Avenue Q

Avenue Q
Avenue Q logo
Music	Robert Lopez Jeff Marx
Lyrics	Robert Lopez Jeff Marx
Book	Jeff Whitty
Productions	2003 Off-Broadway 2003 Broadway 2005 Las Vegas 2006 West End 2007 National Tour 2007 Stockholm 2007 Israel 2009 Australasian Tour 2009 2nd National Tour 2009 Off Broadway 2009 Brazil 2010 Madrid 2010 Argentina 2011 UK Tour 2012 Paris 2012 Netherlands 2012 UK Tour 2013 Edinburgh 2013 Hong Kong 2013 Shanghai 2013 Mexico 2013 Vancouver 2014 Chicago 2014 Poland 2014 UK Tour 2015 UK Tour 2015 Australian Tour
Awards	Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Book Tony Award for Best Original Score Theatre World Awards

Avenue Q is an American musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who together, wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents, and by children's television programs such as PBS's Sesame Street, that they were "special" and "could do anything"; but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise and dismay that in the real world their options are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else.^[1] The musical is notable for the use of puppets, animated by unconcealed puppeteers, alongside human actors.

Originally conceived as a television series,^[1][2] the show was developed as a stage production at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and transferred to Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions.

With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history.^[3][4] The show ended its Broadway run on September 13, 2009, and then reopened Off-Broadway at New World Stages in October 2009.^[5][6]

Background

Avenue Q's unique presentation requires substantially more suspension of disbelief by audience members than normal. The cast consists of three human characters and eleven puppet characters who interact as if human, Sesame Street-style. The puppets are animated and voiced by actor/puppeteers who are present, unconcealed, onstage, but remain "invisible" relative to the storyline. That is, the puppets and human characters completely ignore the puppeteers, and the audience is expected to do so as well. This can be a challenge, as puppeteering mechanics are at times complex: The same puppet may be operated by different puppeteers in different scenes, and the actor voicing the puppet may not be the one animating it. (To assist in the illusion the puppeteers wear plain gray clothing, in contrast to the human characters' colorful costumes.) One puppeteer sometimes voices two or more puppets simultaneously. Conversely, the so-called "live-hands" puppets (see Puppets) require two puppeteers — again, in full view of the audience.

The show draws considerable inspiration from Sesame Street and substantially imitates its format. Marx interned at the program early in his career, and all four of the original cast's principal puppeteers—John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jennifer Barnhart and Rick Lyon—were Sesame Street performers. (D'Abruzzo returned to Sesame Street after leaving Avenue Q^[7]). Three of the puppet characters are direct, recognizable parodies of classic Sesame Street puppets: Roommates Rod and Nicky are a riff on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster bears the distinctive voice and disposition of Cookie Monster, though not his obsession with baked goods. (The production officially disclaims any connection with either Sesame Workshop or The Jim Henson Company.^[8])

All of the characters, puppet and human, represent "amalgamations of things and feelings [Marx and Lopez had been] going through personally."^[1] The characters are young adults, searching for their "purpose" in life, and facing real-world adult problems with uncertain outcomes, as opposed to the simplistic problems and invariably happy resolutions faced by characters on children's television programming. Much of the show's ironic humor arises from its contrasts with Sesame Street, a metaphor of the contrasts between childhood and adulthood, and between the children's TV world and the real world. The story line presupposes the existence of "monsters" and talking animals; and human actors sing, dance, and interact with puppets, both human and non-human, as if they were sentient beings, in a light-hearted, quasi-fantasy environment. (No attempt is made to explain why seven of the human characters are played by puppets, while the other three are played by actual humans.) However, the characters face real-world problems; they use abundant profanity in dialogue and musical lyrics; there are episodes of "full puppet nudity" (and puppet sex); and many songs and sub-plots address decidedly adult themes, such as racism, pornography, homosexuality, and schadenfreude.

The show also employs a highly unusual plot device: a real-life celebrity inserted as a fictional character within the story. Gary Coleman, the juvenile actor who played Arnold Jackson in the 1980s American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, and later famously sued his parents and business advisers over misappropriation of his assets,^[9] is portrayed (by a woman in most productions) as an adult, forced to accept a job as a building superintendent in the run-down Avenue Q neighborhood due to his dire financial situation. The show's creators have explained this trope as an illustration of "one of the most important themes in Avenue Q...that life isn't as easy as we've been led to believe...and who better to symbolize the oh-so-special-as-a-kid/but-not-so-special-as-an-adult thing we all faced than Gary Coleman? He's practically the poster child."^[1]

Marx and Lopez have also said that they originally intended to offer the Gary Coleman role to Coleman himself, and he expressed interest in accepting it; but he never showed up for a meeting scheduled to discuss it.^[1] Coleman later threatened repeatedly to sue Avenue Q producers for their depiction of him, but ultimately did not.^[10]

When Coleman died on May 28, 2010, casts of both the Off-Broadway production in New York City and the second national tour in Dallas dedicated that evening's performances to his memory.^[11][12] The Coleman character remains in the show with modified dialogue.^[13]

Plot

Setting: a fictional street in an "outer-outer borough" of New York City.

Act one

Princeton, a recent college graduate, is anxious to discover his purpose in life; but first, he must find an apartment and a job, with no work experience and an English degree. ("What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?") Beginning his search on Avenue A, he finally finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q. His new neighbors are Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant; Rod, an anal-retentive Republican banker; Nicky, Rod's slacker roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients; Trekkie Monster, a surly recluse who surfs the Internet all day in search of porn; and Gary Coleman, the building superintendent. Arguments ensue over whose life sucks the most. ("It Sucks to Be Me")

Nicky, who is straight, suspects that Rod is gay, and assures Rod it is okay with him if he is; but Rod insists he is not. ("If You Were Gay") Princeton finds a lucky penny and longs to discover his purpose in life. ("Purpose") Kate dreams of starting a "Monstersori" school for young "people of fur". Princeton innocently asks Kate if she and Trekkie are related, since they are both monsters, but Kate angrily pronounces his assumption racist. Princeton, taken aback, counters that Kate's Monstersori School would discriminate against non-monsters. They and the neighbors agree that racism is an adult reality. ("Everyone's a Little Bit Racist")

Princeton receives money from his parents, and the Bad Idea Bears, two charming troublemakers, convince him to spend it on beer. Kate's boss, Mrs. Thistletwat, assigns Kate to teach the next morning's kindergarten class, her first solo teaching opportunity. She decides that her lesson will be about the Internet and all its educational attributes, but Trekkie Monster and the male neighbors explain another reality of adulthood: Lots of adults—even "normal people"—use it to find pornography. ("The Internet is for Porn")

Princeton gives Kate a mixtape. His song selections are puzzling, making her wonder what message he is trying to send, but eventually she decides that he must like her. ("Mixtape") Sure enough, he invites her on a date to the Around the Clock Café. Brian, the café's MC, does his raunchy standup act. ("I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today") He then introduces Lucy the Slut, a skanky chanteuse who wows the guys, especially Princeton, with a seductive cabaret number. ("Special") The Bad Idea Bears suggest that Kate and Princeton order some "harmless" Long Island Iced Teas, and once Kate is totally inebriated, that Princeton take her home to bed.

Kate and Princeton have enthusiastic, high-decibel sex. Gary fields angry calls from other tenants but refuses to intercede. ("You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want When You're Makin' Love") Meanwhile, Rod hears Nicky say, "I love you, Rod," in his sleep, and is jubilant—but eventually realizes it was he who was dreaming. Kate and Princeton profess their mutual love, and Princeton gives Kate his lucky penny. ("Fantasies Come True")

The next morning, a hung-over Kate oversleeps and misses her teaching assignment. Mrs. Thistletwat berates her, and Kate angrily quits her job before she can be fired. Christmas Eve decides unilaterally that it is time she and Brian were married. At the wedding Nicky blurts out his suspicion that Rod is gay. Rod, furious, insists he has a girlfriend named Alberta in Vancouver ("My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada") and tells Nicky he is no longer welcome in their apartment.

When Kate catches Christmas Eve's wedding bouquet, Princeton panics, confesses a fear of commitment, and asks Kate if they can just be friends. Kate retorts that she already has plenty of friends, and breaks off their relationship. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line")

Act two

A despondent Princeton has been holed up in his apartment after breaking up with Kate, but is coaxed out by the neighbors. ("There is Life Outside Your Apartment") Lucy is looking for a place to crash and seduces the rebounding Princeton. Kate is angry, but Christmas Eve explains that she would not be angry if she were not in love with him. ("The More You Ruv Someone") Kate writes a note to Princeton suggesting that they rendezvous at the Empire State Building and leaves it with Lucy, who promptly destroys it. A homeless Nicky laments his fate to Gary, who confesses that he is deriving pleasure from Nicky's misfortune. ("Schadenfreude")

On the Empire State Building's viewing platform, Kate, thinking that Princeton has stood her up, throws his lucky penny away. A hundred stories below, Lucy, walking by on Fifth Avenue, is knocked unconscious by the penny. Kate and Princeton unsuccessfully attempt to work out their problems over Lucy's comatose body. Rod is too proud to accept Nicky's repeated apologies, despite clearly missing him, and tearfully consults Christmas Eve. Princeton, Kate, and Nicky dream of returning to happier times. ("I Wish I Could Go Back to College")

Princeton gives a still-homeless, panhandling Nicky a quarter, and marvels at how fantastic he feels. Since thinking only about himself has gotten him nowhere, he decides to raise money to build Kate's Monstersori School. He solicits everyone, even breaking the fourth wall to shake down the audience, ("The Money Song") with disappointing results; but Trekkie Monster, recalling his own traumatic school experience, donates ten million dollars—explaining to the astonished cast, "In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!" ("School for Monsters/The Money Song (Reprise)")

Kate joyfully opens her new school. Brian lands a consulting job and Christmas Eve finally has a paying client (Rod), so the newlyweds move to a better neighborhood. Rod finally comes out, to no one's particular surprise, and takes Nicky back in. Nicky finds Rod a boyfriend—Ricky, a muscle-bound hunk who otherwise looks and sounds exactly like Nicky. The Bad Idea Bears discover Scientology. Lucy, recovered from her head injury, becomes a born-again Christian and takes a vow of chastity. Kate and Princeton agree to give their relationship another go. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line (Reprise)")

A new college graduate inquires about the vacancy in the building, ("What Do You Do with a BA in English (Reprise)") and Princeton has an epiphany: maybe his purpose is to put everything he learned into a Broadway musical. Everybody, especially the new guy, immediately ridicules him. The cast reminds Princeton that in the real world many people never find their purpose; but life goes on, and everything—both good and bad—is "only for now." ("For Now")

Musical numbers

Act I "The Avenue Q Theme" – Company "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" – Princeton "It Sucks to Be Me" – Brian, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman, and Princeton "If You Were Gay" – Nicky with Rod "Purpose" – Princeton and Company (via "singing boxes") "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" – Princeton, Kate, Gary, Brian, and Christmas Eve "The Internet Is for Porn" – Kate, Trekkie Monster, Brian, Gary Coleman, Rod, and Princeton "Mix Tape" – Kate and Princeton "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" – Brian "Special" – Lucy "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)" – Gary, The Bad Idea Bears, Princeton, Kate, and Company "Fantasies Come True" – Rod, Kate, Nicky and Princeton "My Girlfriend, Who Lives in Canada" – Rod "There's a Fine, Fine Line" – Kate

Act II "It Sucks to Be Me" (Reprise) ‡ – Princeton "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment" – Brian, Princeton, Christmas Eve, Gary, Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, and Company "The More You Ruv Someone" – Christmas Eve and Kate "Schadenfreude" – Gary and Nicky "I Wish I Could Go Back to College" – Kate, Nicky and Princeton "The Money Song" – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve "School for Monsters" – Trekkie Monster and Company "The Money Song" (Reprise) – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve "There's a Fine, Fine Line" (Reprise) – Princeton and Kate "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?" (Reprise) – Newcomer "For Now" – Company

‡ = "It Sucks to Be Me (Reprise)" was not part of the original show or original cast recording. It was added to the Las Vegas production, and subsequently became part of the current off-Broadway show.

Instrumentation

The musical is scored for bass (acoustic and electric), drums/percussion (drum kit, bell tree, bongos, china cymbal, cowbell, egg shaker, finger cymbals, ice bell, mark tree, ratchet, siren whistle, slide whistle, tambourine, temple blocks, triangle, vibraslap, and wood block), guitars (acoustic, electric, and banjo), reeds (Bb clarinet, alto sax, and flute), and two electronic keyboards.^[14]

Other Avenue Q songs

Eight additional songs were written for Avenue Q or associated promotions, but are not part of the show itself.

• "Tear It Up and Throw It Away": Originally performed early in the first act, between "What Do You Do with a BA in English?" and "If You Were Gay"; Kate is called for jury duty, and Nicky advises her to ignore the summons, pretending it was lost in the mail. ("Your civic duty? Who gives a doody?") Kate tears up the summons and is ticketed for littering. The number was cut during Off Broadway rehearsals because it had no relevance to the plot, and because, according to Stephanie D'Abruzzo, there was no judicious way to dispose of the paper scraps, which remained onstage throughout Act One.^[15] The cut came so late that early promotional materials included references to the song, and its main melody can be heard underscoring dialog in "The Money Song" on the original cast recording. It was included on a CD that accompanied the original souvenir program, but not on the cast recording. An original audio clip is available on YouTube.^[16]
• "Time": A video created for the London production, and originally shown on the on-stage video screens during intermission, just prior to the second act curtain; Nicky (Simon Lipkin) sits on the toilet in the theatre's men's room at intermission, singing about all the "chores" he is getting done between acts. Several audience members waiting to use the stall become increasingly annoyed. British comedian Matt Lucas has a cameo role. The song was cut during early previews for unspecified reasons, but remained on the CD that accompanied the souvenir brochure, and was shown at the final West End performance on 30 October 2010. A video can be viewed on YouTube.^[17]
• "Rod's Dilemma": Written for Tony Award voters, this song spoofs Avenue Q's competition for the 2004 Tony for Best Musical, and the entire Tony voting process. In the Rotary Club presidential election, Rod cannot decide whether to vote for the guy he has a crush on (symbolizing The Boy from Oz), a wealthy man (Wicked), or an old friend (Caroline, or Change). The neighbors advise him against voting "for your friends, 'cause they say you should vote for the candidate you think is good." The song was a part of the production's successful Tony Award campaign, called "Q '04 Now! Vote Your Heart!".^[18][19] An audio cut is available on YouTube.^[20]
• "Only in Vegas": This parody of Las Vegas-style show tunes was written to promote the Las Vegas production. It featured Rick Lyon operating a Steve Wynn puppet, who tells the cast of Avenue Q how happy they will be in Las Vegas. The song was performed on the Regis and Kelly syndicated television show and in some press and media events.
• "Rod's Christmas": Found on the CD Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 5: Rod headlines at the "Don't Tell Daddy's Cabaret and Night Club" (a parody of the New York piano bar Don't Tell Mama, which is named for a song from the musical Cabaret). Rod sings that Christmas is the time of year where he can combine his two great loves, "Christmas carols and show tunes."
• "The Holi-daze": Found on the CD Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. Written by Michael Patrick Walker and Phoebe Kreutz (who both worked on the Broadway and Off Broadway productions of Avenue Q), the members of the company sing about how they cope with the stresses and problems of the Holiday season. The song does not feature any characters from the show, but was recorded by several of the original Avenue Q cast members and band members, and was sub-titled "Drinkin' Our Way Through The Holidays."
• "Christmas": "Purpose" with new, festive lyrics. Written by the company of Avenue Q/London for Theatrecares' "West End Christmas" charity event. It is on a special CD, but can also be heard at Jon Robyns's Web site.^[21]
• "How Much Do the People in Your Neighborhood Make?": A parody on the classic Sesame Street song, "Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood", the song was written very early in the show's history, and dropped when the original television show format was abandoned in favor of a stage production.^[2]

Puppets

The Avenue Q puppets, which cost up to $10,000 each, and require up to 120 hours of hand fabrication per character,^[22] were designed and built by original cast member Rick Lyon.^[23] Lyon's company, Lyon Puppets, continues to build and maintain the puppets used in all North American productions, and several of the international productions, including those from the UK, Australia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, while supervising the construction of those from the Finnish and Swedish productions. Their unusually sturdy construction, with double-stitching, reinforced seams, steel boning, and custom fake fur and feathers, is necessitated by the rigors of an eight-shows-per-week performance schedule.

Two distinct types of puppets are used in the show:

Rod puppets

Single Rod: Princeton, Kate Monster, Newcomer
Double Rod: Rod, Lucy, The Bad Idea Bears
Rod puppets consist of a head and a torso with two arms, at least one of which is movable for gestures. The puppeteer controls the puppet's head and mouth with his or her dominant hand, and holds one or two rods in the other hand, each of which is connected to one of the puppet's moveable arms. The rod puppets come in two variations: the "single rod" puppets, which have one moveable arm, with the other "posed" in a permanent gesture or attached to the puppet's torso; and the "double rod" puppets, for which both arms are moveable, each arm controlled by a single rod.^[24]

Live-hands puppets

Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Mrs. Thistletwat, Ricky
Live-hands puppets require two puppeteers, each of whom contributes one hand and arm dressed with a long sleeve and glove matching the puppet's costume, which become the arms and hands of the puppet. The speaking puppeteer controls the puppet's left hand, head, and mouth, while the second, silent operator controls the right hand. (Sides are sometimes reversed if the speaking puppeteer is left-handed.) During the show, one puppeteer will sometimes leave to take over another puppet, leaving the live-hands puppet with a single operator and only one functioning hand. In a variation, one or both of the puppet's hands can be attached to its torso to permit operation by a single puppeteer.

Productions

2003 Off-Broadway

Avenue Q ran Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre for 72 performances from March 19 through May, 2003, and won the 2003 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical.

2003 Broadway

Avenue Q at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway

Avenue Q opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on July 31, 2003, following previews from July 10. The production was directed by Jason Moore and choreographed by Ken Roberson, with set design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, musical direction by Gary Adler, and puppet design by Rick Lyon. It was produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller. The show was nominated for six Tony Awards and won three, in the categories of Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Original Book.

After 22 previews and 2,534 regular performances, it closed on September 13, 2009.^[4] As of June 21, 2009, the production had grossed over $117 million and had returned profits of $23.5 million to its investors.^[4] (All of the money collected from the audience during "The Money Song" is donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.)

2009 Off-Broadway

On October 9, 2009 the show reopened in the New World Stages complex, where it is still running today.^[25]

2005 Las Vegas

In September 2005, Avenue Q opened at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas under a production contract that precluded Avenue Q tours in North America during the Las Vegas run. A new 1,200 seat theater was built especially for the show. Variations from the Broadway production included a new reprise of "It Sucks to Be Me" for Princeton at the top of Act Two, some new orchestrations, a trimmed "The Money Song," and a new rock arrangement of "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment," as well as a few jokes written specifically for Las Vegas audiences.

Attendance was well below anticipated levels, due at least in part to the constant turnover of tourists in Las Vegas, which rendered the cultivation of word-of-mouth publicity virtually impossible. In mid-January 2006 the show was cut to 90 minutes and the intermission was removed. Hotel owner Steve Wynn promoted the show heavily, at one point decorating 20 city cabs in orange fuzz and large white "Q" letters. All such efforts were unsuccessful, and the show closed on May 28, 2006 after a nine-month run,^[26] terminating the exclusivity agreement and opening the way for national tours.

2006 West End

A Cameron Mackintosh-produced version of Avenue Q premiered in 2006 in the West End at the Noël Coward Theatre (formerly the Albery Theatre). Several adaptive changes were made for British audiences, including portrayal of the Gary Coleman character by a male actor. The production ran 1,179 performances through March 2009, then reopened in June 2009 at the Gielgud Theatre. After a further 327 performances, the show moved in March 2010 to the Wyndham's Theatre,^[27][28] where it closed on October 30, 2010 after a five-year run.^[29]

2007 US and Canada tour

The first national tour began at the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego, California on June 30, 2007.Broadway director and choreographer Jason Moore and Ken Roberson returned in those roles, as did most other Broadway creative team members. The tour played a total of 721 performances in 22 cities, and closed at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin on May 10, 2009.^[30]

2009 US tour

A second national tour opened in Clemson, South Carolina, in September 2009 under direction of the same creative team, and closed in Huntsville Alabama on April 23, 2011.

2009 Australian and New Zealand productions

An Australian production opened in June 2009 at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, directed by Jonathan Biggins and featuring a local cast, including Michala Banas as Kate/Lucy. The production visited Sydney in August, before touring Canberra (Australian Capital Territory), Perth (Western Australia), Adelaide (South Australia), Brisbane (Queensland), and Auckland in New Zealand, and closed in June 2010. The show won a number of Helpmann Awards, including Best Direction, Best Actress and Best Actor.^[31]

2011 and 2012 UK and Ireland tours

The first UK national tour began at the Theatre Royal Bath in February, 2011 and closed at Northampton's Derngate in July.^[32]

A second UK tour began in January, 2012 at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, with additional performances in Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Bath, Wolverhampton, Rhyl, Stoke, Swindon, Dublin, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cambridge, Oxford, Leicester, Salford, Glasgow, Coventry, Brighton, Liverpool, Southend, Nottingham, Hull, Southampton, Leeds, Newcastle and Dunstable.^[33]

In Ireland, Avenue Q ran from 3–7 April 2012 at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (formerly known as the Grand Canal Theatre)^[34]

2014–2016 UK and Hong Kong tour

Sell A Door Theatre Company launched a British revival of the show in April 2014, which ran for 3 weeks at Greenwich Theatre, followed by a 12-week UK tour.^[35] The tour differed from the West End production in that Gary Coleman, as in the Broadway production, was portrayed by a female actress.

In November 2014 the tour transferred to Hong Kong.^[36]

Sell A Door presents a UK tour in 2015–2016, starting in April 2015 at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.^[37] and running for 16 months.

2015 Sydney Australia

Avenue Q ran for 15 shows at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia beginning in July 2015.^[38]

Casting

Principal original casts of major productions of Avenue Q:

Character	Original Broadway Cast	Original London Cast
Princeton/Rod	John Tartaglia	Jon Robyns
Kate Monster/Lucy	Stephanie D'Abruzzo	Julie Atherton
Nicky/Trekkie/Bad Idea Bear	Rick Lyon	Simon Lipkin
Gary Coleman	Natalie Venetia Belcon	Giles Terera
Christmas Eve	Ann Harada
Brian	Jordan Gelber	Sion Lloyd
Mrs. T/Bad Idea Bear	Jennifer Barnhart	Clare Foster

Avenue Q: School Edition

Avenue Q: School Edition, a collaboration of the creators of Avenue Q and Music Theatre International, was created to facilitate production of the musical by high school drama departments. Most of the profanity and sexual themes are removed from the script and score, and two songs ("My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada" and "You Can Be As Loud as the Hell You Want") are removed. "The Internet is For Porn" is replaced with "My Social Life is Online," and Trekkie's obsession with pornography is replaced by an obsession with social networking sites. The characters Mrs. Thistletwat and Lucy the Slut are renamed Mrs. Butz and Lucy, respectively. The scenes involving the Bad Idea Bears are altered to put less emphasis on alcohol. MTI states that these alterations make the musical easier for high schools to perform, while at the same time, maintaining the original intent and integrity of the piece.^[39][40]

Avenue Q promotional events

Avenue Q cast performing at Broadway on Broadway with the puppets.

On September 30, 2004, the day of the first Bush–Kerry presidential debate, on a stage set up in Times Square, the cast of Avenue Q presented their version of the debate, called Avenue Q&A, with portrait puppets of Bush and Kerry created by Rick Lyon. Eighteen television networks covered the event. Lyon operated the Bush puppet, while Jennifer Barnhart operated the Kerry puppet. Each puppet sang responses to questions from Avenue Q's concerned residents, and the whole cast sang "Vote Your Heart" (see Other Songs above) to the rain-drenched crowd.

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa puppets created by Lyon hosted the first few minutes of an episode of Live with Regis and Kelly.^[41] In addition, Rod and John Tartaglia did "man on the street"-style interviews on the 2005 NBC broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Rod and John also appeared alongside other Broadway stars in a World AIDS Day benefit concert of Pippin held at the Manhattan Center on November 29, 2004; Rod played "The Head."

In another World AIDS Day benefit in 2005, the original cast of Avenue Q and the cast of the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof presented a 10-minute spoof of both musicals called "Avenue Jew."^[42] As a brief prologue, Trekkie Monster poorly plays the Fiddler theme, pauses a moment; shrugs, and then eats the fiddle. Tevye, his wife Golde, and his two remaining daughters, having immigrated to the USA, arrive on Avenue Jew, an area inhabited by Jewish versions of the Avenue Q characters. In the song "The Puppets/The Humans," the humans are fed up with the puppets upstaging them. Jewish-American Princeton arrives asking "What do you do with a B.A. in Yiddish?" One of Tevye's daughter's, Shprintze, falls in love with Princeton, but Tevye forbids their union even when he likes him. Princeton only says "I know, I know. If I were a human..." The Matchmaker, played by Mrs. Thistletwat, sets Rod up with Lazar Wolf ("I'm a lonely man, Tevye"). After a very brief interior monologue (I'll be brief, on the other hand, on the other hand, Tradition, sure go ahead.) Tevye finally consents to Princeton and Shprintze's marriage. Rod and Lazar Wolf also wish to be wed, and ask permission from the Tsar puppet, who forbids a gay marriage. Ben Brantley interrupts, asking who the real Jewish people in the cast are, and the company concludes that "everyone's a little bit Jewish" and "in theatre you can be whatever you want to be."

In November 2005, the Avenue Q website held a "One Night Stand" contest for amateur puppeteers and their puppets. Andrew MacDonald Smith and his puppet Maurice Tipo won, and on March 10, 2006, appeared in the evening performance in the opening song, the café scene, and the curtain call.

In July 2006, several members of Avenue Q performed for the opening ceremonies of the Gay Games in Chicago. In October 2006, Jonathan Root and Princeton presented the award for Best Young Adult Novel at the Quill Awards. In November 2006, the London cast appeared on the BBC program Children in Need and performed "It Sucks To Be Me."^[43] In December 2006, the London cast performed on the Royal Variety Performance and performed "It Sucks To Be Me," "For Now," and "Special," in which Lucy The Slut suggested through lyrics and dialogue she was making a pass at Charles, Prince of Wales.

The cast and puppets appeared briefly in the 2007 "This Is New York" tourist ad campaign.

The cast and puppets took to the stage at Trafalgar Square on 4 July 2009 as part of the "London Pride 2009" celebration, performing "If You Were Gay", "Special" and "For Now" with 'Lucy The Slut' assuring all the ladies in the audience that she is bisexual.

Cast members appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on August 13, 2009 to promote the last month of shows, performing "The Internet is for Porn" for the first time on national television.

As a response to the Muppets' Bohemian Rhapsody video, Avenue Q created a video called We Will Rock Q. Released on YouTube on May 4, 2010, it features the Off-Broadway cast performing covers of the Queen songs "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".^[44]

Original Broadway cast recording

The original cast recording was made on August 10, 2003, at Right Track Studio A in New York City, produced by Grammy Award winner Jay David Saks for RCA Victor. The album contains almost all of the music from the show, with the original Broadway cast and orchestra. Released on October 6, 2003, it has been in the top ten of the Billboard Top Cast Album Chart since the chart's launch on January 12, 2006.^[45] It was nominated for the Musical Show Album category in the 2004 Grammy Awards.^[46] According to Playbill, it was likely the first cast recording to use a Parental Advisory label.^[47]

An Original Madrid Cast Album was recorded live at Teatro Nuevo Apolo on October 9, 2010 and released on November, 2010.

A German cast album was released on April 21, 2013.

Critical reception

Avenue Q received generally favorable reviews, both nationally and internationally.

New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley called it a "...savvy, sassy and eminently likable...breakthrough musical", and compared its potential long-term influence to West Side Story and The King and I.^[48] The New Yorker described it as "...an ingenious combination of 'The Real World' and Sesame Street".^[49] The Times described it as "...how Friends might be if it had Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy arguing about their one-night stand, but with more angst, expletives and full-on puppet sex."^[50]

Avenue Q made Entertainment Weekly's 2010 end-of-the-decade "best-of" list: "This 2003 smash musical is Sesame Street for grown-ups, with filthy-minded puppets who teach useful lessons like 'The Internet Is for Porn.' Somewhere, Big Bird is molting."^[51]

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref
2003	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Musical		Nominated	[52]
		Outstanding Book of a Musical	Jeff Whitty	Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in a Musical	Stephanie D'Abruzzo	Nominated
		Outstanding Lyrics	Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx	Nominated
		Outstanding Music		Nominated
2004	Tony Award	Best Musical		Won	[53]
		Best Book of a Musical	Jeff Whitty	Won
		Best Original Score	Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx	Won
		Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	John Tartaglia	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical	Stephanie D'Abruzzo	Nominated
		Best Direction of a Musical	Jason Moore	Nominated
	Theatre World Award		Stephanie D'Abruzzo	Won
			John Tartaglia	Won
2005	Grammy Award	Best Musical Show Album		Nominated	[54]

Original London production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref
2007	Laurence Olivier Award	Best New Musical		Nominated	[55]

See also

References

1. Dobbs, Aaron (December 17, 2004). "Jeff Marx & Robert Lopez, Creators Avenue Q". Gothamist. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
2. Spencer, David. AISLE SAY New York Retrieved 2010-07-04.
3. Brown, Jennifer; Playbill Staff (June 1, 2012). "Long Runs on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
4. Gans, Andrew. "Avenue Q to Close in September", Playbill.com, June 29, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-06-29.
5. . "Avenue Is Now at New World Stages", avenueq.com, June 29, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-09-13.
6. . "AVENUE Q Headed Back Off Broadway – Show to Open October 9 at New World Stages!", Broadwayworld.com, September 13, 2009. Retrieved on 2009-09-14.
7. "The On-Air Cast." SesameStreet.org Retrieved 2010-07-01.
8. Johns, Ian (2006-05-29). "These toys are really us-Arts & Entertainment-TimesOnline". Entertainment news and arts news from The Times and Sunday Times -TimesOnline (London: Times Newspapers Ltd). p. 1. Retrieved 2007-04-15. During early previews in the States we invited Jim Henson's widow and children and they could see that what we were doing was an homage and love letter to Sesame Street.Johns, Ian (2006-05-29). "These toys are really us". The Times (London: Telegraph Newspapers Ltd). Retrieved 2007-04-15.
9. "Gary Coleman settles his long dispute with parents." Jet Magazine, Nov 15, 1993. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
10. "Gary Coleman – New York Comic Con 2007 – TheActionRoom.com". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
11. Propst, Andy (May 28, 2010). "Gary Coleman, Star of Diff'rent Strokes and Character in Avenue Q, Dies at 42.". Theater Mania. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
12. Silverman, Stephen M. (2010-05-28). "Diff'rent Strokes Star Gary Coleman Dies at 42". People.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
13. Itzkoff, Dave (May 29, 2010). "‘Avenue Q' Deals With Death of Gary Coleman". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
14. Avenue Q: Materials. Music Theatre International Retrieved December 10, 2011
15. DIVA TALK: A Chat with Avenue Q's Stephanie D'Abruzzo (September 26, 2003). Playbill.com Retrieved 2010-07-07
16. Original audio of Tear It Up and Throw It Away Retrieved 2011-01-25.
17. Original video of Time
18. "Avenue Q Urges Community to "Vote Your Heart" at Invited Party in New York". Playbill.com. 2004-05-13. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
19. "MARQUEE VALUE: Avenue Q Goes on the Campaign Trail at the Golden". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
20. Audio cut of Rod's Dilemma Retrieved 2011-01-25.
21. Jon Robyns's official website
22. "Puppet Regime: Rick Lyon." Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
23. Soltes, John (August 14, 2008). "Meeting up with Rick Lyon on Avenue Q". The Leader (Leader Newspapers).
24. "The Art of Puppetry: PUPPETS: ART AND AMUSEMENT" puppetsbostonguild.org. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
25. Gans, Andrew. "Avenue Q to Reopen Off Broadway in October; Casting Announced" Playbill.com, September 24, 2009
26. Richard Abowitz, Avenue Q Gets Spam-ed by Steve Wynn, LATimes.com, February 15, 2006. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
27. "AVENUE Q Finds A New Home In The West End 2010/01/21". Westend.broadwayworld.com. 2010-01-21. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
28. "Gielgud Theatre Announces HAIR, Opens April 14, 2010 2009/11/16". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
29. Playbill.com
30. Playbill.com news article playbill.com, May 10, 2009
31. "Avenue Q Australia". Avenueqthemusical.com.au. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
32. Avenue Q 2011 UK Tour Schedule
33. "Avenue Q 2012 UK Tour Schedule". Retrieved 2010-11-25.
34. "Avenue Q 2012 Irish Tour Schedule".
35. Avenue Q the stage.co.uk
36. "Sell-A-Doors 'Avenue Q' and 'Seussical' to Transfer to Hong Kong" broadwayworld.com, 2014
37. [britishtheatre.com/avenue-q-announces-201516-tour " 'Avenue Q' Tour"] britishtheatre.com
38. Cotter, Richard. " 'Avenue Q' At the Enmore Theatre" sydneyartsguide.com.au, July 4, 2015
39. AVENUE Q SCHOOL EDITION – Sign Up for Fast Track Notification. mtishows.com, May 24, 2011.
40. http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000325
41. Regis and Kelly Puppets. LyonPuppets.com Retrieved 2010-07-04.
42. "DIVA TALK: Avenue Q and Fiddler Spread Joy at Easter Bonnet, Divas on Disc Plus News of Wicked Stars". Playbill.com. 2004-04-23. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
43. "Avenue Q on Children in need". YouTube. 2006-11-20. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
44. "Avenue Q – We Will Rock Q". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
45. Information from Billboard, November 2006
46. Information from Variety, December 7, 2004
47. Hernandez, Ernio (October 7, 2003). "Fantasies Come True: Broadway's Avenue Q Cast Recording Released Oct. 7". Playbill. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
48. Brantley, Ben (August 1, 2003): "A Feeling You're Not On Sesame Street." nytimes.com Retrieved 2010-07-08.
49. Als, Hilton (August 11, 2003): "Mayhem and Madness." New Yorker Archive Retrieved 2010-07-08.
50. Johns, Ian (May 29, 2006): "These Toys are Really Us." Times of London Archive Retrieved 2010-07-08.
51. Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 11, 2009), "THE 100 Greatest MOVIES, TV SHOWS, ALBUMS, BOOKS, CHARACTERS, SCENES, EPISODES, SONGS, DRESSES, MUSIC VIDEOS, AND TRENDS THAT ENTERTAINED US OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS". Entertainment Weekly. (1079/1080):74-84
52. Drama Desk Nominations
53. Broadwayworld.com
54. Avenue Q News Archive
55. Olivier Winners 2007

External links

• Avenue Q at the Internet Broadway Database
• Official website
• Official website of Rick Lyon, "Avenue Q" Puppet Designer/builder and original cast member
• Avenue Q at BroadwayWorld.com