Willows Theatre's Production of AVENUE Q Opens Today, 6/21

The Willows Theatre Company is proud to present the wild and wildly popular Tony-winning musical, Avenue Q. The "adult Sesame Street" romp features both puppets and live actors and is known for its high-energy, naughty fun. Avenue Q will be staged June 21 through August 1 at the Campbell Theatre, 626 Ward Street in Martinez as part of The Willows' "NextFest" series and a season "extra."

Avenue Q is directed by Jon Marshall, with musical direction by Tim Hanson and choreography by Ricardo Rust. The puppets were built by Jon Marshall.

Featured songs include "The Internet is for Porn", "If You Were Gay", and "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today".

The Willows is honored to be the first theatre in the country to produce a National Regional Permiere of Avenue Q. Earlier Bay Area productions of the show were staged by national touring companies. Anticipating a huge response, The Willows started a waiting list for tickets in January. Tickets were are now available to the general public at www.willowstheatre.org.

Background and History of Avenue Q

Avenue Q is a musical conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book is by Jeff Whitty and is largely inspired by Sesame Street. Most of the characters in the show are puppets, operated by actors onstage. Both the live characters and puppet characters sing. Avenue Q is set in several tenements on a rundown street in New York City.

The show was initially developed at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the EuGene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It was then produced by and opened at the Off-Broadway Vineyard Theatre in March 2003. The production transferred to Broadway in July 2003 and won several Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. The show spawned a 2005 Las Vegas production, a 2006 West End production and various international productions.

Several characters are recognizably parodies of classic Sesame Street characters: the roommates Rod and Nicky are based on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster is based on Cookie Monster. However, the characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems instead of those faced by children of varying ages, thus making the show more suited for the adults who grew up with Sesame Street.

Four of the original cast members had worked on on Sesame Street before. Part of the humor of the show comes from its contrast to Sesame Street: the characters use profanity in their dialogue (both spoken and sung), and the songs concern adult themes such as sex and homosexuality. A recurring theme is the central character's search for a "purpose". Since the original cast recording was released, the song "The Internet Is for Porn" has become particularly popular on websites such as YouTube. According to the official site, the musical is appropriate for both adults and mature teenagers.

After a run lasting more than six years and 2,534 performances, the Broadway production of Avenue Q closed on September 13, 2009. The production ranked as the 21st longest running show in Broadway history at the time of its closing. Source: Wikipedia.

Ticket and Schedule Information for The Willows at the Campbell Theatre

Tickets are $30 with discounts for Willows season subscribers. Student rush tickets are available at the door with valid ID. To purchase tickets call (925) 798-1300 or visit the Willows Theatre web site at www.willowstheatre.org. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., with matinees Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

The Campbell Theatre is located at 636 Ward Street in downtown Martinez, one block east of Main Street at the corner of Estudillo Street.

The Willows Theatre Company Daytime Box Office is located at 115 Tarantino Drive in Martinez, in the Kenney/CONCO Building. Hours are Monday - Friday, Noon - 5:00 pm. The theatre will-call window, located in the theatre lobby, opens one hour prior to each performance. For more information call (925) 798-1300 or visit our web site at www.willowstheatre.org.

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