Avenue Q at The New World Stages

Avenue Q is a really amazing show that's worth seeing. After running on Broadway for years, it is now off-Broadway, but this shouldn't deter you from seeing it. Avenue Q is a production consisting mainly of puppets (which may deter some from seeing it), effectively mimicking Sesame Street. The puppets are very well-made; it is easy to imagine nearly every character onstage interacting with Elmo or Big Bird, as the puppets are of high quality and well-animated.

The plot of Avenue Q is where the show really shines. Initially, I wasn't too thrilled with where I thought the storyline was going, but I was completely wrong and found myself extremely impressed by the end of the play. This is a show that has many shock value moments, but there are many lessons that are dealt out effectively without sounding preachy. Avenue Q discusses sex, racism, homosexuality, responsibility, homelessness, poverty, relationships/monogamy, enjoying the misfortune of others, charity, and ambition. Much like how the show Sesame Street would sneak in lessons to children, Avenue Q sneaks in lessons to adults.

I don't want to spoil any of the plot, but I will mention that a large part of the story revolves around a puppet named Princeton who graduates from college and enters the real world. He gets an apartment on Avenue Q because it is the only place he can afford. Now that he's on his own, he learns what adulthood means. The show really does this in a brilliant way, and if not for all the shocking moments throughout the production, Avenue Q could be required watching for anyone 15 and up. Although the show is an extreme parody, the realism of what life really is can be seen throughout the play.

There is a lesson that you may have to work a job that isn't so great or live in a place that isn't so nice, but these things are temporary. Most people have to put work in and will have to start from the bottom. There's nothing wrong with having a dream, but it's more important to be self-sufficient, even if it means working as a temp or at Barnes and Noble. There are a lot of really great people who have low income, low status jobs, and it doesn't necessarily mean that they lack ambition or intelligence. This is easily the most important theme of the show, and it is a theme that isn't tackled often enough.

This isn't a production for everyone. Although I was expecting a PG-13 experience, this is a very R rated show. Puppets swear often, they have sex, and they get drunk right before your very eyes. This is not a family show in the slightest. Also, Avenue Q can be considered a musical because of the number of songs throughout the play, but the overwhelming number of songs are so humorous and fun that you won't care. Unlike most musicals, you aren't paying attention to the vocal range of the players, instead you're watching a cast of puppets wildly gesture about as they sing about something you wouldn't expect to hear from a cute little puppet man/lady/monster.

I will make a brief mention of the fact that Gary Coleman (the super of the apartment complex) is a role in the play, actually played by a woman in the production I watched. His character isn't really like the person he appeared to be on television interviews; he's an outgoing, fun character who is probably the most intelligent out of everyone and he loves to dance provocatively and curse. The character only exists as an example of someone falling from grace and now living under less attractive circumstances. I have mixed feelings about this, partially because he is now dead, but also because I feel like his relevance is disappearing to the point where some of the jokes will be lost on people who aren't familiar with him. The crowd watching this play skews much younger, so if this play runs for a few more years, I imagine some editing will have to take place. Since his death. Gary Coleman hasn't been as "popular" as he had been in the past, and I doubt this trend is likely to change.

There are so many things that I really liked about Avenue Q. Theatre isn't really considered to be a cool thing for the under 50 crowd, which is a real shame because many of the people who would enjoy this show the most will never see it, let alone know that it exists. There have been so many television shows, movies, and video games that have taken something deceptively childlike and turned it into something mature. South Park and Family Guy are massive shows with millions of fans who would love this, but for some reason most people are so close minded regarding plays that it's almost like a secret world. If you ever have the chance to, go out and watch Avenue Q!