Puppets with Soul: A Review of Avenue Q

By Natali Andrés on August 29, 2016

Everyone, Broadway fan or not, has heard snippets of music from the outrageous Sesame Street parody Avenue Q.  In his directorial debut, JC Carr tackles the relevant issues of race relations and sexuality with humor and humanity. With raunchy performances by Lucy the Slut and an entire song demanded you be ‘as loud as the hell you want’ during sex, this is not a show to take your kids to.

Avenue Q cemented its place in history in 2004, snatching the Tony for Best Musical away from Wicked. The show was written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (who also brought us the music for the Disney movie Frozen [and the Book of Mormon]) as an “autobiographical and biographical” coming of age satire.  The musical follows the tenants of the titular “Avenue Q” as they struggle with all of the issues that come with adulthood.

Director JC Carr tackled this production at Theatre Tallahassee with intuition and skill. Having worked as a music director and assistant director, he isn’t exactly inexperienced, but for his first time taking the reins he started with a mission. He insisted from the moment he took the role that the show would be cast as written, with Christmas Eve being played by an Asian woman and Gary Coleman being played by a black actor.  His insistence paid off with the excellent casting of Katrina Kerr, who was drawn to the production by the insistence of casting an Asian woman for the part, and Kafui Ablordeppy as Gary Coleman. Taking on characterization through intensive table reads brought humanity to characters that so easily could have been caricatures of their stereotypes.

Photos courtesy of Theatre Tallahassee

Derek Quesada and Hannah Talbot make an absolutely adorable pair as Princeton and Kate Monster respectively. Quesada’s Princeton nearly overshadows his puppet with his expressiveness and energy. It was difficult for him not to throw himself completely into the character as he is also a recent graduate with his Bachelor’s in English. Hannah Talbot takes to her bucket list role as Kate Monster with an effervescence and a soul that shines through in all her numbers. Her efforts showed through her coordination with the puppet matching with her singing and choreography.

Photos courtesy of Theatre Tallahassee

As a rather tall man, Kafui Ablordeppy wouldn’t look like someone’s first choice for Gary Coleman. Originally played by a woman, he was definitely an unorthodox choice. In a group of distinctive voices his manages to stand out, singing in the original key. His dry delivery is hilarious as he physically towers over the rest of the cast.

Katrina Kerr plays the arguably most blatantly stereotyped role of Christmas Eve, a Japanese immigrant with two masters degrees and married to the unemployed comedian Brian (played by Brian Davis).  She takes the caricature and makes her a character that anyone could empathize with, especially in her soulful rendition of “The More You Ruv Someone”.

Photos courtesy of Theatre Tallahassee

Nicky and Rod, played by Michael “Doc” Dean and Jabez Co respectively, had some of the best puppetry in the show. The two play off each other well with the simple joy and acceptance of his best friend/roommate of Dean’s Nicky balancing Co’s uptight energy.  Trekkkie monster, played by Theo Blumstein, jumps in occasionally to add some enjoyably vulgar humor to the show with hilarious performances like “The Internet is for Porn”.

Photos courtesy of Theatre Tallahassee

Samantha Rose Algaze, KT Garcia, and Jania Kadar are on stage for a criminally short amount of time. Algaze takes over the stage as Lucy the Slut during “Special” strutting and belting on stage in a way that demands your attention. Garcia and Kadar are credited as the Bad Idea Bears, but function as the ensemble acting as the arms for Nicky and Trekkie Monster as needed. Their hilarity and expressions draw one’s attention even in the moments they are attached to Trekkie Monster.

The tech on this show perfectly supports the actors as they run around on stage. Derek Nieve’s stage design was deceptively simple allowing for actors and puppets to interact seamlessly. Patrick Campbell’s lighting design complemented scenes adding pizazz where needed and smoothing over transitions. The musical wouldn’t have any of its energy without the musical direction of Matt Jarvis.  Once they warmed up, the cast members came together for some absolutely delightful harmonies and memorable solo acts.

The show flows smoothly from scene to scene with an earnest energy. The hilarity and jokes never mask the underlying humanity that is the heart of the show helping us to swallow down some difficult issues with a spoonful of sugar. In a climate of increased racial tensions and changing views on sexuality, this show promotes discourse and introspection

The show runs through September 4th at Theatre Tallahassee Thursday – Saturday at 8pm and Sunday matinee at 2pm.  Buy your tickets here or at the door.

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