Does it “Suck to be You?” Whether you are in your 20s and just graduated from university, or if you’re older than that and still wondering what to do with your life, or if you’ve simply ever wondered what your purpose in life is, then maybe Avenue Q is the place for you.
Hatrix Theatre begins their second week of the popular Broadway musical or “puppet show for adults,” this week.
The show which combines beautifully designed puppets character as well as human characters runs at the Moose Hall until Saturday, May 16. The Friday and Saturday performances are sold out but there are still tickets available for today and tomorrow.
As soon as you enter the hall, you are greeted by an elaborately and beautifully designed and decorated three storey tenement building.
Then the star of the show ‘Princeton” played by Aiden Quinn takes the stage, with his freshly minted BA in English in hand, singing “What Do You Do With A BA In English and lands on Avenue Q because that is all he can afford.
That is followed by an introduction tot eh character and their lives as the cast sings show highlight “ It Sucks to be Me.”
But Princeton grows up pretty fast on the streets as he meets a variety of unique characters including Christmas Eve, played adorably by Monique Prusky and her husband Brian, a would be comedian played by Hatrix newcomer Emmit Campbell.
He meets kindergarten teaching assistant Kate Monster, who wants to open a school for monsters played by Jory Kohn and they get together, fall in love and break up as Princeton continues his search for a purpose.
His upstairs neighbours, closeted homosexual investment banker Rod performed by another newcomer Cole Fetting and his slacker roommate Nicky played by Natasha Hill and another newcomer Evan Herbert are hilarious in their Hatrix debut (Hill was a dancer in last year’s production of Spamalot), are highlights of the show. Jonathan Strojwas plays a couple minor puppet characters — Rod's new boyfriend Ricky as well as the unnamed newcomer who shows the more things change, the more they stay the same — sort of.
The whole cast are amazing. You don’t even notice the cast members working the puppets, who take on a life of their own in their hands.
It tough to choose favourites, Jennifer Anderson is hilarious as building superintendent “Gary Coleman” and even has a Different Strokes cell phone ring tone. “Lucy the Slut,” played by Courtney Montgomery is smooth and sexy. She also plays Mrs. Thistletwat, Kate monster’s boss. But the Bad Idea Bears (Sheri Lynn Taylor and Derek Taylor) almost steal the show as the adorably cute bad influences.
As you can tell by the character names, this is not a show for the faint of heart or the easily offended, but it is definitely a show for people who want to laugh at some of the sacred cows of a society which is beginning to take itself more seriously than it perhaps should.
For example there is a gut busting puppet sex scene between Kate Monster and Princeton, punctuated by Gary Coleman singing “You Can Be as Loud as You Want When You Make Love, which ends with a scene between Rod and Nicky as Rod tries to figure out his sexuality and feelings for his room mate through a hilarious multi-media display showing on a screen set on the third floor of the set, which features some other hilarious visual gags throughout.
Avenue Q explores some pretty prominent issues like sexuality and racism, touches on homelessness, relationships and unemployment, but is explored though some bright, cheerful sounding songs that make you want to sing along or at least smile.
The cast sing beautifully, dance capably, other than one stumble over the of the monitors on stage. And even more impressively in the accents they chose for their characters especially Monique Prusky.
Maybe it was my seat on the right side of the stage, but I found the keyboard accompaniment played by music director Richard Coombes set up in the balcony, drowned out some of the singers’ voices and lyrics in several places.
The characters go through a lot, culminating with the wedding from Hell between Christmas Eve and Brian which ends the first act, but all’s well that ends well — eventually.
Things get pretty real in the second act as things go from bad to worse as it really “Sucks to Be Me” for a lot of the characters, but it more or less works out as life often does.
If you want an entertaining night out that will make you think, laugh a lot and maybe cry a little, spend some time on Avenue Q at the Moose Hall, May 13-16. Tickets cost $25 at CASA or at the door if there are any left.
