Avenue Q

Venue: Comedy Theatre, Melbourne

Reviewer: Simon Parris

Date Reviewed: 4^th June, 2009

Kicking off a long-awaited Australasian tour, Avenue Q premiered in Melbourne to a rousing standing ovation. Keeping the audience in continuous peals of laughter, the 2004 Tony winner (it beat Wicked!) is a supremely entertaining night out and will be a highly sought-after ticket for its three month season.

Throwing traditional puppetry out the window, the central conceit of Avenue Q is that the puppeteers can be seen as clearly as the puppets. While the original production had the luxury of casting professional puppeteers, subsequent stagings around the world have created a new meaning for ‘triple threat’, finding performers that can act, sing and not be upstaged by the adorable fuzzy characters! The enormously appealing Australian cast fulfill all these requirements and much more.

 Just as Chicago gained more resonance when its re-staging coincided with the celebrity trial of OJ Simpson, so too do Avenue Q’s themes seem to be more relevant than ever today. With the economic downturn, hardships such as unemployment, depression and being homeless are more common than ever plus daily headlines still include racism, homosexuality and internet pornography.

Almost a revue, Avenue Q has a loose narrative structure centred on new arrival Princeton’s journey to find his Purpose. Jeff Whitty’s economical book keeps Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez’s hilarious, incredibly catchy songs coming thick and fast. Amidst the laughter, the audience are unwittingly drawn into the characters’ lives so that the more emotional songs and moments land with a heartfelt meaning. Adorable kindergarten assistant Kate, engaged couple Brian and Christmas Eve, bickering roommates Rod and Nicky, grumpy upstairs resident Trekky Monster and down-on-his-luck building superintendent Gary Coleman are the extended family of Princeton in his new address on Avenue Q.

Not an imported cookie-cutter production, Melbourne designer Richard Roberts has kept the basic principles of the set for this version but re-thought the use of the apartment interiors, creating a solid, functional structure that is attractive and serves the non-stop action perfectly. Neutral greys distinguish puppeteers from those playing human characters, who are more colorfully dressed. Those gorgeous puppets by original designer (and original cast member) Rick Lyon are still there in all their glory.

Director Jonathan Biggins has delivered a fully realised staging, with loads of physical comedy and a palpable warmth between the family of residents. The cast work their puppets amazingly well and the flawlessness of the quick changes between characters is at times almost jaw-dropping.

Heading the fabulous cast is Mitchell Butel, doing double duty as wide-eyed Princeton and uptight Rod. Having already shown himself to be quite a chameleon in the wide range of roles he has played, Butel slips between the two distinct characters with apparent ease and keeps the audience’s focus on the puppets to great effect. With excellent diction and superb comic timing, Butel lands all the gags and also establishes and maintains Princeton as the heart of the show.

Michala Banas makes a charming stage debut in the dual roles of sweet Kate Monster and trashy Lucy the Slut. As with Butel, Banas does a great job of ‘disappearing’ while the focus is on the puppets. Banas sings sweetly and captures the hopes and dreams of Kate beautifully. Both Butel and Banas are truly amazing when voicing one of their characters while holding the other one elsewhere on the stage – this feat has to be seen to be believed.

Luke Joslin is an absolute find as Nicky/Trekky Monster. His vocal characterisation of Trekky in particular was terrific and he added so much to the physical humour. Christina O’Neill really hit her mark as Christmas Eve in her act two number ‘The More You Ruv Someone’.  David James brought loads of experience to the broad comedy needed for the role of Brian. Natalie Alexopoulos gives strong support as Mrs Thistletwat and additional puppeteering.

This is a lovingly crafted production that deserves to be a huge success. Fans of the Broadway cast recording are in for a delightful surprise in that there so much more to the full show live on stage, not the least of which is those pesky, but too cute for words, Bad Idea Bears! The eight city tour stretches into the middle of next year. Get some friends together and head on down to Avenue Q. Tickets are very reasonably priced. Bookings are through Ticketek http://premier.ticketek.com.au

Simon has appeared in about 40 productions over the past thirty years. Recent roles include Uncle Henry/Guard of the Gate in The Wizard of Oz (Catchment) and Eugene Fodor in Crazy for You (Whitehorse). Other favourite roles include Mr Fox in Mack and Mabel, Max in The Sound of Music, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Julio in Paint Your Wagon, Marcellus in The Music Man and Grantaire in Les Miserables.

Simon has directed several school productions. Recently he choreographed Urinetown and Little Shop of Horrors for St Michael’s Grammar School. He is currently directing Hot Mikado for St Michael’s, to be staged at the Athenaeum Theatre in May.

Simon has served on the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Committee for five years, and is currently Treasurer. He is also a keen audience member, having seen over 50 shows in five weeks on a recent trip to New York and London.

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