Honoring Richard Hunt and Sesame Street at 40

A 40th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking children’s television show, “Sesame Street,” “Sesame Street at 40—A Night of Celebration and Discovery with the Legendary Cast,” will be held at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., on January 30, 2009. This unique program, crafted for an adult audience, features the cast members who have helped shape the Sesame Street neighborhood into one of the most successful children’s shows on television. The group will assemble as a memorial tribute to New Jersey’s own Richard Hunt, the irrepressible and life-affirming wit behind a score of characters from “Sesame Street” and the “Muppet Show.”

The program features Frank Oz (Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster); Kevin Clash (Elmo); Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar); Marty Robinson (Telly Monster and Snuffy); Fran Brill (Zoe and Prairie Dawn); and David Rudman (Baby Bear). Also on the panel are Sonia Manzano (Maria), Bob McGrath (Bob); and composer and writer Tony Geiss. Michael Davis, author of the soon-to-be-published “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street,” will be the evening’s moderator.

To purchase tickets, please call 973-720-2371 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. or purchase online at www.wpunj.edu/dls