BWW Reviews: Street Theater Company's AVENUE Q is 'Outrageously Fun and Engaging'

Outrageously funny, wonderfully engaging and, at times, even heartfelt and sentimental, Avenue Q serves up a full buffet for the discerning theater-goer lucky enough to find himself in the audience of Street Theatre Company's production of the multiple Tony Award-winning musical, directed with flash and sass by Martha Wilkinson and featuring a cast of amazingly adept actors-turned-puppeteers who bring the show to life.

Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez (who scored another Broadway triumph with The Book of Mormon with Trey Parker and Matt Stone) and Jeff Marx, who also provide the music and lyrics with a book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q-at first blush-comes across as a contemporary updating of Sesame Street for members of Generation XY, but it's so much more than that and its impact so much further-reaching than you would ever suspect.

As the show unfolds onstage, we are introduced to a bevy of appealing characters that range from recent college grad Princeton (who ponders the question that has flummoxed liberal arts graduates for decades:  "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?") to the lovelorn Kate Monster (who longs to open a school for "little monsters," sings about the "Fine, Fine Line" between love and regret and who is brought so vividly and genuinely to life by the transcendent Jennifer Richmond), from the uptight and closeted Republican Wall Street banker Rod (who lives in the apartment building right smack in the middle of Avenue Q with his bff Nicky-an obvious riff on Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie), to Trekkie Monster (an homage to Cookie Monster, although this character's raison d'etre is cookies of another sort: porn replaces teacakes as his indulgence of choice), accompanied by a whole cavalcade of deliriously off-kilter folk who people-and puppet-the low-rent district that is known as Avenue Q.

As much as Avenue Q can trace its lineage to Sesame Street-the show is aimed squarely at the generations who have grown up on the teachings of Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, et al.-you'll also notice some affectionate nods toward the hijinks from countless seasons of The Real World (particularly the overly earnest original first few casts) and any number of other reality TV shows. Sure, more than half of the characters featured in the musical are fashioned from man-made fibers, but they have more heart than a good many mouth-breathers you might encounter elsewhere along your journey through life. Oh, yeah: It's new and improved with more Gary Coleman (the ever delightful Fiona Soul) in every box!

Therein, you see, lies the very success of Avenue Q: All of the characters are real and genuine, and while their problems and situations are heightened by the fictional trappings of musical theatre, they are eminently accessible and they are winningly portrayed by an amazing group of actors assembled by the director. Wilkinson uses her immense knowledge of what works onstage-and just as impressively, what doesn't-to shepherd her cast of seven actors and their co-stars (repurposed, we are told, from church puppets that must have been too long in the tooth to keep doing baby Jesus' bidding) through the inspired antics conceived by Lopez, Marx and company.

When Princeton arrives on Avenue Q in search of an apartment and a "purpose," he finds a place to live in short order as the aforementionEd Coleman, who is supervisor of the building, shows him the perfect place to start his life. However, Princeton (played with such charm and heart by Tyson Laemmel) finds the other half of his lifesearch is far trickier; figuring out why you're alive won't come easy for our "well hung, baby-faced" protagonist (thanks to Lucy T. Slut, the sexpot interloper, for that particular information).

And for the next two hours or so-but who's really counting?-you'll be having so much fun that the show moves along at a really fast clip. You'll alternately be guffawing so loudly or saying "ohh" and "aww" so often-or pondering your own penchant for internet porn-that you won't notice the time at all. Credit for that goes to the material provided by the show's original creators who drew upon their own life experiences (Marx worked on Sesame Street and several of the original cast members had done time on the Street), but in this production it's obvious that the massive amounts of charm and affability exuded by Wilkinson's razor-sharp cast members is what propels the action, ensuring that the wacky misfits found on Avenue Q take up permanent residence in your heart.

Laemmel is ideally cast as Princeton-and as Rod-showing off his versatility while delivering his songs with confidence and more than a little pizzazz. He's very nicely paired with Richmond's Kate Monster to create an honest-to-goodness romantic couple that you'll find yourself rooting for, even in spite of the fact that they are essentially pretend people with hands up their butts. Both Laemmel and Richmond (she's also the tarty Lucy T. Slut) approach their roles with respect and honesty, which enable them to deliver such spectacular performances.

Case in point: their completely over-the-top, sticky and sweaty no-holds-barred lovemaking (who knew characters without genitalia could be so shockingly uninhibited)-which inspires Gary Coleman to sing "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)"-is actually kinda hot in a way that pushes Trekkie Monster over the brink, if you know what I mean…

Laemmel, particularly, has been given the chance to show off his range in a wide variety of roles this season, cementing his place on Nashville stages, while the talents of the luminescent Richmond clearly have no bounds. She can, quite honestly and without exaggeration, do anything leading me to realize I'm running out of adjectives for her stunning (there, I said it) artistry.

Richmond and Laemmel, however, are but the tip of the thespianic iceberg that is Avenue Q: they are surrounded by a top-flight band of compatriots as they interpret this rather childlike, but definitely grown-up, parable for the audiences who will flock to Street Theatre Company for the remaining performances. Perhaps most noteworthy among the cast is Daniel Bissell (as Nicky/Trekkie/Bad Idea Bear), who displays an astounding range. He possesses the vocal dexterity that's absolutely necessary to bring different characters to life, but it is his tremendous reserve of sheer acting ability that delivers the goods. He's pretty motherf***ing impressive; henceforth, I will refer to him as Daniel "Motherf***ing" Bissell.

Evelyn O'Neal Brush is off-the-charts as the other Bad Idea Bear (gleefully urging Princeton to hang himself or plying Kate Monster with countless Long Island Iced Teas to make sure she takes a ride on Princeton's humongous schlong) and she's hilarious as Kate's boss, the unfortunately named Mrs. Thistletwat.

As two of the musical's human characters, Hugh Britt and Sayaka Mizusawa (wonderfully cast as would-be stand-up comic Brian and his oriental-oops, sorry! Asian-American-bride Christmas Eve) deftly deliver on-target performances, while Soul creates her own, indelible portrayal of former child star Gary Coleman. When Soul strikes a pose and smiles broadly, you'll swear Mr. Drummond, Kimberly and Willis are lurking somewhere in the darkest corners of the theater, if not your mind.

The show's production values are just as notable as the performances of the cast and the direction of the skilled Ms. Wilkinson. Music director Rollie Mains and his band of players give the bouncy, hummable score its due, while Natalie Bowsher's sprightly and spot-on choreography, Andy Bleiler's imaginative set design, Steven Steele's exemplary lighting design and Lynda Cameron Bayer's remarkable costume design provide a sumptuous feel to the show's overall effect. Mary Tanner Bailey and Brian Hull lend their expertise to the creation of the puppets in the show, given able support by Bayer, Sarah Levis, Helen Ralston and Cathy Street, in providing the technical elements so essential to the show's success.

- Avenue Q. Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Book by Jeff Whitty. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Directed by Martha Wilkinson. Musical direction by Rollie Mains. Presented by Street Theatre Company, 1933 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville. Through April 15. For details, go to www.streettheatrecompany.org or call (615) 554-7414.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.