It may involve puppets, but Avenue Q is no Sesame Street.
In fact, the award-winning musical is probably best suited for adults, although teenagers are more than welcome to attend.
“It is definitely the Broadway show for adults. You are going to see full-frontal puppet nudity,” said lead cast member Jeremy Crittenden. “We’re going to laugh about racism and sex and porn.”
Avenue Q, which runs this weekend at the Port Theatre, focuses on the life of Princeton, a recent English graduate who moves to New York City.
“He’s trying to find his purpose in life,” said Crittenden, who plays Princeton. “He’s moved to the big city, looking to not only make his dreams come true, but figure out what the hell those dreams are.”
It’s there that he encounters a number of interesting characters including a gay Republican, a self-described ‘Internet sexpert’ and a girl-next-door type.
“It’s really, really funny,” Crittenden said. “I think people will see a lot of their own life in it, to be totally honest.”
Avenue Q was created by Jeff Whitty, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and originally opened in March of 2003 at the Vineyard Theatre in New York.
The musical would make its Broadway debut that same year, where it would go on to become one of the longest running productions on Broadway.
In 2004, Avenue Q won the ‘Tony Award Triple Crown’ when it took home Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Musical and Best Original Score.
Avenue Q will resonate the most with anyone who is a recent high school or post-secondary graduate.
“It really is what growing up is like these days,” Crittenden said. “You get out of school and you’ve been raised to believe that we can be whatever we want in life and it is only once you’re thrust into the real world that you realize, well no I probably can’t be the prime minister.”
Although Avenue Q has themes that young adults can relate to, the production does have something for everyone.
“I think for a lot of people you’re going to walk away from this show seeing a lot of yourself and being able to laugh at things that get you down day to day, like being out of work and not knowing your place in the world,” Crittenden said.
Avenue Q runs Thursday (Nov. 13) and Friday at the Port Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $5 to $40. Parental guidance recommended.
For more information, please visit www.porttheatre.com.
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