Avenue Q

by Alice Hewitt.

With its puppets and one of a kind comedy, the hit musical Avenue Q aims to entertain.

Avenue Q tells the story of recent college graduate, Princeton, and the search for his ultimate purpose in life. At the beginning of the show he finds himself abruptly unemployed and his world suddenly needs a little more meaning.

Throughout his journey to find himself and his true purpose in life, he builds relationships with the cast of various humans, puppets and monsters living in his neighbourhood.

This is the second time Cardinal Music Productions has staged the Broadway production, but the first time it has been performed at the Chrysler Theatre. The first time the group staged the musical was at the KordaZone Theatre which is a smaller space and seats less people.

Actor Kevin Scott voices a variety of characters and said the Chrysler Theatre’s expanse and sets are phenomenal.

“We’ve got more room to play with and that’s going to add all kinds of other dimensions,” said Scott. “We can really let loose and let her go.”

While on Broadway, Avenue Q won the Tony “Triple Crown” for best musical, best score and best book. The musical also ranks 23rd on the list of longest running Broadway shows in history due to the sheer number of performances of the production on and off Broadway and by individual theatre groups like Cardinal Music Productions.

Christopher Lawrence-Menard is the voice behind the puppet Princeton as well as another puppet called Rod. He said the show is like an adult Sesame Street except for the fact the puppets have real world problems.

“People grow up with Sesame Street and that’s something I think is a commonality for people who see the show,” said Menard. “With a musical you sometimes try to find your audience. When you have Avenue Q and you have this cast of puppets who look like the people you see on Sesame Street and have this sort of built in cute factor, they’re like The Muppets. People want to see that. They want to remember that aspect of their childhood. However Avenue Q is not Sesame Street so you come in with that expectation and then what you get is shocking and hysterically funny.”

The show opens Friday January 31st at the Chrysler Theatre. Tickets range from $25 to $30 and a student discount is available.