Original Stars of AVENUE Q Return For 15 Special Performances For 15th Anniversary

The Tony Award winning Best Musical Avenue Q will mark its 15th anniversary with 15 special performances at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) from July 18 to 29, 2018.

Each of the 15 anniversary shows will feature audience giveaways and a different surprise guest turn by members of the musical's legendary original Broadway company and other Avenue Q alumni. Performers presently scheduled to appear include Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Carmen Ruby Floyd, Barrett Foa, Ann Harada, Maggie Lakis, Anika Larsen, Rick Lyon, Rob McClure, Brynn O'Malley, John Tartaglia, and Sharon Wheatley. Additional guest stars will be announced at a later date.

As previously announced, The Avenue Q 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert, a special one-night-only event, will feature the show's creators and cast members from Broadway and beyond performing cut and alternate versions of songs and sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the show's history on and Off-Broadway. The concert will be performed for two performances only at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM on Monday, July 30 at Feinstein's/54 Below.

www.54Below.com/Q15T

To coincide with Avenue Q's triumphant opening on Broadway on July 31, 2003, a special added performance of the musical - featuring its current cast - is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31 at 7 p.m.

Since it roared into the spotlight - with its singular cast of people and puppets including Princeton, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Trekkie, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman and Lucy T. Slut - opening on Broadway on July 30, 2003, Avenue Q has given over 6,000 performances, running seven years on Broadway before transferring to New World Stages in 2009, where it continues to play to large and happy houses.

Over the course of its 15 years, the Avenue Q cast and puppets have been featured 3 times on GOOD MORNING AMERICA (including a mock Presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry puppets live on-air), LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY (including the debut of Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Michael Gelman puppets), LATE NIGHT WITH Jimmy Fallon, THE VIEW, JEOPARDY!, HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, $10,000 PYRAMID, ABC's 20/20, numerous appearances on the TONY AWARDS telecast as performers and presenters, QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY, MTV, VH1, in promotional "Get Caught Reading" campaigns, FOX BUSINESS NEWS, on CBS SUNDAY MORNING, NEW YORK 1 NEWS, promotional spots for WCBS-TV 2, as color commentators for CBS-TV's national coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, CNN, etc.

Celebrity visitors to Avenue Q have included President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Judi Dench, Michael Moore, Hilary Swank, Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Billy Crystal, Carol Burnett, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, David Bowie, Ben Folds, Clive Davis, Frank Oz, Joan Rivers, Glenn Close, Gloria Steinem, George Lucas, Hal Prince, Mike Nichols, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Howard Stern, Hugh Jackman, Stephen Sondheim, Jessica Alba, Jake Gyllenhaal, Janet Jackson, Jimmy Fallon, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Macaulay Culkin, Lauren Bacall, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Robert Zemeckis, Bruce Vilanch, Sean Penn, Elijah Wood, Bobby McFerrin, Martin Lawrence, Megan Mullally, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, David Hyde Pierce, Nathan Lane, Rosie O'Donnell, David Schwimmer, Angela Bassett, Jeff Daniels, Zac Efron, Christian Slater, Kathleen Turner, Uma Thurman, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Tina Fey.

AVENUE Q has music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, and is directed by Jason Moore. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with puppets conceived and designed by Rick Lyon, Avenue Q has musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by ACME Sound Partners. Music director is Brian Hertz. Animation design is by Robert Lopez, incidental music is by Gary Adler, and casting is by Cindy Tolan & Adam Caldwell. Christine M. Daly is Production Stage Manager.

AVENUE Q became an overnight sensation on Broadway in July 2003 following a sold-out engagement and was extended four times after being presented Off-Broadway by Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.

AVENUE Q is produced at New World Stages, as it was on Broadway, by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, The Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.

At New World Stages, Avenue Q performs Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:30 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased through Telecharge by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting www.telecharge.com. A limited number of rush tickets are available at the box office for each performance.

For more information about Avenue Q, please visit: AvenueQ.com

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy