We can't deny that most of us generation-Y offspring gleaned our earliest life lessons from the furry, green, big-eyed plush things on TV. Now imagine when that world of talking, stuffed goodness meets the world of 20- and 30-somethings in their quarter-life crises.
That intersection is exactly where "Avenue Q" lies, and the Broadway musical that took New York and the Tony Awards by storm a few years ago is now playing for full crowds at the Colonial Theatre. "Avenue Q" is not "Sesame Street" for adults, as the show's promotional material claims.
But it is certainly true that the show, with its visual gags, hilarious songs and all-in-all truthfulness, is a refreshing hit and an honest laugh on 20-something drama. Just don't take your visiting nieces and nephews - they might not fully appreciate the explicit
puppet sex.
"Avenue Q" is the story of a group of quirky puppets and human neighbors living on the aforementioned avenue and facing their daily battles with love, getting along and realizing their dreams while living in a dump. They all have their funky quirks: There's Princeton (played by Robert McClure), a recently unemployed grad ("What Do You Do With a B.A. in English," he sings) and his love interest and kindergarten assistant Kate Monster (Kelli Sawyer). There's the set of opposing roommates - the Republican, the closeted Rod (also McClure) and the freeloader Nicky (David Benoit). There's the stereotypically Asian and loud-mouthed therapist Christmas Eve (Sala Iwamatsu), with her deadbeat Jewish comedian husband Brian (Cole Porter).
These lead roles are joined by a bunch of other odd folks - including the superintendent, Gary Coleman (Carla Renata).
There really aren't weak links in this ensemble production. Benoit stands out above all, manning the most puppets with the biggest range. He goes from one extreme, Nicky the slacker, to this reviewer's personal favorite of the show, Trekkie Monster - a reclusive, husky-voiced loner who proclaims that "The Internet Is For Porn" and traumatizes the rest of the puppets.
McClure as Princeton and Sawyer, in the roles of both his love interests, have cute chemistry together, though Sawyer sounds a bit nasal as the singing Kate.
Iwamats is also spectacular as Christmas Eve. Commanding the stage during each of her scenes, she is devastatingly funny, does a mean accent and is big-voiced to boot.
Interestingly, all of the puppet operators play more than one role, requiring them to be both seemingly ambidextrous and able to switch from voices as different as night and day at a moment's notice. The cast accomplishes this so effortlessly that it's easy to forget that there are people behind the puppets.
"Avenue Q" is not for the socially phobic, as it ventures boldly into "politically incorrect" territory. But unlike the more prodding "The Producers," "Avenue Q" brushes controversy without lingering, never taking itself too seriously and always taking a chance to laugh at its own jokes. And it's all gut-wrenchingly funny because so much of it is based on truth - just things people aren't really going to say aloud, much less serenade in a theater. The show speaks of certain truths that we, as college students about to enter the real world, might soon discover for ourselves.
"Avenue Q" is poignant above all because, unlike others in the puppet entertainment genre, this show enables the young audience to relate. Whether they're puppets or people, the characters seek purpose, companionship and self-direction. After all, with songs like "I Wish I Could Go Back to College," it's hard to resist humming "What would I give/ to go back and live/ in a dorm with a meal plan again!" very soon, too.
