I was first introduced to Avenue Q by my friend Chesca way back in 2005. With songs like the 'Internet is for Porn', 'Everyone's A Little Bit Racist', and 'If You Were Gay', it was love at first listen. When I found out it was a Broadway musical, I was always hoping one day it would hit our shores. Lo and behold, that day finally arrived for me last Saturday as I finally caught the local production of the hit musical. And I definitely wasn't alone! I infected my brother and he infected his wife and friends, I invited some online buddies of mine to meet up for the first time who are fans of the show (Chad, Ginny, Jori), and of course, went with Junnis and her best friend Chesca, the one who started it all (and was the most late to the actual show! haha).

The wRong
Bad Seats:
Ok ok, it's not really the production's fault as it is my own cheapskateness, but I got probably the lousiest seat in the house. Right balcony, end seat, directly behind one of the spotlights. As in, that spotlight occupied it's own seat which lead to my mom being upgraded to the loge section! Good for her, bad for my view! haha. Well, at least I know where to sit in RCBC Theater next time...^_^

The Right
The Music:
I haven't listened to the entire soundtrack and chose not to in order to be surprised when I watched it, and was I ever! The entire 2nd half I had no idea what to expect. On the whole, I was impressed by the wonderfully honest and sometimes profane lyrics sung to playfully catchy (and innocent) Sesame Street-esque tunes. Songs such as 'Fine, Fine, Line' and 'Mix Tape' tug at the heartstrings, while most songs like 'Schandenfreude' (taking pleasure in other's misfortune), 'It Sucks to Be Me', 'For Now', and many others deal with the realities of life with charming tongue-in-cheek humor that makes this musical so unique from all the rest. Where else can you find the line: "Grab your d*ck and double-click for porn! porn! porn!"?


The Cast:
Phenomenal cast. Period. Ok, not really a period because there's much to be said about these guys. Everyone did an exceptional job playing their parts, and most had multiple puppet roles, holding the tradition with the Broadway musical. Felix Rivera does a fantastic job playing the lead Princeton and his dual role as closet-homo puppet Rod. I was also enchanted with Rachel Alejandro's loving Kate Monster and her polar opposite, the aptly named Lucy the Slut. Joel Trinidad's happy go lucky Rod and horny as hell Trekkie Monster nearly steal the scene every time too. Frenchie Dy (as Christmas Eve) and Aiza Seguerra (as Gary Coleman) seemed to be born to play their roles as well, with the latter sharing some similar child star stigma that only added to the role. Even though I've only seen YouTube snippets of the Broadway and UK version, I'm confident to say our local cast is just as good and talented as any!

The Puppets:
These guys can hold their own against any Jim Henson or Sesame Street puppet any day of the week. The dynamic between Rod and Nicky mirror that of Bert and Ernie only more entertaining because of the homosexual overtones. Trekkie is a Cookie Monster parody except he's not obsessed with cookies... but porn. Princeton is your everyman we can all relate to, and Kate Monster is the hopeless romantic with big dreams that most girls can see in themselves as well. Avenue Q simply has memorable characters with flaws and good qualities that reflect us so much, it's hard not to love 'em all. Oh, and they're not kidding when they say full puppet nudity in this one! Yowza!



The veRdict
For those who haven't seen Avenue Q, well... it sucks to be you! But don't fret! Rachel herself announced the repeat performances this coming December 14-23 so there's hope for you yet! Seriously, this is something you should not miss. You don't have to be a play fanatic or musical junkie to be entertained by Avenue Q. You just have to be a regular guy going through everyday problems and realities. If anything, the play inspires us to accept these realities and that we can overcome them with support from our loved ones and a firm sense of purpose in our lives. I highly recommend those who haven't seen the play to catch it this December... By then, I'm sure to be excited to see it again... with better seats this time!

Start:	Sep 22, '07 2:00p
Location:	Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium , Podium 4, Yuchengco Tower II, RCBC Plaza, Ayala cor. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City

UPDATE: for sale, balcony ticket (P500) for the Sept. 22, 2pm showing available! one of our friends backed out due to unplanned work, so if you're interested, just message me here.



(thanks to Joriben for the following plagiarized info!)
Avenue Q is a Tony award-winning musical that was conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book is by Jeff Whitty. The show is largely inspired by (and is in the style of) Sesame Street: Most of the characters in the show are puppets (operated by actors onstage), the set depicts several tenements on a rundown street in an "outer borough" of New York City, both the live characters and puppet characters sing, and short animated video clips are played as part of the story.

Also, several characters are recognizably parodies of classic Muppet characters: for example, the roommates Rod and Nicky are versions of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, and Trekkie Monster is based on Cookie Monster. However, the characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems instead of those faced by pre-schoolers. The characters use profanity, and the songs concern adult themes. A recurring theme is the central character's search for a "purpose".

After an Off-Broadway opening, directed by Jason Moore, the production moved to Broadway in 2003 and won several Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. As of July 2007, it is still running on Broadway. The show has spawned a 2005 Las Vegas production, a 2006 West End production and various international productions. A U.S. National Tour began in July 2007.

And at last, Avenue Q reached Manila to be produced by Atlantis Productions starred by Aiza Sequerra, Frenchy Dy and Rachel Alejandro.

Parental Advisory... Full Puppet Nudity.

Other Dates
Sep 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 22 & 23 2007

Call TicketWorld at 891-9999 for ticket info and reservations.