Billboard Family
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Sesame Street has an impressive roster of special guests lined up for the 55th season of the beloved children’s show, which premieres on Max on Jan. 16. SZA, Noah Kahan, Chris Stapleton, Reneé Rapp and Samara Joy are set to appear on episodes this year, during a season that will center on teaching kids about emotional well-being.
Actor Michael B. Jordan, TV personality/hair stylist Jonathan Van Ness and tennis player Billie Jean King round out the list of celebrity guests Sesame Workshop announced on Thursday (Jan. 9).
This season’s celebrity guests will join the program for “Street Stories,” songs and other segments.
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New Sesame Street episodes will air every Thursday.
With its focus on emotional well-being, this season of the show aims to “help children learn accessible strategies to comprehend and cope with big feelings through fun, lighthearted, relatable and engaging stories,” according to a press release from Sesame Workshop.
“New episodes of Sesame Street will help young viewers understand and express their feelings, learn new mindfulness practices, and as always, have a blast with their favorite furry and funny friends,” Sesame Street executive producer Sal Perez says. “Whether it’s taking a volcano breath when angry, learning to give yourself a hug when frustrated, or wiggling it out when disappointed, we are empowering children with the strategies to help build resiliency and the foundational skills for emotional well-being.”
“This season’s emotional well-being curriculum was developed in response to the growing mental health crisis affecting children globally. Focusing on emotion awareness and social connection skills, children will learn that all feelings are important and that we all experience big feelings, as well as how to navigate social scenarios with friends, families, and the wider community,” adds Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s senior vp of curriculum and content.
Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie, Elmo, Abby and more keep joining in on the fun and learning on Sesame Street, which also continues to be available on PBS stations via streaming on PBS KIDS.
See the full lineup of upcoming guests announced for Sesame Street and watch the trailer for Season 55 below.
Reneé Rapp (Thursday, January 16)Michael B. Jordan (Thursday, Jan. 23)Samara Joy (Thursday, Feb. 6)Noah Kahan (Thursday, March 6)SZA (Thursday, April 10)Chris Stapleton (Thursday, July 24)Jonathan Van Ness (Thursday, Aug. 21)Billie Jean King (Thursday, August 28)
Broadway Week in NYC is an annual ticket promotion that basically offers the chance to get Broadway tickets for half price (when you buy a pair), or the opportunity to get an upgraded seat location at a discounted price. If Broadway’s been on your family’s wish list, this could be a good time to make a trip to the city. Tickets for 2025 just went on sale and are available here.
The discount code to buy two tickets for the price of one is: BWAYWK25
The discount code to buy “better seat locations” at $138.50 per ticket is: BWAYUP25
Discounted tickets were made available for the following Broadway shows: & Juliet, Aladdin, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical, The Book of Mormon, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Chicago, Cult of Love, Death Becomes Her, English, Eureka Day, The Great Gatsby, Gypsy, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, Left on Tenth, The Lion King, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Oh, Mary!, Redwood, Romeo + Juliet, Six the Musical, Sunset Blvd and Wicked.
For elementary school-aged kids and older: Wicked is the obvious go-to right now, but seemingly too popular — I looked for tickets for my own kid at on-sale, and didn’t find anything that worked for us. They sold out quickly. The Lion King is a great choice for most families; Aladdin is also available. Both Disney productions suggest they’re best for ages 6 and up. It’s generally recommended to wait until kids are at least 4 to sit through any Broadway musical, in respect of the performers (and other patrons who paid to see the show without interruptions), but 6 is a better bet.
For tweens and up: Consider Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (this one is not a musical, and it’s a long show, but it’s a must-see for lovers of the Harry Potter series), Hadestown (especially for kids interested in Greek mythology) and Six the Musical.
For teens and older: Whether they love a good Broadway musical or find the idea of a Broadway musical cringe, Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler starring in Romeo + Juliet — with music by Jack Antonoff — might pique their interest. Other shows to look into that teens will likely enjoy: Maybe Happy Ending and The Great Gatsby.
Two-time Grammy winner Dennis Scott is the 15th recipient of The ASCAP Foundation’s Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award. Honoring the best in children’s music since 2010, the award is presented by the family of Joe Raposo, one of the co-creators of Sesame Street and the show’s longtime musical director. “I feel honored to be among […]
John Legend‘s daughter Luna Stephens, his eldest of four children with wife Chrissy Teigen, led her first interview — outside of a school homework assignment — with Dad, on behalf of Billboard Family.
Young Luna, age 8, conducted the on-camera Q&A like a pro for the latest episode of Billboard Family‘s new video series of kids interviewing their famous parents. Watch the father-daughter conversation in the video that’s seen above.
It all starts off with cute small talk, with Luna negotiating the age she’ll be allowed to get a smartphone (Dad’s leaning toward 16, while Luna’s eyeing 9), before focusing on Legend’s Grammy-nominated children’s album, My Favorite Dream.
“I wanted to make a children’s album because now that I have four kids, and I’ve watched all of you guys react to music and fall in love with music in different ways, I felt like I was inspired to write an album for my kids, and all the other kids that are out there and their parents too,” John tells Luna of the collection, which was released on Aug. 30 and is nominated for best children’s album in the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Luna comments on how cool that is and delves into Dad’s inspiration for the title of My Favorite Dream, his favorite part of making the album and more.
“My favorite thing was singing with my wife and my two oldest children, Luna and Miles. Do you know Luna and Miles?” John teases.
They all sing together on the album single “L.O.V.E.,” one of the original children’s songs he wrote for the album he produced with Sufjan Stevens. Recording vocals on the song “was fun” and somewhere “in between” hard and easy, Luna tells her dad during their convo.
Eight-year-old Luna not only sang on “L.O.V.E.,” but also designed the art for all the single covers for the My Favorite Dream. Her design work is also seen on hoodies currently available on John’s webstore.
“You and I, that’s one of the ways we bond with each other,” John reminds Luna in their interview. “We draw in the playroom together. It was very natural for you to design the single covers for the album. You killed it. You did a great job.”
“L.O.V.E.” is one of Luna’s three favorite songs on her dad’s album, along with “Always Come Back” and “Three Little Birds.”
John shares “Always Come Back” as a top pick. He’s candid about why the song is so personal to him in his Q&A with Luna.
“I wrote it for you guys,” he tells Luna. “I have to travel a lot for work. Mommy has to go away for work sometimes. But we’ve always been telling you since you were a little baby that Mommy and Daddy always come back. When I wrote that song, it was very emotional for me because the day I wrote it I was actually leaving to go away for a while, and I played it for you guys. It will always have that kind of sentimental feeling.”
“I try not to leave for more than two weeks because it feels so long when I’m gone for two weeks. I feel bad about it sometimes when I leave you. That song makes me feel better about it,” John says.
Watch Luna’s full interview for Billboard Family to hear John’s reaction to his children’s album being nominated for a Grammy, his thoughts on the 20-year anniversary of debut album Get Lifted, what he’s working on next (Broadway music!) and his favorite part of his job.
My Favorite Dream is available to purchase or stream now. It’s nominated for best children’s album at the Feb. 2, 2025 Grammy Awards alongside Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band’s Brillo, Brillo!, Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats’ Creciendo, Rock for Children’s Solid Rock Revival and Divinity Roxx and Divi Roxx Kids’ World Wide Playdate.
John Legend is interviewed by his daughter Luna, and she asks him questions about his new children’s album, My Favorite Dream. He shares what inspired him to take on a kid’s album, celebrating Get Lifted and more. Keep watching to see his cute interview with his daughter! John Legend:Lately, we’ve been getting some good advice […]
Lady A’s Hillary Scott and her 11-year-old daughter Eisele Kaye talk about writing their Christmas song “Hard to Wait for Christmas,” their favorite family Christmas traditions, most memorable Christmas gifts Hillary got as a kid, favorite Christmas cookies and more!
Eisele Kaye
Can we sing a little bit of “Hard to Wait for Christmas” together for Billboard?
Hillary Scott
Do you want to do it?
Eisele Kaye
Sure.
Hillary Scott
Do we want dad to help?
Eisele Kaye
Yeah, what’s your favorite part of writing “Hard to Wait for Christmas” together?
Hillary Scott
I think my favorite part of writing the song with you was just getting to talk about all of the things that are “Hard to Wait for Christmas” for, and then also getting to talk about the real meaning of Christmas — Jesus, the birth of Jesus.
Eisele Kaye
How is recording with me different from recording with your bandmates?
Hillary Scott
Well, it was really fun because I got to experience it with you for the first time. So it felt new again, which is really exciting. And I got to just stand by and be a proud mom, watching you be so comfortable and sing so beautifully in that environment. So it was definitely different, because, I mean, I’m proud of [Lady A bandmates] Charles [Kelley] and Dave [Haywood] but, like, really proud of you, because you’re my girl.
Eisele Kaye
What was your favorite moment of making this song with me?
Hillary Scott
My favorite moment of making this song with you, I think it was the studio. Do you remember what happened?
Eisele Kaye
Oh yes.
Hillary Scott
At the very beginning,
Eisele Kaye
Yes, the lights went out.
Hillary Scott
The power went out.
Eisele Kaye
The power went out
Hillary Scott
to the entire studio. And then what happened again, when we went to do the photo shoot?
Eisele Kaye
The lights went out.
Hillary Scott
The power went out. Those were two things that happened that we just thought, you know what? I think we’re gonna take this as a good-luck charm, that if the power goes out, we’re on to something good.
Watch the full interview above!
A local community theater director, accurately portrayed by Martin Short, comes in to critique a performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas in SNL‘s Peanuts Christmas sketch that aired Saturday night (Dec. 21).
The SNL ensemble is full of spot-on spoofs of Peanuts characters in the sketch (hats off to the wardrobe and props departments), and they’re bopping away to the classic theme song “Linus and Lucy.”
Drake Tuttle (Short, who hosted Saturday’s holiday episode of SNL) is joined by a self-proclaimed “genius” choreographer named Lestat (Bowen Yang). In full transparency, Tuttle discloses that they’ve been romantically involved. (They “used to date,” he says, “and our relationship is very weird.”)
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“Your principal hired me to direct your pageant,” he tells the Peanuts crew, to protests that Charlie Brown is their director.
“And I’m sorry to say he’s dead,” Tuttle announces, pausing for dramatic effect before adding, “to me.”
Tuttle tries to give notes. Lestat tries to incorporate modern hip-hip into the production. Nothing quite goes their way, until they discover their star: Snoopy (Kenan Thompson).
The sketch arrives while the soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, originally released in 1965, currently sits at No. 1 on the Billboard Kid Albums chart, thanks to the Christmastime popularity of the special.
Watch SNL‘s Peanuts Christmas below. For those watching with kids, be warned there’s some innuendo here, particularly when it comes to the jokes Short and Yang direct toward Schroeder — and unlike the actual animated Peanuts specials, what the grownups say can be heard on SNL‘s special.
For more holiday laughs, check out Saturday night’s Sábado Gigante Christmas Special sketch, and for a musical fix, don’t miss Hozier’s performance.
Rihanna has a new snack she’ll be making for her kids — assuming she doesn’t take all of it for herself.
In a fun new video posted to the superstar’s Instagram Thursday (Dec. 19), Ri and a friend try out an unorthodox pairing: chicken nuggets and caviar. “Oh my god, I don’t like how much I like this,” the Fenty mogul says after smearing the spread on a nugget and taking a bite.
“Am I about to steal my kids nuggets?” she continued while going in for seconds and thirds. “I hate when I like my kids’ food, because I be stealing that s–t. I’m actually really nervous what my near future looks like.”
“In the spirit of Christmas, this one is for all the ‘snoccer moms,’” Ri captioned the clip.
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Assuming she actually shares with her kiddos, the caviar nuggets will go to 2-year-old RZA and 1-year-old Riot Rose, whom Rihanna shares with A$AP Rocky. In an October interview with Access Hollywood, the “Love on the Brain” singer opened up about being a mom to two boys, gushing, “It’s fun, I literally, I enjoy it so much.”
“I am just looking at them and living through them, and I’m amazed by every new discovery of theirs, even their boundaries,” she added at the time. “They’re teaching me how to be their mom as much as I’m teaching them how to be in this world and guide them as best as I can.”
Ri’s new “snoccer mom” snack tutorial comes shortly after she enjoyed a mom’s night out at Mariah Carey’s final 2024 holiday concert Dec. 17 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. While there, the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” vocalist stepped down into the audience to greet her famous friend, who asked Carey to autograph her chest in a hilarious moment captured on video.
“Mariah Carey is signing my t-t y’all,” Ri hilariously said into Carey’s microphone at the time. “This s–t is f–king epic! … Look at that s–t, y’all!”
Peppa Pig brings the BTS anthem “Dynamite” to the preschool audience with a cover of the K-pop group’s hit song, out today through Hasbro. Billboard Family exclusively reveals Peppa Pig’s “Dynamite” music video, which you can watch above. The “Dynamite” video, featuring Peppa’s cover with lyrics to sing along, offers a first listen to her […]
Bluey is coming to a movie theater near you. Don’t tell your kids just yet — you’ll have to wait a couple years to see it.
A CG-animated feature film based on the hit series is slated for a 2027 release from The Walt Disney Company and BBC Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’ll stream on Disney+, and it will air on ABC iview and ABC Kids in Australia, after the global theatrical run of the movie.
The feature is set to “continue the adventures of Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her Mum, Dad and her little sister, Bingo,” reads a description from a statement announcing the film.
Vocal talent families already know — including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack (as Bluey’s mum and dad, Chilli and Bandit Heeler) — are on board for the film, as well as the series’ music composer, Joff Bush.
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BBC Studios will finance and license the Bluey movie for distribution, while Disney will release it in theaters worldwide. Bluey creator Joe Brumm is writing and directing, and Ludo Studio is producing in collaboration with BBC Studios.
Series creator Brumm said, “I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that. I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie. I want this to be an experiential event for the whole family to enjoy together.”
Last month the Bluey franchise’s latest soundtrack, Bluey: Rug Island, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Kid Albums chart. Available on vinyl (in a sunset orange edition, or as a picture disc), on CD and as a digital download, almost 60% of the Oct. 25 releases’s 3,000 first-week sales came from vinyl purchases.
Bluey: Rug Island is the third soundtrack album from the series, following Bluey: The Album (2021) and Dance Mode! (2023). At press time, Bluey: Rug Island ranks at No. 7 on the Kid Albums chart — the chart is currently led by the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack as the holiday nears.