Theatre review: Human and puppet neighbours of Avenue Q take wittily raunchy view of life
With hummable songs and intricate choreography, Metro Theatre opens its season with a Sesame Street parody that delights in poking fun at the absurdity of it all
Richard Lloyd White and Leah Dubbin-Steckel in Avenue Q. Photo by Moonrider Productions
Avenue Q runs at Metro Theatre to October 10
METRO THEATRE IS starting its season with a cheeky crowd-pleaser: the hilarious Tony Award–winning musical Avenue Q.
Under the direction of Chris King, this decidedly adult parody of Sesame Street brings together an eclectic assortment of human and puppet characters to tackle some distinctly grown-up topics. Despite the considerable demands of intricate puppetry, performers navigating multiple roles, and nuanced comic timing, King pulls everything together in a polished production that delivers plenty of risqué laughs alongside some genuinely tender moments.
While Sesame Street frames life’s lessons with warmth and optimism for its young audience, Avenue Q offers an unapologetically adult take on many of the same topics, poking fun at the absurdity of it all. Take, for example, the struggle to find affordable housing. We see this play out early on when we meet Princeton, a puppet brought to life by Richard Lloyd White. A recent college graduate now contending with the world on his own, Princeton is searching for an apartment.
Having begun his search on Avenue A but finding himself unable to afford anything there, he has made his way down to Avenue Q, which, he observes, “looks a lot cheaper.” Just as on Sesame Street, we’re in a world where humans and puppets happily coexist. We soon meet the eccentric residents who make up the neighbourhood, including Gary Coleman—yes, the actor—who is the superintendent of Princeton’s new apartment building.
Another of Princeton’s new neighbours is Kate Monster (performed by Leah Dubbin-Steckel), a kindergarten teaching assistant who yearns for a romantic relationship. Like Princeton, Kate is a puppet, but she is also a “monster”—another feature of this world, where some furry residents are known by this term.
Although the playful but pointed ensemble number “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” pokes fun at unconscious biases, it’s apparently perfectly normal for humans and monsters to date (at least when they’re all puppets). A romance subsequently develops between Princeton and Kate as he searches for his “Purpose” and learns to handle life in the real world, all against the madcap backdrop of Avenue Q.
The production nails its Sesame Street parody from the start, with a “sunny” animated opening displayed on a screen above the stage as the cast sweetly sings “The Avenue Q Theme”. Scenes are periodically framed as educational segments: a topic is announced by a chorus of enthusiastic children’s voices before the residents explore it through song or dialogue. The subjects, however, are clearly grown-up, ranging from relationships to racism, pornography, and sexual orientation.
The puppetry and the onstage coordination required to bring these characters to life are extraordinary and every bit as entertaining as the show’s outrageous content. White and his fellow puppeteers imbue each character with life through their vocal performances and finely detailed physical work. The puppets remain constantly “alive”, reacting physically throughout scenes and sometimes even appearing to breathe. As a result, our eyes are drawn to the characters rather than the performers operating them, which is precisely the point.
Each puppeteer manages multiple characters. White, for example, also portrays Rod, a closeted Republican. At times, one performer may handle a puppet while the actor providing its voice stands at the other end of the stage operating another character. The puppetry choreography is so slick that these transitions never become distracting; the puppets appear every bit as vivid and believable as their human neighbours.
White portrays Princeton with an engaging sincerity that perfectly suits the character’s youthful uncertainty. He then switches sharply to the uptight Rod without missing a beat, giving him a completely different voice and set of mannerisms. Dubbin-Steckel demonstrates similar versatility, offering a sweet and likeable Kate as well as the strikingly different Lucy the Slut, the neighbourhood vixen. At one point, Dubbin-Steckel even operates a puppet in each hand while performing both sides of a rapid-fire exchange, which is, of course, an especially impressive feat.
The score, written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, is packed with hummable tunes and witty lyrics (although you may want to be careful where you sing them). Under the baton of music director Arielle Ballance, the score sounds terrific, played by a six-person band. In addition to being strong actors, White and Dubbin-Steckel are excellent singers, delivering pleasing vocals while landing the jokes in Lopez and Marx’s lyrics. Another highlight is puppeteer Liam Reitsma, who gives Nicky an adorable persona and is hilarious as the porn-loving recluse Trekkie Monster.
The production’s three exclusively human performers are equally enjoyable to watch. Zak Stevens is endearingly hapless as Brian, an aspiring, unemployed stand-up comedian. Jaclyn Sim provides fiery counterpoint as Christmas Eve, Brian’s overqualified yet professionally underemployed immigrant partner. Sim also possesses a gorgeous singing voice, which shines in “The More You Ruv Someone”. And in her portrayal of Gary Coleman, Britney Mocca gives us a quick-witted character who remains chipper despite life’s challenges.
Starlynn Chen’s set, appropriately modelled after Sesame Street, brings the neighbourhood vividly to life. Its multiple levels are highly functional, allowing us to glimpse the residents’ apartments throughout the building, including those belonging to Brian and Christmas Eve and Trekkie Monster.
For the most part, this production nails Avenue Q’s humour, a considerable achievement given the sheer volume of jokes. A few moments could land with greater impact, whether because vocal lines are not always clearly heard over the band or because the timing is off by a fraction. On opening night, faithful fans were clearly primed to laugh at jokes they knew were coming. These moments will likely tighten as the run continues.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or entirely new to Avenue Q, Metro Theatre’s production is an immensely entertaining night out. The show may lead with playful, sometimes raunchy adult humour, but at its core is an unfiltered look at human nature and the wild ride that is life. Regardless of which neighbourhood we call home, it’s a journey we are all taking together. 
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