Carmen Osbahr-Vertiz (April 21, 1962, Mexico City, DF, Mexico) is a Mexican-born American puppeteer who has puppeteered Rosita in the popular US children's series Sesame Street, since 1991. Osbahr has also puppeteered Kiki Flores in The Puzzle Place and Lily in Johnny and the Sprites.Rosita and Armando (Ismael Cruz Còrdova) appeared to promote season 44 of Sesame Street.
September 8–10, 2017, she was an additional Muppet performer for a live show at the Hollywood Bowl titled The Muppets Take the Bowl.
Carmen Osbahr did not originally plan to become a puppeteer. Though she was interested more in the television medium, puppetry came into her life when she began working on several television shows in Mexico City for Televisa which included puppets. In 1985, she attended a Muppeteer Workshop in New York City that scouted out young talent for Sesame Street's Mexican co-production, Plaza Sésamo. Kermit Love asked Osbahr not only to work on Plaza Sésamo but also to train other puppeteers at the workshop.
From there, Osbahr got in touch with Jim Henson, and she began visiting the set of Sesame Street in the mid-1980s. Osbahr became an official Muppeteer in 1989. Her best-known character, Rosita, made her first appearance on Sesame Street in Season 23.
Osbahr has since performed in a variety of Muppet projects, including Bear in the Big Blue House and Dog City. She also performed Kiki in the TV series The Puzzle Place.
Osbahr also appears as Lily the Water Sprite in the full half-hour version of Johnny and the Sprites, which premiered in January 2007.
| Year | Image | Character | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 
|
Little Rose / Rosita | Abby in Wonderland |
| 1999 | 
|
Rosita | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland |
| 1996 | 
|
Rosita | Elmo Saves Christmas |
| 1993 | 
|
Rosita | Sesame Street Stays Up Late! |