Mercury Theater Chicago Presents AVENUE Q, Now thru 6/29

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, presents Chicago's home-grown version of the hilarious Broadway musical AVENUE Q, running from tonight, April 24 through June 29, 2014. Winner of the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book in 2004, AVENUE Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. The production will be led by Jeff Award winners L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Direction), and Kevin Bellie (Choreography) and features custom made puppets by Russ Walko.

A racy cross between South Park and Sesame Street, AVENUE Q is a modern musical focusing on a group of unique 20-somethings making their way in the big city, seeking their purpose in life. AVENUE Q features Music and Lyrics by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (co-creator of THE BOOK OF MORMON and recent Academy Award winner for FROZEN) and a Book by Jeff Whitty. Director L. Walter Stearns explains that the real magic of the show is when the audience "forgets that the puppets are nothing more than fur and felt and start to believe they have a mind, heart and soul." Although AVENUE Q addresses humorous adult issues, it is similar to a beloved children's show: a place where puppets are friends, monsters are good and life lessons are learned.

The production opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in March 2003, where it won the 2003 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Musical, as well as a nomination for the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical award. It played on Broadway at the Golden Theatre from 2003 through 2009 and is currently playing Off-Broadway once again at New World Stages.

AVENUE Q stars Jackson Evans as Princeton, Leah Morrow as Kate Monster, Adam Fane as Rod, Daniel Smeriglio as Nicky, Stephanie Herman as Lucy, Christine Bunuan as Christmas Eve, Donterrio Johnson as Gary Coleman, Thom Van Ermen as Trekkie Monster and Sean Fawcett as Brian.

The design team includes Alan Donahue (Scenic Design), Rachel Boylan (Costume Design), Nick Belley (lighting design). Stage management is by Kristi Martens with Dan Hanson.

The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is an intimate jewel box of a theater in the heart of the Southport Corridor, a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful theater destination, Mercury Theater Chicago takes care of its guests from the moment they arrive with valet service, dining at its adjoining restaurant, Deleece, and post-show libations at Cullen's Bar & Grill. Under the leadership of Executive Director L. Walter Stearns, Mercury Theater Chicago will follow AVENUE Q with the devilishly delightful THE ADDAMS FAMILY- THE MUSICAL and the return engagement of Chicago's beloved holiday musical THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER.

Curtain times for AVENUE Q are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2pm and 6:30pm.Individual tickets range from $20-$59, and are available online at www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com, over the phone at 773.325.1700, or in person at 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago.

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