Why Avenue Q is the Best Musical Ever

We're not usually big fans of musicals, but jolieg15's hilarious review may have convinced us to give them a try!—Sparkitors

Yes, I'll admit it: I'm one of those people that compulsively listens to Broadway musical soundtracks (anyone else do this? Anybody?). However, my taste in musical theatre doesn't run to classics such as RENT or Wicked. No, friend, my latest obsession is with a little show called Avenue Q.

For those of you who have never heard of Avenue Q, it's been called a "Sesame Street meets South Park kind of production." The show follows Princeton, a recently graduated English major who is looking for his purpose as an adult. He lives on Avenue Q (because Avenues A through P are too expensive) with Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant who can't get a boyfriend; Brian, an aspiring comedian who has been laid off his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Japanese fiance and a therapist with no clients; Rod and Nicky, two best friends who share an apartment; and Gary Coleman, the superintendent.

I have taken the liberty of listing the aspects of my favorite Broadway musical that I find most awesome. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. There are a lot of puppets. In fact, over half the characters are made of felt and have a hand shoved up their backsides. These puppets are manipulated by unconcealed puppeteers who are right there on the stage in plain view. There are even puppet characters that require two puppeteers, but in the show all puppeteers are ignored, with the focus solely on their puppet counterparts. Even the human costars pay no attention to the fully visible actors on the stage, and the audience is expected to do the same. The fact that the majority of the characters on the show are puppets is actually an homage to Sesame Street, but we'll address that later.

2. Avenue Q is perfectly frank with its audience. To be honest, the number one reason I love Avenue Q so much—just in case you aren't tempted by its eccentric characters and storyline—is because it is so direct in presenting its message. Regardless of the juvenile appearance of the characters, they still have no problem tossing around f-bombs and other profane utterances. Real topics like racism, homosexuality, and even HND, are presented in a direct and open fashion, much like they are in modern life. Racism is satirized in "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist." "The Internet is for Porn" points out that while the internet can be an educational tool (for websites like SparkNotes), it is misused by a large fraction of the population for purposes like porn. "If You Were Gay" is a statement to Rod (a Republican banker) by his roommate Nicky (a lovable slacker), who declares that if Rod was homosexual, it would be okay with Nicky. Virtually every character and plot twist in Avenue Q addresses an issue or adult reality that plagues modern society.

3. The show confronts adult issues using a medium that appears no different than “Sesame Street”. The first thing that many people will think when they see the Playbill is, "Oh, is that like ‘Sesame Street’?" Well, no, no it's not. That is the assumption foolish parents have when they take their young children to see it, only to be slapped in the face by the show's mature language and themes. Avenue Q's main subject is purpose in life, as well as accepting the adult world's harsh realities. It is an unfortunate truth of adulthood that no matter how many times your parents and Sesame Street say you are special and can do anything, your options are more limited after college.

4. Lastly, it’s an organically fun show to watch and listen to. The varying perspectives of each character make it easy for just about anyone to connect and sympathize with the show. The recurring and eternal question of one's purpose is motivating for all ages, and everyone can take home a lesson learned in addition to a catchy song stuck in your head. While intelligent jokes are used no-holds-barred, Avenue Q also has plenty of good, clean humor that is impossible not to enjoy, unless you’re the Grinch. Assuming you are not the Grinch, you are guaranteed to enjoy a wonderful score of music and a fantastic cast.

Anyone else a fan of Avenue Q? We'll admit to being slightly put off by all the puppets.

Related post: Musicals for Those Who Hate Musicals

Image credit: http://www.avenueq.com/content/wallpaper2005_17-1024.jpg