Editing Hooper's Store (section)

==Alan==

[[Alan Muraoka]] joined the cast in 1998, as Alan, the new store owner.<ref>{{cite news |title='Sesame Street' timeline spans 30 seasons of prize-winning program |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38902462/the_indianapolis_star/ |accessdate=12 November 2019 |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=15 January 1999 |location=Indianapolis IN |page=42}}</ref> Muraoka has commented that his casting was atypical for the role, as most of the previous owners "were older and more grandfather-ish."<ref name="newsflash">{{Citation|last1=James |first1=Greg |last2=Fletcher |first2=Duane |publisher=The Muppet Newsflash |title=An Interview with Alan Muraoka |date=June 2007 |url=http://articles.muppetnewsflash.com/2007/06/interview-with-alan-muraoka.html |accessdate=2008-07-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517034107/http://articles.muppetnewsflash.com/2007/06/interview-with-alan-muraoka.html |archivedate=2008-05-17 }}</ref>

In season 35, Natalie was hired by Alan as a replacement while he took a vacation. [[Big Bird]] and [[The Bear family|Baby Bear]] are initially very anxious of the big change, but Natalie gradually assures them things will be fine.  Natalie was played by guest star [[Natalie Portman]].  Portman was set to star as Natalie in three episodes in the 2004 season, but due to her losing her voice, Sesame Workshop had to film the other two episodes with Gabi in charge.

In Season 38, Chris Robinson joined Alan in running Mr. Hooper's Store.  Chris is played by [[Chris Knowings]], and is the nephew of Gordon and Susan.

A 2009 article about the series described the store as becoming a [[wikt:Special:Search/bodega|bodega]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kahn |first1=Joseph P. |title=Neighbourhood watch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38902327/neighbourhood_watch_the_boston/ |accessdate=12 November 2019 |work=The Boston Globe |date=7 November 2009 |location=Boston MA |page=G15}}</ref>