Stephanie D'Abruzzo

Stephanie D'Abruzzo(b. December 7, 1971) has been aSesame Streetpuppeteer since 1993. In that time she has performed a myriad of background characters, and recorded vocals for a number of songs, including "Sing"(EKA:Episode 3981)and "Brothers and Sisters"(EKA:Episode 4056). Her major characters of note have includedElizabeth, a loud but cheerful little girl;Lulu, a curious monster (whom D'Abruzzo helped to develop[1]); and most recently inSeason 34,Baby Bear's little sister,Curly Bear. D'Abruzzo first made contact with the Muppets throughDavid Rudman. Rudman informed D'Abruzzo thatThe Jim Henson Companywas having a huge casting call for female performers. She went toNew Yorkto auditioned, made all the cuts, but was only place in a talent pool that would not necessarily guarantee her future work. A few months later, she went back to participate in a month-long workshop in New York and slowly started becoming a Muppet Performer onSesame Street. Her first day of performing was November 3, 1993 inepisode 3162where she played Monster #3.[2] D'Abruzzo has performed and voiced nearly 200 characters for various projects includingOobi(playing Uma and Inka),Bear in the Big Blue House,Donna's Day,The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss,Binyah Binyah!,The Puzzle Place,Rory's Place(for which she co-wrote a pair of episodes with husbandCraig Shemin),Sheep in the Big CityandThe Book of Pooh(playing the inquisitive bird Kessie). Despite her extensive work withthe Muppets, D'Abruzzo first gained greater recognition as an original cast member of the puppet musicalAvenue Qwhere she originated the characters of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. Her performance garnered her a 2004 Tony nomination, a Theatre World Award, a special Outer Critics Circle Award (for Outstanding Ensemble and Puppet Artistry), as well as a 2003 Drama Desk nomination for the show's Off-Broadway run. In December 2005, D'Abruzzo ended her run with the project after more than two and a half years to pursue roles inI Love You Because, and worked withBobby Lopezagain on the studio album for theWalt Disney Worldstage showFinding Nemo: the Musical(as Sheldon and Deb). Her previous stage credits includeSkitch Henderson's New Faces of 2004at Carnegie Hall,CarnivalandChess. D'Abruzzo's television credits outside of her work as a puppeteer include an appearance on the musical episode ofScrubsand as a commentator onI Love the 70s: Volume 2. As a voice actress, she was heard in theMo Willemsanimated seriesSheep in the Big City(as Lady Richington, Swanky, and Lisa Rental). In 2013, she performed in the direct-to-DVD releaseScooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map(as puppeteer and voice of Velma and Shirley).