What is Avenue Q?

The Auburn Players are presenting Avenue Q July 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st. You may know that Avenue Q won the Tony Triple Crown in 2004 when it won Best Book, Best New Musical, and Best Score. You might have heard it described as a parody of Sesame Street that has puppets but is definitely not endorsed by Jim Henson because of its adult content.

At its heart, Avenue Q tells the story of Princeton, a young college graduate who has to figure out “What Do You Do With a BA in English?” The show addresses issues like falling in love, making mistakes, break-ups, and one night stands.

Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, the writers of Avenue Q both used their lives for inspiration as they developed the show. When the producers told the writing team that they needed a ballad, they came back with “There’s a Fine, Fine Line,” a song Kate Monster sings after Princeton breaks up with her.

According to Lopez, “Fine, Fine Line for me, came out of the fact that I had just broken up with Kristen, who eventually became my wife. We had been going out off and on for about a year… She wanted to get married down the line. I needed time to catch up to where she was.”

Marx says, “We both have different attachments to the love stories and songs. Mine ended with a breakup, his ended with a marriage.”

“The More You Love Someone, was based on problems Jeff was having with an exboyfriend. They took those problems and put them into the mouth of the character that it would most fit, Christmas Eve,” said Lopez.

So you may hear that Avenue Q has a song named “The Internet is for Porn.” You will laugh your butt off at the duo of Trekkie Monster (Seth Kennedy) and Kate Monster (Michelle Lindor) in that song. But also know that you will be delighted by Princeton (Joe Wood) as he sings “Purpose,” a song he sings about finding meaning in life. So use your discretion about whether to bring your teenage children, but know adults will love this fun show that has real heart.

Avenue Q will be presented at the Bisgrove Theatre at Cayuga Community College Thursday the 28th, Friday the 29th, and Saturday the 30th at 8 PM, and Sunday the 31st at 2 PM. Tickets are $16 General Admission and $14 for Students/Seniors. Tickets are available online at ShowTix4u.