Avenue Q is so Q-ute!

I took my husband Jerry to see Avenue Q yesterday for our wedding anniversary. The whole day was my treat. We took the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan, a 35 minute ride from Rockville Centre. Then walked to 51st street where I had made reservations at Ruth Christ's Steakhouse, one of Jerry's favorite restaurants. After dinner we walked over to 45th street to the Golden Theatre. I hadn't told Jerry what we were seeing so when we got to the theatre he said to me "are we seeing a puppet show?" I jokingly told him "yes it is a puppet show, but you'll love it because it has puppet nudity in it." The Tony Award winning Best Musical (2004) just celebrated it's 5th anniversary. I was glad to see it was a full house, a good sign, since Broadway shows are not doing well in our depressed economy. The set is in view as you enter the theatre. It is a tenement, a rundown building on Avenue Q.

The overture begins and a puppeteer in gray clothing comes out carrying a very colorful puppet, Princeton, the newly graduated student who is looking for affordable housing and a purpose in life. Gradually we are introduced to the other residents of Avenue Q, some puppets, some human, including the building superintendent, Gary Coleman (yes, the child star from "Different Strokes" but played by a woman). So there are human characters, puppets and puppeteers acting and singing and making the puppets come alive. Some of the puppets are supposed to be human, some monsters. It all sounds very confusing but it works.

Avenue Q is sweet, charming, touching, hilariously funny and definitely not for kids. And guess what? There is puppet nudity as well as salty language and adult content. They touch on everything from racism, sexual orientation, pornography, Schadenfreude (pleasure in someone else's pain), to first love, coming out, purpose in life and idealistic desires to make a difference in the world. The score is great with funny yet touching lyrics ("It Sucks to Be Me", "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist", "There's a Fine, Fine Line"), the characters are all very endearing and the cast wonderfully talented.

I don't want to give too much away because it is some of the surprises that made it really fun but I will tell you my favorite character is Christmas Eve, a Japanese immigrant with two master degrees in social work who can't seem to book a client. So if you're looking for some good laughs and a purpose in life, take the Q train downtown to Avenue Q and stay a while.