Review: AVENUE Q at Gettysburg Community Theatre
By: Rich Mehrenberg Jan. 13, 2019
Review by Jessica Crowe
Have you ever watched Sesame Street and wished that there was a version of this beloved television show for adults? Well, enter Avenue Q! This quirky musical has won more than one award for its beautiful and unique story. It tells the tale of what day to day life is like for a group of friends. They all live in an apartment building together on Avenue Q with Gary Coleman, the superintendent. (Yes, THAT Gary Coleman!) The show focuses on the reality of what life is like in modern society as we transition from the innocence of childhood to the harsh realities of adulthood, with many debates over who's life sucks the most. Through all of this, we are reminded of many incredibly important life lessons along the way. Add in a huge dose of comedy and fabulous puppetry, and you've got an evening of theatre you'll find yourself relating to big time, whether you want to admit it or not! Leave the kids at home for this one though, because this musical is not afraid to cover some very real adult topics. Comedic timing and bigger than life character acting is needed to really pull off this show in a successful way, and I am so thrilled to report that director Greg Trax and his company completely nailed this show from beginning to end in this production at the Gettysburg Community Theatre.
Walking into the theatre literally made me feel like I was walking onto the set of Sesame Street. Greg's scenic design and use of the theatre's uniquely intimate space were very well done.
And the puppetry! Kathy La Pietra was responsible for bringing each of these Muppet style characters to life. And each character truly does have a life of its own. It is very easy to forget that you are watching puppets with somebody's hand up their backsides, because they all have these huge personalities with passions and flaws that we can all relate to. Of course, this is greatly enhanced by the tremendously talented actors that share their skills on that stage. Learning how to emote with a puppet is no easy task. In fact, it is a very advanced technique to master as a performer. You would never guess that this was the first time using a puppet for at least one of these cast members.
All of the actors in this show stood out in their own ways with what they brought to their characters. From the vocals to the physicality of their movements, every actor stood out to me in several ways during the show. This review would be obnoxiously long if I were to try and list the many amazing qualities that everyone brought to this production, so you will just have to go see this show for yourself to enjoy their stellar performances. Everything came together just right to do this show complete justice, and anyone who takes the time to go see it is in for a real treat. You still have some time to get out and see this masterpiece before it's gone. Remaining performances are running weekends through January 27th. But it's "only for now", so hurry! Visit www.gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org to grab your tickets for a night at the theatre you won't soon forget, especially if (like Princeton) you are trying to find your purpose.
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