The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre is currently playing the first community theatre in the country to produce AVENUE Q.
(Taken from their website)
"Believe it or not, the first Tony Award-winning Broadway show ever to boast “full puppet nudity” is coming to Kalamazoo. We have been chosen as the first community theatre in the country to pilot this exciting new work. So, brace yourself! It’s a little bit naughty and a whole lot of fun, kind of like Sesame Street meets South Park. Life may suck on Avenue Q, but for a bright-eyed college graduate named Princeton, this is his new neighborhood. A tiny bank balance and a bunch of weird and wonderful friends and neighbors lead Princeton on a hilarious journey of self-discovery. They may look familiar but these puppets and their human counterparts have an irreverent take on life in the big city. If you’re looking for a refreshing dose of political incorrectness, you’ll want to be first in the queue for Avenue Q. (Adult Themes, Situations, and Language)"
I'll be seeing the production soon, and I promise to review it.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
Very, very interesting. I'm wondering about the puppets, whether they're rented out or built by each theatre who will be doing the show. In either case, they're very similar and well-made, it seems (albeit a tad off).
I am wondering if Lyon's puppet company will make a set for each production to rent.
They do come off as a tad off from the original ones.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
They seem to be Home-made...which must be very difficult to do...
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Question, how long of a drive is it from Chicago to Kalamazoo? I might drive out there to see it.
He's a faker, and you've been taken in by his con. And in doing so, you are enabling him. He is doing more damage to aspergers than papa's words ever could. -Chane/Liverpool on me having asperger syndrome.
Oh, and I know when it opened on Broadway-- I saw it two months later.
I was mainly just surprised because they launched the much-delayed tour only about 6 months ago. Still-on-Broadway + new tour (usually) = no community productions, no?
WoW. Those puppets look very similar. Although I haven't seen it for a while on Broadway, I believe Lucy's lips are much larger in this production. And Trekkie's teeth are quite different. And some of the puppets are wearing different outfits....like Nicky and Rod's pajamas.
Ok, I am looking into this way too much.
Looks pretty good though
"How bout a little black dress?"~hannahshule
"I have a penis, not a vagina." ~munkustrap178
The Avenue Q national tour was delayed because of the Las Vegas production. The producers of the Vegas show were promised no national tour would go out as long as it ran in Vegas. Well, now that's closed in Vegas, a tour an finally go out.
Rights for amateur productions of not only this, but Spelling Bee, and Rent (even though that's old news already) too, are out. Stagedoor Manor summer camp did the MTI workshops for student versions of Avenue Q and Rent last summer, and this summer Frenchwoods (where I go) is doing the MTI workshop for Spelling Bee, and we're doing a production of the version of Avenue Q SDM workshopped last year. I'm pretty excited =D
Spellingbeefan- It normally takes 2 1/2-3 hours to drive to Kzoo depending on where you are. (Both Kalamazoo and Chicago are along I-94)
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
Those can't possibly be the rented puppets. Aside from Nicky, each one is very off-model, like a bad Disney movie imitation (hint: look in the 5-dollar bin at Wal-Mart)...Lyon would definitely do a couple sets to rent, especially now that he doesn't have the show on his hands...
Mr. Lyon's owns his own company that builds these puppets for (as of now) all of the current productions of Ave.Q.
The set looks cute!
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
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-whatever2