The irreverent musical Avenue Q drew inspiration from the children’s tv show Sesame Street, and then gave it some adult twists. The show’s cast either play human residents, or animate puppets who are their (human or monster) neighbours.
Whilst the (mostly) young-adult characters can feel blue about living so far from downtown, this AG Theatre production holds other emotions for us, making it well worth a trip to the neighbourhood.
The show’s book is by Jeff Whitty, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Premiering off-Broadway in 2003, the musical quickly gained a mainstream following, winning the “Triple Crown” at the 2004 Tony Awards of Best Musical, Book, and Score.
Even though the storylines are not for children, our characters aren’t so interested in some adult ways, like cynicism. Instead (and despite songs like The Internet is for Porn) this avenue often has the kind of earnestness and sweetness we may remember from visits with Big Bird, Telly Monster, and friends.
We meet the residents through the arrival of recent graduate Princeton (Harley Dasey, suitably anxious or overconfident as needed), who’s starting to feel dubious about the value of his four-year English degree. Neighbour Kate Monster (Zoe Crisp, balancing a practical edge with cautious hope) works as an assistant kindergarten educator, but wants to do more for Monster children.
Stages in the relationship between Kate and Princeton shine a bright (but not harsh) light on aspects of young adulthood. There’s ambition and ego in Princeton’s Purpose, and guarded excitement about new romantic possibilities in Kate’s Mixtape.
We also see what happens when a lack of maturity leads you to do dumb shit against your own best interests, such as when rudderless Princeton encounters chanteuse Lucy The Slut (a confidently prowling Cassie Ogle).
Characters with a few extra years of life experience have their own issues to work through. Japanese migrant Christmas Eve (a patient and supportive Chiew-Jin Khut) is partnered with an under-employed wannabe comedian, Brian (made a laddish everyman by Matthew Tomlin), and is a qualified counsellor with no clients.
This is all useful background for helping Kate see how good relationships can come with annoyances, through the taboo-busting song The More You Ruv Someone.
But honesty in relationships can be difficult. Nicky (often-direct Andrew McDougall, also puppet designer and creator) seems to sponge off his highly strung roommate Rod (Johnathon Shilling, of a suitably pinched delivery). His suggestion that Rod is in the closet leads to being made homeless by his old friend, who overcompensates wildly in trying to self-straightwash (My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada).
As a former child star though Diff’rent Strokes in the 1980s, superintendent Gary Coleman (Stephanie Lacerna) can take a philosophical view of these foibles. He well knows that life doesn’t always lead where you planned.
We could quibble that the male characters (Princeton, Brian) are pretty clueless and immature, whilst the female characters (Kate, Christmas Eve) are far more emotionally intelligent. But then again, there can be some truth in stereotypes, as we learned in another cheeky song: Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.
The production elements work well to support the action. Abbey Stanway’s stage design is uncomplicated and effective, with doors quickly opening and closing to reveal apartments. This assists Pip Mushin’s direction, which ensures the scenes flow easily, keeping our focus on the performances. Jet Archer’s graphic design has elements that recall teaching moments from Sesame Street, often given a more adult slant.
The orchestra, led by musical director Alexandra Byrne, showed themselves to be a polished outfit, capably handling the moods of songs that ranged from jaunty to introspective. Deft control of volume showed their understanding of the emotional beats of the tunes. Crystal-clear sound (notable as it is not as common as we might like) meant that we could understand every word sung and spoken on the stage.
Whilst you’ll get earworms and amusing moments from Avenue Q, there’s also a bit more here. Quite possibly the song For Now is the catchiest bit of Buddhist philosophy we’ve ever heard on the impermanence (for ill, or good) of our lives. It was all performed a bit too vigorously though. Some of us had to dab at our eyes as we exited the theatre, doubtless due to too much monster fur being shaken lose. Stupid bloody puppets!
Avenue Q
The National Theatre, 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda
Performance: Saturday 22 February 2025
Season continues to 16 March 2025
Bookings: www.nationaltheatre.org.au
For more information, visit: www.agtheatre.com.au for details.
Image: The Cast of Avenue Q – photo by Nicole Cleary
Review: Jason Whyte