As I watched "Avenue Q"
at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, I was reminded
of a phrase I learned in my psych course in adult development.
It was someone’s theory that during one’s early 20s when
one finally enters that "real world" that everyone
has been talking to them about since they were 10, that young
adults experience disillusionment. They discover that the
dream doesn’t match up with the reality in many ways -
living on one’s own, relationships, jobs, friendships,
making money and being able to spend it the way one wants -
everything is quite different from the idyllic vision one had
of being "grown up."
"Avenue Q" is about leaving the relative
womb-like security of college and suddenly having to make all
your own decisions and find a direction that feels right. This
process can actually take a lifetime, but the number of
changes that occur in those early adult years is pretty
staggering.
This Tony award pick is really an adult "Sesame
Street," replete with puppets that closely resemble the
originals. We are still learning, but the lessons are harder.
It’s a clever mix of humor and disappointment, of live
characters and puppetry. It’s a musical where the lyrics are
more important than the music.
Avenue Q apartments are run by Gary Coleman, who represents
someone who peaks out early in life. These housing units are
located in a rather lowdown neighborhood in New York City
where first timers can almost afford to live. There’s a
certain camaraderie here, but people of all types still have
to work at getting along.
Many of the songs have messages - that we all have some
racism in us, that we eventually have to accept our sexual
orientation, that the people we love are also the ones who can
drive us nuts, that people are happier when they’re less
selfish, that there’s a lot of world to see, but we can’t
sit home feeling sorry for ourselves and expect others to make
our life interesting.
This is a show that will appeal most to young people as
they go off on their own. It’s a little irreverent, a bit
satiric, but I can’t imagine too offensive for most people.
The manipulation of the puppets, the clever set design, the
humor and earthy wisdom are the greatest appeals. It isn’t
particularly moving, none of the songs are that memorable, but
it is entertaining nonetheless.
Robert McClure, who plays Princeton; Kelli Sawyer, who
plays Kelly Monster; and Angela Ai, who played Christmas Eve;
are the standouts in the cast, but the cast as a whole is
quite adequate.
The show runs for the rest of this week with two shows on
both Saturday and Sunday. Call the box office at the Marcus
Center for the Performing Arts at (414) 273-7206 for times and
tickets.
