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| Katie Nuss, Tymika Prince and Jordan Price in Avenue Q. Photo - CenterStage. |
Avenue Q
Music and Lyrics by Robert
Lopez and Jeff Marx
Book by Jeff Whitty
Based on an Original Concept
by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Directed by John R. Leffert
Reviewed by Craig Nolan
Highley
Entire contents are copyright © 2013, Craig
Nolan Highley. All rights reserved.
Avenue Q is
a show near and dear to my heart. I’ve seen it performed dozens of times,
whether it was the original Broadway production, the touring version, or other
productions by Louisville theater groups. And each time I see it I am reminded
that even though the images that stay with you are puppets using profanity,
appearing nude, and having sex on stage, the core of the show is its message about
tolerance and transitioning into adulthood. As funny as it gets, there are
moments of real poignancy and heart that tend to get lost in the spectacle.
CenterStage at the Jewish
Community Center’s current production really seems to get it, and for the most
part, they get it right. From John Leffert’s realistic (if not entirely
functional) set design, to his direction, to Zachary Boone’s fun choreography, and
to mostly strong performances by the cast, the show is pure entertainment from
start to finish.
Basically it’s the what-if
story of what might have become of the beloved characters on Sesame Street once
they’ve grown up. It’s a mix of actors performing with and without puppets in a
series of vignettes teaching lessons you’d never learn from the Children’s
Television Workshop, whether it’s using the internet to watch porn, staying in
denial about your sexuality, or freaking out after a one-night stand.
Our main protagonist is a
fresh-out-of-college puppet named Princeton (Jordan Price), moving into the
apartment complex community of Avenue Q and searching for his purpose. The
superintendent is none other than down-on-his-luck former child star Gary
Coleman (Tymika Prince), who quickly introduces Princeton to the other tenants
of the run-down complex: Ernie and Bert surrogates Nicky (Brian Morris) and Rod
(Price again), roommates in denial of the sexual preferences of one of them;
Kate Monster (Katie Nuss), a cute furry love-interest for Princeton; Brian
(Jason Cooper) and Christmas Eve (Jennifer Poliskie), a wannabe comedian and
his Japanese therapist wife; and Trekkie Monster (Morris again), a shut-in
addicted to internet porn.
Other characters come and
go, and the plot takes a lot of dramatic leaps with the emotional ups and downs
young twenty-somethings must deal with (it owes as much to Rent as it does to the Muppets), and moves along at a brisk pace
that never fails to entertain.
Much kudos go to Brian
Morris, giving easily the best performance in the show as Nicky and Trekkie
Monster. His vocal range for both characters really brings to mind not only the
original Broadway performer of the characters, but the voice of Jim Henson as
well. Tymika Prince also fares very well in emulating the late Gary Coleman,
and has two of the best musical numbers in the show.
Jordan Price is convincingly
sweet as Princeton, but he really excels as the closeted Republican banker
puppet Rod. When he has a complete breakdown late in the show, you just can’t
help but be moved by his character’s arc, puppet or not. Katie Nuss’s character
voice as Kate Monster is a bit hard to take – it is way too high-pitched; she
fares a lot better in her second character Lucy the Slut, Kate’s rival for
Princeton’s affections. Her comic timing and vocals really work to sell that second
character. And finally, Kristy Calman gets some nice moments with some of the
secondary puppet characters; giving the nasty old busybody Mrs. Thistletwat a
lilting brogue was a nice character choice.
I did notice a number of the
show’s bigger moments had been cut from this production, which was odd since
I’ve seen productions with much lower budgets produce the show without cutting
a thing. But over all it was a great show and has a lot to recommend.
Honestly, I can’t imagine
how you could do a bad production of such an iconic and hilarious show. This
one is definitely worth a look!
Starring David Beach, Kristy
Calman, Jason Cooper, Brian Morris, Katie Nuss, Jennifer Poliskie, Jordan
Price, and Tymika Prince.
Avenue Q
April 11 –28, 2013
Center Stage at the
Jewish Community Center
3600 Dutchmans Lane
Louisville, Kentucky 40205
(502) 459-0660
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