From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Big Bird in China
Big Bird in China
Big Bird in China travel through China to find Feng Huang, the Phoenix
bird.
The story starts in New York’s China Town where
Big Bird spies an old scroll with a picture of a beautiful
phoenix on it. The shop keeper explains that the phoenix
is magical and lives in China. It won’t be easy to find and
Big Bird will have to find the four places pictured on the
scroll, and in each place he’ll get a clue from a monkey
to find the phoenix. There is a sand timer which he must
beat in solving the clues given by the monkey. Big Bird
thinks "Well, what a good thing it would be if a great big
American bird went to meet that beautiful Chinese bird! I
mean, she could tell me everything about China, and then
I could come home and tell everybody here!" So, he sets
out with Barkley on a boat and makes it to China.
Highlights include Chinese landmarks like the Great
Wall of China and Beijing, Big Bird learning the "little
duckling dance", and a song to teach Chinese words. A
character called The Monkey King appears in the special;
despite an appearance that has scared many youngsters,
he helps Big Bird and Xiao Fu in their quest. Big Bird
wears a tie for the entire movie which is a change from
his normal appearance. Oscar decides to try to dig his
Big Bird in China video cassette cover way to China from his trash can and when he gets to Chi-
na he finds it boring and goes straight home.
Directed by Jon Stone
The production was released onto DVD February 10,
Produced by Kuo Bao-Xiang 2004. The DVD lacks about a minute of the original pro-
Xu Ja-Cha duction, in which Big Bird is looking for someone who
David Liu speaks "American," though it can be seen on the VHS
Written by Joseph A. Bailey version).
Jon Stone
Music by Dick Lieb Origins
Editing by Ken Gutstein In his memoir, Caroll Spinney (the puppeteer who plays
Distributed by Children’s Television Workshop
Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch) notes that he was inspired
to pitch the special to CTW after visiting China on a tour
Release date(s) May 29, 1983 (1983-05-29) with Bob Hope.[2] This first trip was to film the Bob Hope
Running time 75 minutes on the Road to China, a two hour NBC special airing
September 16, 1979. The special featured Big Bird, along
Language English with the likes of Shields & Yarnell and Mikhail Barysh-
Budget Unknown nikov with musical numbers by Peaches & Herb and Crys-
tal Gayle.[3] It was produced by James Lipton.[4]
Box office $14,093,284
Spinney devised the storyline and suggested loca-
tions for Big Bird in China. However, the program’s credits
Big Bird in China was a 1983 special produced by the Chil-
do not acknowledge this and instead state, "Created by
dren’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) and
Jon Stone". Spinney also notes that, when filming on lo-
CCTV. It was originally broadcast on May 29, 1983 on
cation in Beijing, Guilin, and Suzhou, he experienced
NBC.[1] The special was based on the popular television
much tension and difficulty due to animosity from Stone.
series Sesame Street. Big Bird, Barkley and Little Xiao Fu
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Big Bird in China
Cast References
• Carroll Spinney as Big Bird/Oscar the Grouch [1] Stengel, Richard (1983-05-30). "Innocent Abroad,
• Brian Muehl as Barkley/Telly with Feathers". Time Magazine.
• Frank Oz as Bert/Cookie Monster/Grover http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/
• Jerry Nelson as Two-Headed Monster, head one/ 0,9171,926018,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
Oscar the Grouch (assistant)/Cookie Monster [2] Spinney, Caroll; J. Milligan. The Wisdom of Big Bird
(assistant) (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch) Lessons
• Richard Hunt as Two-Headed Monster, head Learned from a Life in Feathers. Villard Books.
two/Ernie (assistant)/Telly (assistant) [3] "Cleveland Memory Collection : Item View - Bob
• Jim Henson as Ernie Hope and Big Bird". Cleveland State University.
• Martin P. Robinson as Telly (February 10, 2004 DVD 2007. http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/
version only) item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/
• Ouyang Lianzi (Lisa Ouyang) as Xiao Foo press&CISOPTR=1561&REC=1. Retrieved
• Katherine Lakoski as The Singing Phoenix 2007-03-06.
• Ting Bao-Yi as Lion Dog [4] Getlen, Larry (2007-02-22). "Memory Lane - Every
• Arabella Hong as The Shopkeeper Picture Tells a Story in James Lipton’s Home". New
• Lu Ja-Lin as The Dancing Phoenix York Post (News Corporation).
• Wang Kwan-Wei as Lion Dog http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222007/
• Hua Ziu Ping as The Storyteller realestate/
• Monkey King (Sun Wukong): Chou Yi-Ping, Liu Xio- memory_lane_realestate_larry_getlen.htm?page=2.
Shen, Zhang Xin-Tien, Xu Tien-Ed, Quan She-Zhen, Li Retrieved 2007-03-06.
Jiang, Lu Fu-Hai, Wu Chi-Lian [5] "Past Winners Database - 1982-1983 35th Emmy
Awards". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company).
Crew 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-02-22.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070222144913/
• Directed by: Jon Stone http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/
• Written by: Joseph A. Bailey and Jon Stone year/1982/1982_1983emmy.htm. Retrieved
• Executive Producer: Jon Stone 2007-03-06.
• Music by: Dick Lieb
• Associate Producer: Tish Sommers
• Associate Director: Ozzie Alfonso
External links
• Art Director: Victor DiNapoli • Big Bird in China at the Internet Movie Database
• Editor: Ken Gutstein • Photo of Big Bird with Bob Hope from their 1979
• Audio: Blake Norton special
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland • Tough Pigs Journal featuring photos from this
special and Big Bird in Japan
Awards • Ouyang Lianzi page on Muppet Wiki
• Quyang Lien-Tze (Ouyang Lianzi) at the Internet
• Won the 1983 Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Movie Database
Program[5]
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Bird_in_China&oldid=466914159"
Categories:
• Sesame Street features
• 1983 films
• NBC television specials
This page was last modified on 20 December 2011 at 20:52. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
2