Orpheum Theatre

Here’s “What To Do With a B.A. in English”—write about how great Avenue Q is! The show starts with this hilarious song and from the moment Princeton the puppet steps out and sings it’s clearly a different approach to musical theatre. Not only does Avenue Q have songs about porn, racism, and sex, but also uses mostly puppets to sing them. Avenue Q, the 2004 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book, is now performing at The Orpheum Theatre until February 27th. Check out the website to learn more about the musical: http://www.avenueqtour.com/. It was a sold-out house on Wednesday, Feb. 16, and the audience members were already humming the tunes before the curtain rose over the dungy-looking New York apartments that belong on Avenue Q. Princeton, the orange puppet, comes to the city with big dreams only to discover the challenges of finding a “purpose,” keeping a job, and falling in love. But he is not alone. Every puppet, monster, and even Gary Coleman is trying to survive in the big city. They argue about whose life sucks more, but welcome each other with friendship and open paws. In the end, life is beautiful because they have each other and something to strive for. What is easily the most remarkable part of the musical is the talent that each cast member conveys on stage. Avenue Q has a relatively small cast with only eleven members, four of which are ensemble. The main leads such as Princeton (David Colston Corris), Kate Monster (Ashley Eileen Bucknam), and Nicky (Michael Liscio) play at least two different roles each. This means that they are constantly running back and forth between characters and voices. This brings a whole new meaning to triple threat, expect they can dance, sing, act, and voice. Overall, the songs will stick in your head, the puppets will make you laugh (even when they do naughty things for puppets), and the messages will make you treasure your own life. Schadenfrude!