Elmo and company sing with Andrew Bocelli, Jason Mraz, Alicia Keys on new DVD

For kids, the new Sesame Street musical DVD offers plenty of rhyming, shapes and counting. For adults, Singing with the Stars offers a rare opportunity to watch A-list celebrities re-sing their pop tunes with family-friendly, educational lyrics. Some of the segments are average, but others can be quite hysterical. Having James Blunt sing about triangles is a highlight, plus the Ricky Gervais skit about the letter “n” is a gem.

For me, put Elmo in every scene, and you can’t go wrong.

There’s not much to the DVD set in terms of bonus features. The patched-together special only runs 47 minutes, but there are some karaoke sing-along features, musical activity tips for parents and a downloadable activity book.

Included among the singers and actors are the Dixie Chicks, Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, Andrea Bocelli, Jason Mraz, R.E.M. and Adam Sandlers The set proves to be a true archive of Sesame Street performances. Some of the segments are many years old, while others are much more recent.

Singing with the Stars is harmless fun that offers some educational tips along the way. Pop it into the DVD player and let the children enjoy a few minutes of musical fun.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars

• Running time: 47 minutes

• Not Rated

• Rating: