Episode 1764
Topic: Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts
Air Date: August 30, 2001
Previous Episode: 1763 - Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts
Next Episode: 1765 - Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts
Purchase/Stream: Amazon
Mister Rogers arrives with a folded quilt made by a friend and a bag of material left over from the quilt. In the kitchen, he uses a piece of sticky felt to arrange the pieces into his own artwork. He explains that everyone's work is different just like everyone's imagination is different.
At Negri's Music Shop, Mister Rogers meets Dean Shostak -- a musician playing a glass armonica. Mr. Shostak describes the history of the glass armonica and demonstrates it's unique sound. Together with Mister Rogers singing quietly and Joe Negri playing guitar, Mr. Shostak play Tree Tree Tree.
Returning to the house, Mister Rogers shows the beautiful quilt made for him by his friend.
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Dr. Bill Platypus is planning to play his bagpipes in the art festival. Along with Handyman Negri on guitar and King Friday on the bass violin, they play The Blue Bells of Scotland. Lady Elaine interrupts their rehearsal which pushes King Friday to his limit: "Why must you stick your big nose into everyone's business, Fairchilde?!?"
Meanwhile, Lady Aberlin plays a game of hide-and-seek with viewers before she is called to the Platypus mound to see Elsie Jean's vegetable wreath. Lady Elaine arrives with her head covered with a quilt so no one will see her big nose. Lady Aberlin compliments the quilt and Lady Elaine herself which brings tears to the eyes of Lady Elaine. As Lady Elaine comes to the realization that people do not say nice things to her because she does not have nice things to say about them, Handyman Negri arrives with a camera. He uses it to take a picture of the group of Neighbors which he will use to start a booklet for the arts festival.
Back at the house, Mister Rogers concludes with a familiar theme: "People can like you exactly as you are. It's what's inside of you that matters most. Our thoughts and our feelings, the way we treat other people, the way we love one another, that's what matters much more than what we look like. I like you exactly as you look right now."
Notes
The tune of What Would You Like To Do Today plays in the background a few times throughout this episode.
While Mister Rogers is typically the only person to talk directly to viewers, Lady Aberlin does so in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Joe Negri specifically asks that Mister Rogers not shake the hand of Mr. Shostak when they meet as his hands have been specially treated for playing the glass armonica. Instead, Mister Rogers and Mr. Shostak offer each other a slight bow upon their meeting.
Being the last visit to Negri's Music Shop, Mister Rogers and Mr. Negri reflect a little as Mister Rogers is leaving:
Rogers: "You've had so many wonderful musicians here in your shop."
Negri: "That's for sure. You know, when I'm working around here, I often think about all the people who have come through the doors."
Rogers: "Thanks for sharing them with me, Joe."
Negri: "My pleasure"
Appearing In This Episode
- Dr. Bill Platypus
- Elsie Jean Platypus
- Handyman Negri
- Joe Negri
- King Friday XIII
- Lady Aberlin
- Lady Elaine Fairchilde
- Mister Rogers
Guests
Songs
Images
Episode Credits
With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Bill Barker, Joe Negri, Dean Shostak
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Producer: Margaret Whitmer
Director: Robert Walsh
Editor: Susan Howard
Associate Producer: Michael Johnson
Music Directors: Johnny Costa, Michael Moricz
Produced in association with WQED/Pittsburgh
A production of Family Communications
© 2001 Family Communications, Inc.