Avenue Q - 2009 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 6

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, has announced the extension of its home- grown version of the hilarious Broadway musical Avenue Q through July 27, 2014 due to popular demand. Avenue Q has broken all box office records for Mercury Theater Chicago. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the show as 'delightfully sweet and vulnerable...could not be more fun or charming to watch!' and the Chicago Sun Times Highly Recommends the show saying its 'better than the Broadway original!' Winner of the Tony 'Triple Crown' for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book in 2004, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. The production is led by Jeff Award winners L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Direction), and Kevin Bellie (Choreography) and features custom made puppets by Russ Walko.

It's incredibly rare when I venture out to see a high school production, but Houston ISD's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) definitely piqued my interest when I saw they were producing AVENUE Q. First and foremost, I wanted to see how Jeff Whitty, Jeff Marx, and Robert Lopez's irreverent and controversial musical was adjusted for high school performers. Secondly, the kids at HSPVA are being trained to be professional theater's next generation of quality talent, so having the opportunity to see incredible kids perform is always intriguing as well. Needless to say, HSPVA's production of AVENUE Q is performed well, hysterical, and only mildly toned down from the original.

In 2003, a certain green girl flew on Broadway for the first time. In the same year, a handful of plucky performers with some ostentatiously crass puppets opened a smaller show Off-Broadway. They transferred to Broadway months before the witches of Oz made their big splash and later surprised everyone when they grabbed the coveted Triple Crown at the 2004 Tony Awards. Taking home the Tony for Best Book, Best Score, and Best Musical, AVENUE Q was truly defying gravity. More than 10 years later, the show is still running in New York City at Off-Broadway's New World Stages and in Houston Michael J. Ross's MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals' production is giddily showcasing why the musical has such pronounced staying power.

Rod, the puppet star of the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q -- who made international headlines on July 24, 2011 when he married his puppet boyfriend Ricky on the first day same-sex marriage became legal in the State of New York -- has himself been invited to the same-sex wedding of Mississippi couple Scott Barnes and Gary Holcomb in Washington, DC on Sunday, September 1. Sadly, Rod has sent his regrets to the grooms since Sunday is a two-show day at AVENUE Q and he is obligated to perform in the musical, now in its 10th year in New York. (New World Stages, 340 W. 50 St.)

What happens when a current Netflix phenomenon meets a Tony-winning classic? In the photo below, Avenue Q takes advantage of the 'Orange is the New Black' craze with a hilarious spoof. Check it out below!

The Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, currently playing off-Broadway at New World Stages, celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday, July 31. Prior to curtain, Media and Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver presented a proclamation from the City of New York to the musical's cast, creators and producers declaring July 31 as AVENUE Q DAY. BroadwayWorld was there for the milestone performance and you can check out interviews with the evening's special guests below!

The Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, currently playing off-Broadway at New World Stages, celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday, July 31. Prior to curtain, Media and Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver presented a proclamation from the City of New York to the musical's cast, creators and producers declaring July 31 as AVENUE Q DAY. Plenty of past cast members were there to celebrate, along with the musical's creators- Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty. BroadwayWorld was there for the special occasion and you can check out photos from the star-studded arrivals below!

The Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q, currently playing off-Broadway at New World Stages, celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday, July 31. Prior to curtain, Media and Entertainment Commissioner Katherine Oliver presented a proclamation from the City of New York to the musical's cast, creators and producers declaring July 31 as AVENUE Q DAY. BroadwayWorld was there for the milestone performance and you can check out photos from the special curtain call below!

Today in 2003 Avenue Q opened at the John Golden Theatre, where it ran for 2534 performances. Avenue Q was conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an 'autobiographical and biographical' coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and later won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions. Currently playing at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.), today will be declared AVENUE Q DAY by the City of New York in honor of the show's 10th anniversary.

In today's New York Times 'In Performance' video, Sala Iwamsatsu, who plays Christmas Eve in the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q, offers advice to Kate Monster (Veronica J. Kuehn) in "The More You Ruv Someone."

Featured in this week's event was the cast of Avenue (Darren Bluestone, Veronica Kuehn, Jason Jacoby, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Nicholas Kohn, Sala Iwamatsu, Danielle K. Thomas) performing 'Purpose/It Sucks to Be Me,' 'Everyone's A Little Bit Racist,' and 'For Now.' Check out highlights below!

If ever a show has become part of the 'fabric' of New York and pop culture, it is the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q -- with its colorful cast of humans and puppets. The ground-breaking musical hits a new landmark this summer when it celebrates its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 with a 'Thank Q' to fans for the decade of laughter and love: starting at 10 a.m., the first 100 patrons in line can purchase $10 seats (cash only) to the special 7 p.m. 10th anniversary performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.), where AVENUE Q has performed for the past four years following its triumphant six-year run on Broadway.

AVENUE Q is the Tony Award-winning musical about 20-somethings -- people and puppets alike -- fresh out of college and trying to find their way in the big city, living as neighbors on a rundown street in an outerborough of NYC. The company recently joined in the viral 'Harlem Shake' craze - view the video below!

AVENUE Q has cancelled its 10/30 performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) due to ongoing effects of Hurrican Sandy.

AVENUE Q is the Tony Award-winning musical about 20-somethings -- people and puppets alike -- fresh out of college and trying to find their way in the big city, living as neighbors on a rundown street in an outerborough of NYC. The show has entered its third year at New World Stages - view photos from the celebration below!v

Check out the performaces from the cast of AVENUE Q below, which included 'There's a Fine, Fine Line,' 'If You Were Gay,' and 'You Can Be As Loud As the Hell You Want.'

Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia will star in his first feature film, the upcoming comedy/horror movie Hotel Arthritis, directed by Jason Lockhart. Fellow stage stars Camille Saviola and Bruce Vilanch also appear in the film.

AVENUE Q has partnered with Tasti D-Lite to create the Official AVENUE Q Tasti D-Lite flavor. AVENUE Q actors Nicholas Kohn, Veronica Kuehn and Lucy unveiled "Peanut Butter MonsterMallow", which will be served every Saturday in July at the Times Square Tasti D-Lite location at 1588 Broadway (at 47th Street).

The Tony Award winning musical AVENUE Q -- which played a 6-year run on Broadway before moving to New World Stages over two years ago -- will celebrate its 1000th performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) on Wednesday, March 14.

The Tony Award winning musical AVENUE Q -- which played a 6-year run on Broadway before moving to New World Stages over two years ago -- will celebrate its 1000th performance at New World Stages (340 W. 50 St.) on Wednesday, March 14.

MusicalFare Theatre have anounced an additional week of performances for Avenue Q. The show will now run until March 11.

AVENUE Q is the three-time Tony Award-winning 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.

After a triumphant, six-year run on Broadway, AVENUE Q moved to New World Stages, opening there on October 21 and continuing to play to large houses filled with enthusiastic audiences eight times a week. On the occasion of its second anniversary, AVENUE Q played its 835th performance at New World Stages. In the photo below, Rod celebrates Thanksgiving!