Avenue Q
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Chen, Trekkie Monster, Anderson
Photo by Carol Rosegg
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By Melinda Schupmann
For those who watched or grew up with Sesame Street, this is familiar territory--at least on the surface. But, in this case, the Q stands for quirky, and the characters step far beyond the parameters expected on a children's show.
Avenue Q, unlike the upbeat and positive Sesame Street, is a slightly darker side of life. Its residents are adults with contemporary problems certainly not faced by the Cookie Monster and Burt and Ernie. In this excursion, Cookie Monster is Trekkie Monster (Christian Anderson), a lovable, quasi-pervert who sings lustily "The Internet is for Porn." As an aside, along with t-shirts and other Q memorabilia for sale, there is a handsome computer mouse pad with Trekkie's visage displayed, making him the poster boy of the show.
Joining Trekkie are Rod (Robert McClure), an in-the-closet gay, and Nicky (a goofy and good-natured Anderson), his straight roommate, who sings " If You Were Gay" while affirming that he isn't. There's also Gary Coleman (portrayed by the peppy Carla Renata), who appears as a cautionary tale that fame and good fortune are not always permanent. She is the building Super where Princeton (McClure again) has come to find a place to stay. At the beginning of the show, Princeton opens with "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?", something that the audience on opening night clearly related to, judging by the response. Avenue Q has the only place he can find that's cheap enough until he can find HIS PURPOSE, something he waffles around throughout the show searching for.
Part of his quest involves love, and he finds it right next door in the person of Kate Monster (Kelli Sawyer). They embark on a tentative love affair, but Princeton's insecurity interferes, and there are complications. Notwithstanding, they indulge in one of the funniest sex scenes in recent memory--don't bring the kids unless they are pretty hip.
Also in the very talented ensemble is Brian (Cole Porter), a stand-up comic who sings "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" repetitively, a nod to children's lyrics on the original Street. Lucy T. Slut (Sawyer, again) joins in as a blonde seductress who ensnares Princeton. Then there's Christmas Eve (Angela Ai), Brian's fiance, who doesn't speak English too well. Her rendition of "The More You Ruv Someone" becomes one of the show's more powerful numbers.
There are a couple of adorable, pastel bears (Minglie Chen, Anderson) who pop in and out with
ribald asides for Princeton, "A six-pack? Why not a case." Their only downside is that they are not always able to be heard or understood.
Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx' music and lyrics are the standouts in the show. Filled with irony and humor, numbers like "It Sucks To Be Me" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" can be heartily delivered by these fuzzy and human characters with more latitude for offense. Jeff Whitty's book speaks more to the under-forty set, but it still resonates with most, because the issues of loneliness, prejudice, sex, and disappointment are pretty universal.
Jason Moore directs the enormously talented cast with precision. The skill needed to operate the puppets while doing all the acting and singing takes extraordinary performers, and this cast is superlative. For most of the show, the live entertainer takes a big backseat to the furry performer, and sometimes it is hard to remember that these folks aren't ventriloquists.
A clever feature are two television screens, again a nod to television's Sesame Street. The words spelled out aren't kids' words, though. They point back to adult issues like commitment. One of the cleverest uses counts out the numbers one to 15, signaling intermission.
Rick's Lyon's puppets are quite wonderful, full of sass and dry humor. Sure, they look like Muppets, but they are radicalized and off-beat, with bold colors and even sex-appeal. The list is long for credits: sound design (Acme Sound Partners), animation design (Robert Lopez), costume design (Mirena Rada), scenic design (Anna Louizos), lighting design (Howell Binkley), musical director (Andrew Graham). All aspects of the show are superior, with the exception of missing some of the lines not enunciated clearly enough.
Unfortunately, so much of the charm of the show can't be clearly enumerated or analyzed. You have to be there and catch the energy and see these prodigiously talented people perform. A good second would be to buy the CD and listen to the artful lyrics. The production is just what theater is all about: imagination and entertainment; it stands to have a long life after Broadway.
Avenue Q at the Ahmanson Theater, Center Theatre Group, 135 N. Grand, Los Angeles. Tues.-Sat. at 8; Sat. at 2 p.m.; Sun. at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. No performances on Mondays.
$25-90. Tickets at the box office at the Music Center or www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. (213) 628-2772. Group sales (213) 972-7231. Closes October 14.
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