By Patricia Morris Buckley
SDUN Theatre Critic
A week later, he auditioned for the national tour of the Tony Award-winning show “Avenue Q” and landed the part of Brian, one of the two non-puppeteering roles. How’s that for kismet?
“I was so excited,” said Kornblum, who had acted in high school and college, but never professionally. “It’s what I really wanted to do. It’s really been my passion.”
“Avenue Q” is not your typical Broadway musical. Yes, boy meets girl, loses girl…you know the rest. However, in this case, the girl is a monster puppet, one of several puppets in the cast. The result is very much like TV’s “Sesame Street” but with a decidedly adult sensibility.
“It’s ‘Sesame Street’ 10 years later,” explained Kornblum from Philadelphia, where the show was playing. “People connect with the show at first because it’s essentially a kid show and they feel nostalgia – then they recognize their own life.”
“Avenue Q” tells the story of Princeton, a recent college graduate with a degree in English who is cut from his new job before he even shows up. Broke, the only place he can afford in New York City is on Avenue Q (the city has an alphabet neighborhood, with the better homes closest to the beginning of the letters). Life isn’t how he thought it would be.
There he meets an odd assortment of losers, from the charming Kate Monster, an aspiring preschool teacher, to child star Gary Coleman, the building superintendent. The only two real humans are failed comedian Brian and his wife, psychologist Christmas Eve.
Some adjustments had to be made in the show due to Coleman’s unexpected death.
“That was rough in the beginning,” Kornblum admitted. “Now things are more back to normal. The book writer took out any dire references to Gary Coleman, any questionable jokes that were overstepping the bounds.”
Kornblum first saw the show on Broadway and fell in love with it.
“It’s just so funny,” he said. “It’s such an original show that’s well written. I love the comedy. The rhythm is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It clicked with me right away.”
Brian is often the one in the show that tells the characters how life really is in a way that “Sesame Street” never does. He’s the one to admit that his life is terrible in the song “It Sucks to Be Me” and even points out that “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”
“His life is awful,” said Kornblum. “He’s just the kind of person who wants to make people laugh. That’s like me. I like making many people laugh. I’m almost shameless about it. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
One scene that either shocks people or makes them laugh is the sex scene between two puppets. Even though there are warning signs in the lobby and the puppets don’t actually have lower bodies, there are always shocked audience members, he said.
“It’s a taboo subject,” he said. “And that’s why the show works, because it’s all about taboo subjects. People either laugh at the scene or are squeamish. It works in some cities and not in others.”
Working with the puppeteers is a different style of acting, he added.
“I went into the show knowing that you don’t make eye contact with the puppeteers,” he said, who admits he had no prior knowledge of what puppeteers do. “They’re so close to the human players, that’s it’s not hard to shift your focus. After a while, you forget that the puppeteers are there.”
The result is a hilarious show that approaches the subject of life’s expectations and realities in a way that entertains, shocks and tells the truth like never before. It’s no wonder that it won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
“There are so many wonderful parts of the show, from the song to the dialogue,” he said. “I’m having a great time doing it.”
“Avenue Q”
July 6-11
San Diego Civic Theatre
3rd and B Street
Downtown
Tickets: $18-$76
570-2787
BroadwaySD.com
