Avenue Q
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A Puppet-Packed Riot: Avenue Q on the West End
The West End has a flair for embracing bold, unconventional musicals, and Avenue Q stands out as a cheeky, irreverent triumph. Premiering at the Noël Coward Theatre on June 28, 2006, following previews from June 1, this Tony-winning import ran for 1,179 performances, closing on March 28, 2009. With music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, a book by Jeff Whitty, and direction by Jason Moore, Avenue Q brought its puppet-led satire of adulthood to London, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and the Theatre Royal Plymouth. Revived in 2014 at the Greenwich Theatre and later touring the UK, it remains a West End darling, proving that “it sucks to be me” can be hilariously universal.
Origins and Creation
Avenue Q sprang from the minds of Lopez and Marx, who met at a BMI musical theater workshop and envisioned a grown-up twist on Sesame Street. Teaming with Whitty, they crafted a show blending puppets and humans to explore post-college angst sex, jobs, and all. After workshops and an Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, it hit Broadway’s John Golden Theatre on July 31, 2003, running 2,534 performances and snagging three Tonys, including Best Musical, beating out Wicked.
The West End transfer, backed by Mackintosh’s clout, retained the Broadway team’s vision puppets by Rick Lyon, choreography by Ken Roberson, and a scrappy Avenue Q set by Anna Louizos. Opening with a mix of British and American performers, it tweaked its humor for London sensibilities, cementing its transatlantic appeal.
The Plot: Life on the Edge
Set on a rundown New York street, Avenue Q follows Princeton, a fresh-faced puppet grad with a useless degree, as he moves into the titular avenue seeking purpose. His neighbors a motley crew of puppets and humans include Kate Monster, a lovelorn kindergarten assistant; Rod, a closeted investment banker; Nicky, his slacker roommate; Trekkie Monster, a porn-obsessed recluse; and Brian, a failed comedian, with his fiancée Christmas Eve, a blunt therapist. Lucy the Slut, a sultry puppet vixen, stirs trouble, while Gary Coleman yes, the former child star runs the building with sardonic glee.
Princeton’s quest for meaning veers into romance with Kate, a one-night stand with Lucy, and a breakup over his aimlessness. Rod’s coming-out arc, Brian’s wedding, and a communal cash drive for Kate’s dream school weave a tapestry of adulting woes racism, heartbreak, and Schadenfreude ending with a bittersweet nod to life’s messiness: “For now, we’re fine.” It’s Sesame Street with a raunchy, real-world twist.
A Musical Mischief
Lopez and Marx’s score is a gleeful mash-up of catchy hooks and biting wit. “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” skewers stereotypes with a grin, “The Internet Is for Porn” roars with Trekkie’s glee, and “It Sucks to Be Me” sets the tone with collective whining. “Purpose” lifts Princeton’s spirits, while “There’s a Fine, Fine Line” breaks hearts as Kate’s ballad. “Schadenfreude” Gary and Nicky’s ode to others’ misery pairs dark humor with a jaunty beat.
The Noël Coward’s six-piece band, under Stephen Oremus’s supervision, kept the sound punchy, with puppeteers doubling as vocalists in a seamless blend. Critics hailed it as “delightfully tuneful” (The Guardian), its irreverence a breath of fresh air in a West End of grander fare.
The West End Run
The 2006 premiere starred Jon Robyns as Princeton/Rod and Julie Atherton as Kate/Lucy, with Giles Terera as Gary Coleman and Ann Harada reprising Christmas Eve from Broadway. Sion Eifion’s Nicky/Trekkie and Simon Lipkin’s Brian rounded out a cast that juggled puppets and pathos with flair. The production’s gritty set brownstones and fire escapes mirrored its raw humor, earning a 2007 Olivier nomination for Best New Musical.
After nearly three years, it moved to the Gielgud Theatre in 2009, then Wyndham’s in 2010, closing October 30 after 1,689 total performances across venues. A 2014 revival at Greenwich Theatre, directed by Cressida Carré, ran 11 performances, followed by a 2015-2016 UK tour and a 2019 Off-West End stint at the King’s Head Theatre. Each iteration kept its puppet-driven spark alive, proving its staying power.
A Global Giggle
Beyond the West End, Avenue Q has thrived Broadway’s decade-long run, a Las Vegas stint, and tours across the U.S., Australia, and Asia. A 2006 cast recording topped UK compilation charts, and its licensing for amateur groups has made it a cult fave. The 2019 King’s Head run, with a “15 years on” tweak, showed its adaptability, while a 2023 UK tour kept the puppets prancing. Its global reach mirrors its universal gripes life’s a mess, but laugh anyway.
Why It Sticks
Avenue Q’s West End success hinges on its audacious blend of cute and crude. The puppets animated by visible performers disarm with their Muppet-like charm, then shock with adult truths, a combo that tickles London’s subversive streak. Its score, packed with earworms and edge, lifts a story that’s relatably raw jobless grads and closet cases resonate across borders. The 2006 run’s marathon length and revivals prove it’s “only for now” a fleeting, joyous jab at growing up.
A Street Worth Visiting
In the West End’s dazzling history, Avenue Q shines as a puppet-powered oddity from its 1,179-performance debut to its fringe encores. Whether it’s Robyns’s Rod or Atherton’s Kate, the show’s mix of heart and hilarity keeps Theatreland chuckling. Its returns like a monster’s growl remind us that “life may suck,” but with a song and a laugh, it’s bearable. In London’s theatrical avenue, Avenue Q remains a de-lovely, de-lightful detour a place where puppets prove anything goes.