Avenue Q, it sounds like any old Avenue that can be found in any state, but this isn’t about an Avenue; this is a Tony Award-winning musical featuring, not only a hilarious cast of actors, but also some pretty amazing puppets.
Avenue Q is an approximately two hour long post-college-graduation satirical Broadway show and starts with a puppet called Princeton. Princeton is a recent graduate who majored in English. He doesn’t know what to do with his “useless” major and needs to find his purpose in life.
This begins a journey to where he’s now on his own and found a terrible, but livable apartment on Avenue Q. Also living on this Avenue is Kate Monster, Gary Coleman, Trekkie Monster and so many more. Throughout the play we see how these characters go through life while getting jobs, falling in love, and trying to find their purpose in life.
When first being invited to see Avenue Q, there wasn’t a high expectation since it wasn’t something I had heard of before. I saw some pictures and watched some clips from previous shows, but I wasn’t as intrigued as I hoped. As the day came closer, again, I didn’t have high hopes, but I was hoping for the best.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. I walked into the theater just as the show was about to start and out comes Princeton singing, “What do you do with a BA in English?” This was the beginning to one of the most relatable, and hilarious Broadway shows that I’ve ever seen.
Being a college student means that I hope that all the late nights, coffee runs, and instances where I begged for free food will result in a half-decent job that will hopefully pay off my credit card bill, and my rent. Throughout the show, there were so many moments where the audience starts screaming, “yes,” and, “exactly,” because the scenes were so relatable.
From Princeton trying to figure out his way after college, to Kate Monster figuring out that she hates her job, the show does a great job of showing how many other college students are struggling through classes and hoping for the best.
Although the show ran close to a college students’ heart, there was so much more to the story. Each song adding another layer of satire and gut-busting laughter, such as “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet is For Porn,” and “You Can Be as Loud as The Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love).” These are just a few of the songs that had the audience laughing and waiting for more.
The show even broke barriers from traditional Broadway shows; they used TV screens to emphasize certain parts of the show, as well as interacting with the audience by asking for a donation to build Kate Monster’s Monster School. Hands down, this show was one of the best that I have ever seen.
For the cherry on top, after the show, college students were invited to the first ever, “University Block Party.” Although I was expecting more than just a photo shoot with the cast and different college mascots, it was a great experience being able to meet other college students and get their perspective on the show as well.
Avenue Q plays at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Ave.
Performances are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm and 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at telecharge.com. Add the discount code AQUBP30 for $30.00 tickets.
