealed on occasion.

• At the season seven wrap party, following a screening of "Surprise," which featured the cast getting hit by pies, Dulcy Singer sent one into Jon Stone's face.

• During one party in which Jim Henson was in attendance, Frank Biondo allowed a female Muppet performer a five-minute slot for a stand-up comedy routine, which ended up lasting 25 minutes.

• Performances at the Season 18 wrap party include:
  • A poem by Big Bird entitled Courage (from The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "The Return of Edwin Carp")
  • A "regular day" on Sesame Street performance piece narrated by Richard Hunt and acted out by Joe Baer
  • Michael Elizabeth Huston performing a stand-up routine
  • Bob McGrath singing "The People in Your Neighborhood" with a Muppet conman (Kevin Clash), hooker (Pam Arciero), and mugger (Martin P. Robinson)
  • Ellen Greene singing "Mira" from Carnival, and "Suddenly, Telly" from Little Shop of Horrors
  • A new version of "Put Down the Duckie" was screened, with the show's cast and crew singing along. Footage was played during the credits of Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street. Kevin Clash recalled on The Barretta Brothers that he assisted Jim Henson in performing Ernie for his cameo at the end of the piece.

• The season 23 wrap party featured Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold performing a duet of "Friendship."

• The season 30 wrap party featured a parody of "Elmo's World," focused on undergarments as Elmo interviewed a Muppet bra and G-string. The sketch also featured Mr. Noodle (as portrayed by Muppet performer Rick Lyon) shouting angrily that he won't be Elmo's patsy anymore and swearing to "get a new job where he can act with dignity," only to be disgraced when he can't shake the cartoony sound effects that accompany his every move.

• At the same party, Big Bird performed a song written by Gene Gilroy (Caroll Spinney's father-in-law), originally written for Kathie Lee Gifford's Lullabies for Little Ones. This performance was included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story.

• A wrap party sketch from an unknown season in which Mr. Snuffleupagus ate an autograph-seeking child (Frank Biondo's grandson Anthony), who presents the character with a photograph of Rosita instead. At the next season's party, Snuffy regurgitated the same child, "now wearing a tattered shirt and covered in goo."

• Another wrap party sketch featured the parody character "Nookie Monster."

• In a 2009 interview, Michael Davis, author of Street Gang, mentioned wrap party sketches that spoofed the notion that Ernie and Bert are gay: when asked if there had ever been any discussion about the characters' "unusual relationship," Davis responded "Well, I'll tell you this, not only was there a discussion, but it was fodder for some of the funniest skits ever at their wrap parties every year."

• One wrap party featured a musical performance by Alison Bartlett with Little Chrissy and Big Jeffie. Another party featured the same group performing, with Elmo thrown into the mix.

• Another "Elmo's World"-themed sketch showed Elmo going through puberty, where "his falsetto was dipping into bass and he was growing little Muppet pubic hairs."