Can You Tell Me How to Get to Avenue Q?
Mondays are always difficult days of the week, but today feels like a double Monday since the Blogulator staff has been on break for several weeks now - and it is, in fact Monday. Plus I'm extra tired because I stayed up way past my bedtime going to Avenue Q last night with half of our writing staff. But by the time most of you read this it will be Tuesday so it probably doesn't matter to you any way.
So...Avenue Q:
Team Blogulator took in a little theater this weekend and saw the Tony Award-winning, Broadway Muppet musical, Avenue Q. It was a cute story about Princeton, the every-Muppet college grad who doesn't know what to do with his life. Throughout the performance, Princeton searches for his life purpose and meets a wonderful, multicultural group of friends who all happen to live on the same block with Gary Coleman as their superintendent (for some reason).
I didn't really get why it had to be Gary Coleman but it didn't seem like he was busting anyone's chops for rent money and he always seemed to be fixing things so I guess he'd be a pretty good super.
Princeton falls in love with kindergarten teacher Kate Monster and after two evil, but very cuddly-looking bears convince them to sleep together Princeton gets commitment phobia and
leaves Kate for another, sexier Muppet. Eventually he wises up and realizes that his life's purpose is to help Kate start a school just for monsters.
Through a series of very witty and hilarious songs we also learn that it's ok to be a gay, Republican investment banker, the Internet is for porn not kindergarten classrooms, and don't drop pennies off of The Empire State Building because they will hit someone in the head and they'll have to go to the hospital.
Sesame Street may have more lovable characters that we'll remember our whole lives but this dirty adaptation had more realistic life lessons for adults. I have to give this play a Cast of Frasier rating.
So...Avenue Q:
Team Blogulator took in a little theater this weekend and saw the Tony Award-winning, Broadway Muppet musical, Avenue Q. It was a cute story about Princeton, the every-Muppet college grad who doesn't know what to do with his life. Throughout the performance, Princeton searches for his life purpose and meets a wonderful, multicultural group of friends who all happen to live on the same block with Gary Coleman as their superintendent (for some reason).I didn't really get why it had to be Gary Coleman but it didn't seem like he was busting anyone's chops for rent money and he always seemed to be fixing things so I guess he'd be a pretty good super.
Princeton falls in love with kindergarten teacher Kate Monster and after two evil, but very cuddly-looking bears convince them to sleep together Princeton gets commitment phobia and
leaves Kate for another, sexier Muppet. Eventually he wises up and realizes that his life's purpose is to help Kate start a school just for monsters.Through a series of very witty and hilarious songs we also learn that it's ok to be a gay, Republican investment banker, the Internet is for porn not kindergarten classrooms, and don't drop pennies off of The Empire State Building because they will hit someone in the head and they'll have to go to the hospital.
Sesame Street may have more lovable characters that we'll remember our whole lives but this dirty adaptation had more realistic life lessons for adults. I have to give this play a Cast of Frasier rating.
This entry was posted by Lady Amy, on
Monday, January 14, 2008.
You can leave your response.
The Bad Idea Bears are great characters.
(Leaves site for 5 minutes).
I am a bit offended, though, that the porn-loving character is named Trekkie.
(Leaves again).
I still say that I didn't get it at all! It's just not my style of ironic nostalgia, the abuse of the figures most honored in childhood to calm fears about imminent adulthood (or, my new word, "ironostalgia"). This is what the NYTimes said, and maybe it's the reason so many people like it (but not me?):
"While ''Rent'' may have cornered the theater market on kids who would be cool, ''Avenue Q'' aims at an even larger, if less visible, segment of Generations X and Y. I'm talking about those men and women who secretly see themselves as scared, saucer-eyed kids on the square side: the types who still sleep with stuffed animals and who, when drunk, are likely to chant theme songs from sitcoms now exiled to ''Nick at Nite.''"
However, that doesn't take into account people who just like it when puppets are raunchy, which is a huge portion of the population and the 750 theater-employed people who vote for the Tony's.
Wow, Nicole, way to totally degrade most of the crowd of people who liked Avenue Q!
Seriously, though, I didn't see it as much of abusing the figures of my childhood, as deep down (and really, not even that deep down) it had a good heart. Even the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" has a positive message.
And no matter how you spin it, "Rent" is not cool.
So Nicole doesn't feel alone, I wasn't totally enamored by Avenue Q. I smiled through most of it, giggled at the bears, and laughed at most things Trekkie said/sang, but I kind of wanted it to be over at intermission.
The shtick got old after a while, even though yes it was still more entertaining than Rent and at least it had a ridiculous amount of colors and impressive visuals going on to occupy my mind grapes throughout the second half.
Fair enough -- although I do think it "plays" better in NYC -- a lot of the underlying commentary is somewhat NYC-specific and, at least to me who saw it both in NYC and Mpls, played better to the audience there than here. Which, to me, is the key to any musical -- that's why movie musicals, with few exceptions, pale in comparison to their origins.
loved it! plus the songs are catchy. plus, i still watch sesame street. plus, i wish that we actually did live in a world made up of both humans and puppets.
but qualler is right, it was much better the first time we saw it, but i think that's only because it was in a much smaller theater, and you felt so close to the puppets...sweet...sweet...furry...little...i mean, i don't fall into the category of people who like to see puppets act raunchy! ahahaha....(runs away)
This comment has been removed by the author.
oh man, who deleted a comment? probably some jerk...trying to start something...
I smell a controversey a'brewin!
leave a response