AVENUE Q Partners with Pride to Benefit Point Foundation

The Tony Award winning and coming of age musical comedy, Avenue Q, will celebrate NYC PRIDE WEEKEND by donating $25 for every ticket purchased to Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students of merit.

AVENUE Q is known for its diverse cast of both people and puppets alike and is proud to support the mission and programs of POINT FOUNDATION. - USING PROMO CODE: AQPOINT617 at the New World Stages Box Office or at Telecharge.com, patrons will be welcome and encouraged to celebrate their pride with Avenue Q and support a cause close to the hearts of all those in the LGBTQ Q-mmunity!

POINT FOUNDATION's work is vital; one third of LGBTQ students drop out of high school to escape violence, harassment, and isolation - a dropout rate nearly three times the national average. As a result, many LGBTQ students say they are not planning to apply to college. Point empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential, so they can attain their higher education degrees and make a significant impact on society.

Avenue Q's Kate Monster says, "I always tell my students, 'If you want to have control of your life, you're going to need an education to get started. Staying in school instills you with knowledge, confidence, security and a sense of belonging.' Take it from someone who grew up being mocked for being a furry "Monster" -- hang in and you can be like me and have a great, rewarding career: in education, as the star of a Broadway musical, or whatever it is that you want to be. Don't give up, because you owe it to yourself to be a more informed person who can make good things happen for yourself and for others."

AVENUE Q is the Tony Award winning musical comedy featuring a diverse cast of people and puppets, now in its 13th year on stage in NYC and around the globe! Avenue Q performs at New World Stages in New York.

PRIDE WEEKEND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Friday - June 23rd at 8:00 pm

Saturday - June 24th at 2:30 & 8:00 pm

Sunday - June 25th at 3:00 & 7:30 pm

**PROMO CODE: AQPOINT617 to benefit POINT FOUNDATION!**

Over the course of its 13 years the Avenue Q cast and puppets have been featured three times on GOOD MORNING AMERICA (including a mock Presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry puppets live on-air), LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY (including the debut of Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Michael Gelman puppets), LATE NIGHT with Jimmy Fallon, THE VIEW, JEOPARDY!, HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, $10,000 PYRAMID, ABC 20/20, numerous appearances on the TONY AWARDS telecast as performers and presenters, QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY, MTV, VH1, in promotional "Get Caught Reading" campaigns, FOX BUSINESS NEWS, on CBS SUNDAY MORNING, NEW YORK 1 NEWS, promotional spots for WCBS-TV 2, as color commentators for CBS-TV's national coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, CNN, etc.

Celebrity visitors to Avenue Q have included President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Judi Dench, Michael Moore, Hilary Swank, Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Billy Crystal, Carol Burnett, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, David Bowie, Ben Folds, Clive Davis, Frank Oz, Joan Rivers, Glenn Close, Gloria Steinem, George Lucas, Hal Prince, Mike Nichols, Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Howard Stern, Hugh Jackman, Stephen Sondheim, Jessica Alba, Jake Gyllenhaal, Janet Jackson, Jimmy Fallon, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Macauley Culkin, Lauren Bacall, Matt Stone,Trey Parker, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Robert Zemeckis, Bruce Vilanch, Sean Penn, Elijah Wood,Bobby McFerrin, Martin Lawrence, Megan Mullaly, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, David Hyde Pierce, Nathan Lane, Rosie O'Donnell, David Schwimmer, Angela Bassett, Jeff Daniels, Zac Efron, Christian Slater, Kathleen Turner and Uma Thurman.

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, Avenue Q has musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by ACME Sound Partners. Musical director is Rick Bertone. Animation design is by Robert Lopez, incidental music is by Gary Adler, casting is by Cindy Tolan. Christine M. Daly is Production Stage Manager.

The current cast of Avenue Q includes Ben Durocher, Dana Steingold, GRACE CHOI, Jason Jacoby, Nicholas Kohn, Danielle K. Thomas, Kerri Brackin, Jed Resnick, Katie Boren, Michael Liscio, Jr. and Imari Hardon.

AVENUE Q became an overnight sensation on Broadway in July 2003 following a sold-out engagement -- extended four times -- presented Off-Broadway by Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.

AVENUE Q is produced at New World Stages, as it was on Broadway, by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, The Vineyard Theatre and The New Group.