AVENUE Q's Same-sex Puppets Rod and Ricky to Wed

Rod and Ricky, the same-sex puppets from the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q, are engaged to be married and will tie the knot on Sunday, July 24, 2011 -- the first day same-sex couples can be legally married in the State of New York -- it has been announced by the show's producers.

The two grooms expect to join countless other men and women who will line up at City Hall in New York City on July 24 to exchange vows on this landmark day. After saying "I do," the happy couple -- show biz troupers that they are -- will race back to the theater district for the 3 p.m. matinee performance of AVENUE Q at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) in Manhattan.

Having met and fallen in love on stage 3,267 times since AVENUE Q opened on Broadway in 2003 before transferring to New World Stages two years ago, Rod and Ricky and the countless fans who love them are thrilled that they can celebrate their love and finally make their union official with the passage of the historic same-sex marriage law last month.

The couple, who with their fellow cast members perform AVENUE Q eight times a week, has yet to determine when and where they might take a quick honeymoon trip on their one day-off from the show. Nor have they determined yet where they will be registered for wedding gifts.

About their upcoming wedding, Rod says, "To have this finally happen for us -- especially so soon after Will and Kate -- is unbelievable to me. I realize there are a lot of broken hearts out there now that Ricky and I are off the market -- step back, all you chorus boys! -- but I've known since Day One that Ricky is the husband for me. He's the furry fellow I want to spend my life with both on and off the stage."

Now in its 9th year in New York -- and with productions in countries around the world -- AVENUE Q is a three-time Tony Award-winning musical about people and puppets fresh out of college in search of their purposes in life, living as neighbors in an outer-borough of New York City.

In AVENUE Q, Rod, a Wall Street banker, and Ricky, a "Chelsea boy," meet through an online personal ad placed by Rod's best friend and slacker roommate Nicky. It is love at first sight. And the rest is soon to become history!!

As a puppet made out of sky-blue fabric (Ricky is green), Rod's nuptials will give new meaning to the wedding adage, "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

AVENUE Q has music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, and is directed by Jason Moore. Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with puppets conceived and designed by Rick Lyon. The musical won Tony Awards in 2004 as Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score of a Musical.

AVENUE Q is produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.

For performance and ticket information about AVENUE Q, visit www.avenueq.com