'Street' performers bring magical 'Aanika's Elephants' to Atlanta

ATLANTA - For years, they’ve been taking kids to a place called "Sesame Street." Now, a group of talented writers and performers is transporting Atlanta families to Africa to meet a young girl and her elephant best friend.

The hour-long musical "Aanika’s Elephants" is currently on the Mainstage at Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts, with performances continuing through Sept. 3. The show was penned by "Sesame Street" writer Annie Evans and directed by "Sesame Street" performer Pam Arciero ("Grundgetta Grouch"), and features puppet designs by Marty P. Robinson (who’s performed as Mr. Snuffleupagus for more than 40 years!) and music by Paul Rudolph, who also composes and arranges for — you guessed it — "Sesame Street." 

"Aanika’s Elephants" tells the story of Aanika, a young girl who befriends an orphaned baby elephant named Little at an elephant sanctuary in Africa. The story eventually takes Aanika and Little into the African savanna, where they are taken in by an elephant family and must face off against poachers. The story’s incredible animals are brought to life through both Rod and Czech Black puppetry, and the cast is led by current "Sesame Street" and former Center for Puppetry Arts performer Jimmica Collins as Aanika.

Tickets for Aanika’s Elephants are $22 for non-members and $17.60 for members, and are all-inclusive (which means they include admission to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum, special museum exhibitions, and the Create-A-Puppet Workshop). For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, click here.

Another really exciting aspect of Aanika’s Elephants is the fact that the show is heading for Broadway — which means Peach State audiences are getting the rare chance to see it before it hits The Big Apple. For a sneak peek at the show, click the video player in this article to check out our morning hanging out with the cast and crew!