Review: AVENUE Q at The Wisteria Theater

Warning: There will be live puppet sex in this production of Avenue Q. 

Well, in every production of Avenue Q. 

In case you haven’t seen it, I thought I’d cut to the chase—because it’s this “What the hell am I watching?” moment that embodies everything that makes Avenue Q the bizarre success story that it was when it debuted Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003 before transferring to Broadway shortly thereafter.

Avenue Q may have opened when we were all using dial-up to get onto the World Wide Web, but somehow the show feels as relevant today as it did when the team of puppets and their visible handlers first stepped onto the stage.

And at the Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood, where the show runs through February 7, the result is an undeniable must-see. 

Avenue Q is one of those shows that you’ll love as long as you’re in on the premise, which is using a child’s medium to tell a grown-up story.  The gimmick, if you can call it that, is the juxtaposition of Sesame Street-esque puppets and sunny melodies with decidedly R-rated subject matter. Seeing actors sing about sex, racism, and porn is nothing new in avant-garde musical theater—but watching cute, furry puppets do it? Hey, that’s funny.  

The story follows freshly minted college graduate “Princeton” (played by the charmingly expressive Connor Bullock) as he moves into a shabby New York City neighborhood. Princeton is intent on finding his “purpose” but is instead inundated with the bubble-bursting realities of being a grown-up: unpaid bills, breakups, one-night stands, and (most importantly) the sinking realization that adulthood may not look like what you imagined when you tossed that graduation cap into the air.

Along the way, he meets a memorable cast of Avenue Q residents—human and puppet—including the bubbly and kindhearted Kate Monster (an adorable Lexi Collins, perfectly cast with a sweet, sing-songy voice); Burt-and-Ernie–inspired roommates Nicky and Rod (a delightfully goofy Cameron James Parker and Bullock, who both double roles with impressive dexterity); aspiring comedian Brian and his Japanese immigrant girlfriend, Christmas Eve (Drew Maidment’s spot-on everyman energy paired with Marcha Kia’s feistiness and powerhouse vocals is outstanding); and the neighborhood’s perpetually bitter superintendent, a washed-up Gary Coleman (Amber France, nailing the show’s sharpest comedic timing).

Taylor Renee Castle also impressively juggles multiple roles, co-puppeteering Nicky while also playing Mrs. Thistletwat—the croaking kindergarten teacher who casually belittles Kate Monster—and one of two “Bad Idea Bears” who gleefully push Princeton toward binge drinking, ill-advised sex, and, at one point, suicide (the latter which should be offensive but somehow lands as uproariously funny, especially when Castle and Parker tiptoe offstage in eerie synchronicity, their melodic, creepily high voices undercutting the moroseness).

The show tackles topics like racism, sexuality, ambition, and disappointment with a deliberately childlike, Sesame Street–style framework, using satire, profanity, and unexpected warmth to expose the gap between what young adults expect life to be and what it actually delivers.

Speaking of aging, Avenue Q's content holds up, even two decades after its creation. Perhaps this is because becoming an adult is actually still the bummer that it was in 2003. I see you, Princeton. 

And while the internet may not be as much “for porn” as it was in the days of Nokia phones and AOL chat rooms, Avenue Q’s cheery songs are still head-noddingly relatable.

What makes Avenue Q work—both in its original run and in Wisteria’s brilliant revival—is that it doesn’t rely solely on the novelty of crude humor delivered by wholesome puppets. Beneath the shock value is a thoughtful, surprisingly tender story that sneaks moments of genuine sincerity into the silliness.

The show also intentionally puts a spotlight on various ethnic and racial stereotypes, but its purpose is to expose and ridicule those assumptions—not endorse them. As Avenue Q’s Kate and Princeton remind us, “Everyone’s a little bit racist sometimes / Doesn’t mean we go around committing hate crimes.” You’ll laugh. Look around. Then see that everyone else is laughing, too. It’s OK. 

The score, written by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (who, fittingly, went on to write the equally boundary-pushing Book of Mormon), is punchy and memorable, and the narrative comes full circle in a way that makes it easy to empathize with the characters as their earnest antics unfold.

Of course, a puppet is only as good as its puppeteer, so while the Wisteria’s puppet master Tanya Cyr (a creative whiz who also heads the amazing creature design at Glendale’s Nocturne Theater productions) has made the perfect Muppetlike creations—including a foursome of adorable brown boxes that sing the backup vocals in Princeton’s infectious “Purpose” number—it’s the actors controlling the action who ultimately make the show great. 

This production marks a return engagement for Wisteria, a new-ish theater that opened nearly a year ago with Avenue Q as its inaugural show. It was a successful debut followed by a string of well-reviewed musicals, including Xanadu, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cinderella, and Into the Woods.

Most of the cast and creative team returned for this year’s show, including director/screen designer Brayden Hade, choreographer Anasha Milton, music director Nolan Monsibay, lighting and sound designer Josh Collins, puppet Costume Designer Tanya Cyr, human costume designers Lexi Collins and Renee Wylder, and scenic designer Syndi Sawyer.

Unquestionably, the whole team knocks it out of the park. The blend of talent, nimble puppetry (especially considering they aren’t seasoned puppeteers), and flawless choreography elevates what could have been a mere gimmick into a surprisingly sentimental treat.

Wisteria is somewhat controversial for using 4K-projected backgrounds to create its colorful backdrops, often blending AI-generated elements with original video. While AI skeptics may not embrace this approach (at least not for every production), it works especially well for Avenue Q, a show meant to feel cartoonish anyway. For instance, the well-timed projection of “words of the day” like PURPOSE and COMMITMENT lands perfectly behind the characters, enhancing both the humor and the heart while leaning into the show’s kiddie TV show sensibility.

When it opened last year—and this year is no different—Avenue Q at the Wisteria earned rave reviews due to a combination of factors, most notably its talented cast, who achieve as close to a Broadway-caliber production as you can get inside a small venue tucked into an office strip mall.

And while The Wisteria may lack the walkable, downtown-adjacent curb appeal of some more centrally located theaters, its charming interior and deceptively spacious 99-seat house (where there’s not a bad seat in the room) make it one of my favorite places in NoHo to catch a show. The vast expanse of free parking doesn’t hurt, either.

All in all, this faithful adaptation of Broadway's notorious puppet musical is 100 percent a must-see for anyone who’s ever been a young adult facing the big, wide world. You may walk out of it wishing you, too, “could go back to college,” like the muppet-folk in the show, but it’s a worthy diversion.

Avenue Q plays at the Wisteria Theater through February 7. Tickets start at $58 and are available at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/wisteriatheater/1998103.