Fascinating, infectious ” two words that might describe the West Coast premiere of “Avenue Q,” the Tony-winning Broadway musical that opened July 11 at the Spreckels Theatre under the aegis of the Old Globe and its original Broadway producers.
“Avenue Q” shocked the theater world by garnering 2004 Tony Awards for best musical and best book of a musical in a field that included “Wicked,” “Caroline, or Change,” and “The Boy from Oz.” The same year, Globe artistic director Jack O’Brien copped a statuette for “Henry IV” and Jefferson Mays took home best actor for “I Am My Own Wife,” which was workshopped at La Jolla Playhouse.
Following the zippy little musical’s San Diego close Aug. 5, “Avenue Q” goes on a yearlong tour that continues in San Francisco and Los Angeles and winds up in Toronto a year hence. One can imagine Trekkie freaks following the show around the nation. It’s that tuneful, funny and, well, infectious.
The Trekkie Monster ” winningly portrayed by handsome, rich-voiced Christian Anderson, who also plays Nicky, Bear and others ” is a cross between the Grinch and the Cookie Monster. Trekkie is featured in one of the show’s catchiest songs, “The Internet Is for Porn,” and is a favorite character in the puppet-sprinkled show, which has music and lyrics by co-creators Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. Jason Moore directs a company of ten, seven of whom appeared in the Broadway or Las Vegas productions. All are dynamite singers and entertainers.
The puppets are manipulated so skillfully they become real and when they’re “singing” with their manipulators one very nearly expects to hear two voices. The illusion is so great that the personalities merge, and one is surprised to see the live actor close to tears when the puppet cannot emote facially. This is especially true in the case of the dumped Kate Monster in the song “There’s a Fine, Fine Line.” Kelli Sawyer, the truly fine singer who portrays ” and manipulates ” Kate, puts on another voice and puppet persona for her screamingly funny portrayal of Lucy the Slut, who seduces Kate’s lover, the show’s protagonist, Princeton ( sweet Robert McClure).
Princeton, a recent college graduate, starts looking for an apartment on Avenue A and before he finds one he can afford he’s on Avenue Q, which is just as well, because the apartments (ingenious set by Anna Louizos) superintended by Gary Coleman (Carla Renata) are populated with other young people searching for love and purpose. These include non-puppet people, the wise Christmas Eve (Angela Ai) and her laid-back fiancé, Brian (Cole Porter), along with the closeted gay Republican, Rod (McClure) and his hopeful roommate Nickie (Anderson).
The score is rife with tunes, well sung by all, among them “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “It Sucks to Be Me,” “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love)” and “If You Were Gay.” The show comes with the warning “For mature audiences: contains strong language and full puppet nudity.” In other words, don’t bring the kids unless you are prepared to answer the question, “What were those puppets doing and why did everyone laugh so hard?”
Hilariously, the Kate and Princeton puppets strip down and explore every coital position known to humankind. The sexual language throughout the show is enough to make one’s sainted mother turn over in her grave; but what great fun it all is, a real musical about the angst of finding one’s identity. There’s been nothing so honest and true since we were rocked by “Hair” decades ago, and that seems tame in today’s iPod, iPhone, IM world.
Don’t miss “Avenue Q.” It pushes every button, racist, sexist, ageist plus some you didn’t know you possess. The only complaint: some of the spoken dialogue is lost. The show continues through Aug. 5 at the Spreckels, First and Broadway.
For tickets, visit www.theoldglobe.org or call (619) 23-GLOBE.