Sarah Stiles Returns to AVENUE Q, 1/8

Sarah Stiles, who starred as Kate Monster and Lucy in AVENUE Q on Broadway, will re-join the cast of the musical now at New World Stages starting Friday, January 8, 2010.

Ms. Stiles appeared in AVENUE Q on Broadway from November 2007 to November 2008 and returns to the roles of Kate and Lucy at New World Stages, along with fellow cast members representing the musical's Broadway, Las Vegas and National Tour productions: Seth Rettberg, Cullen Titmus, Danielle K. Thomas, Sala Iwamatsu, Nicholas Kohn and Maggie Lakis.

Ms. Stiles was most recently seen last summer in the Off-Broadway musical VANITIES at Second Stage and previously appeared on Broadway in THE 25TH ANNUAL...SPELLING BEE, as well as Off-Broadway in the musical CAPTAIN LOUIE and on tour in Tommy Tune's DR. DOOLITTLE.

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical AVENUE Q began previews at New World Stages on October 9, 2009 and opened October 21, having concluded its award-winning, record-breaking six year run on Broadway on September 13. 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.

AVENUE Q - the hilarious and enormously popular musical about a group of 20-something people and puppets fresh out of college who move to New York City with big dreams and tiny bank accounts - 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. General management is by Ken Davenport, Davenport Theatrical Enterprises.

Winner of three 2004 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score (Messrs. Lopez and Marx) and Best Book of a Musical (Mr. Whitty), AVENUE Q became an overnight sensation in July 2003, having transferred to the John Golden Theatre from a wildly successful, extended and sold-out engagement Off-Broadway at The Vineyard Theatre in Union Square. During its six-plus years on Broadway and now at New World Stages, AVENUE Q has played over 2,600 performances in New York City alone.

Over two million people have seen AVENUE Q through the years, with countless others having enjoyed the musical in London and on the show's U.S. National Tours. The musical has attracted audiences including a former President (Bill Clinton), a U.S. Senator (Hillary Clinton), celebrities including Tom Hanks, Diana Ross, Zac Efron, Kelly Clarkson, Carol Burnett, Charlton Heston, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Hillary Swank, Jennifer Aniston, Sean Penn and Judge Judy, all of whom have enjoyed the wit and wisdom of the musical with such popular songs as "It Sucks to be Me," "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "The Internet is for Porn" and "Schaudenfreude."

Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls AVENUE Q "A breakthrough musical of a very different stripe." In the Washington Post, Peter Marks wrote, "AVENUE Q rekindles your faith in the American musical." And Entertainment Weekly said the musical is "jaw-droppingly hilarious. One of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see."

At the 499-seat theatre at New World Stages, AVENUE Q performs Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm and 8:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm and 7:30pm. Tickets - will range in price from $89.50 to $69.50 and are available by calling Tele Charge 212-239-6200 or www.telecharge.com. A limited number of rush tickets for $26.50 are available at the box office for each performance. For more information, visit the AVENUE Q website at www.avenueq.com.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski