If it’s irreverent, if it’s politically incorrect, if it’s this
side of raunchy with a velvet glove most of the time and sometimes
just raunchy, you will find it in
”
Avenue Q.
”
If it’s irreverent, if it’s politically incorrect, if it’s this side of raunchy with a velvet glove most of the time and sometimes just raunchy, you will find it in “Avenue Q.”
The 2004 Tony Award-winning show was written by playwright Jeff Whitty with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The story and lyrics are particularly clever and hit their mark with meaning that reaches and touches each listener on their own personal level.
It features puppets playing the characters, sort of a “Sesame Street” meets “Dangerous Housewives” in a bad neighborhood without a censor.
Ingeniously choreographed with people with impeccable timing handling the puppets, they create the personalities and pour out the emotions with their facial expressions and body movements. They meld with their characters and early into the performance the audience sees puppet and actor as one and feels their emotional happiness and pain as one.
Robert McClure and Kelli Sawyer deftly handle two each of the main characters and more than pleasantly sing, dance and move in intricate patterns to bring this delightful, risque bit of theatre to life. The entire cast falls into this pattern moving the characters with stopwatch timing and genuine sensibility. When they deliver “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” the audience realizes they are in for a humorous, profound ride.
When Princeton (McClure) realizes a bachelor’s degree isn’t delivering it’s promise and things couldn’t get much worse, he sings “It Sucks to Be Me.” When the closeted gay Republican investment banker Rod (McClure) suffers because he can’t reveal his true feelings for his loveable mangy roommate Nicky (Christian Anderson), a sense of sadness is felt. Kate Monster and Lucy T. Slut (Sawyer), who later finds religion, are the love interest in this funny, poignant piece that brings a little of what goes on around us every day. Characters include Christmas Eve (Angela Ai), Gary Coleman (don’t ask), the landlord (Carla Renata) and Trekie Monster (Anderson), who explains “The Internet is for Porn” and completely disillusions Kate.
There is even an X-rated scene that, while cleverly done, could give a nervous jar to the senses of some folks. (They do warn that this is not for children in the ads.)
Not for everyone, but if the production is approached with an open mind and a flexible sense of humor, “Avenue Q” will entertain. The humor and the inventiveness of the presentation and the talent of the people involved can prove to be a unique experience.
