Raleigh Little Theatre to present AVENUE Q

By: May. 01, 2017
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For a musical that has been around for almost 15 years, "Avenue Q" has had a remarkable number of different iterations, running off- and on-Broadway, touring to 21 cities and countries around the world and recently showing up in the HBO series "Big Little Lies." Now, in 2017, "Avenue Q" finally gets its first all-local staging in the Triangle. RLT's production is helmed by Jesse R. Gephart.

"I just love this show. I've seen it on Broadway, regionally, and had the great fortune to be in a production a few years ago. It is so smart and so funny that it takes you off guard and keeps you wrapped in. It has so much to say about our world today, despite being over a decade old. Along with the incredible opportunity to have original puppet design and creation, we decided to open up the casting from the traditional doubling, giving us the ability to showcase more of the outstanding talent we have in the Triangle," said Gephart, who played the role of Brian in Theatre Raleigh's 2012 production.

The puppets are the creation of Kevin Roberge, a local designer who has been commissioned for this project by RLT. "A lot of thought has gone into these new puppets. After a year of sketching and sculpting, our goal was to create a beautiful set of characters that not only looked original and artistically cohesive, but also moved in such a way that they could emote, act and tell the story better than other sets I had seen in the past. Kerry Falkanger has taken my designs to the next level with expert fabrication and attention to detail. Each character went through at least three different prototypes, being redesigned each time as we continually asked ourselves how they could be better. Watching them come to life with the amazing talent of this cast has made all the extra work worth it," said Roberge.

The cast will perform at two outdoor events this coming weekend - Out Raleigh! and Art in the Garden. The former performance is at 1:25pm on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, and the later is at 3pm in the Raleigh Rose Garden on RLT's campus.

"Avenue Q" is for mature audiences only. Support for this production is provided by Greene Resources, and the June 8th performance is sponsored by 927 West Morgan Apartments. The production runs June 2 - 18 in the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre. Tickets for all events at RLT can be purchased by calling the box office (919)-821-3111, Monday through Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m., or by visiting the theatre's website at www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

About Raleigh Little Theatre:

Founded in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) is one of the oldest, continuously operating, community theatres in the United States. RLT offers entertainment, education, and community programs year-round, reaching 40,000 people. As a community theatre, RLT engages hundreds of volunteers, under the guidance of professional staff, to achieve its mission and to bring quality live theatre to the Triangle area. Visit www.raleighlittletheatre.org for more information. Raleigh Little Theatre is located at 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, N.C. 27607, adjacent to the Raleigh Rose Garden

Follow Raleigh Little Theatre on Twitter @RLT1936 or twitter.com/RLT1936, on Facebook at facebook.com/RaleighLittleTheatre and on Instagram at instagram.com/raleigh_little_theatre/.

 


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