Discover Your Purpose on Avenue Q at Masquerade Theatre

by Shannon Reed 

Please note this show is not suitable for younger audiences. This review makes note of songs and storylines that are not for young readers. 

Figuring out your purpose in life is a quintessential part of young adulthood, or at least that’s what the world tells us all. The truth, however, is that most of us don’t have it figured out, maybe ever. This question, however, is one of the guiding lights of Avenue Q, currently on stage at Masquerade Theatre. Directed by Megan Knowlton Balne, music directed by Trisha Dennis, choreographed & puppet directed by Gabrielle Wilson, and stage managed by Iliana Perez this production is full of heart, humor and a few “did they really just say that” moments. 

The fictional world of Avenue Q was imagined by set designer Scott Reynolds and brought to life by scenic artist Georgia DeFrank and set designers Reynolds and Robert Schaeffer. This truly helped to set the scene and put the audience in the world of the show. This was beautifully underscored by the lighting design by Tommy Balne who also plays our main character Princeton. This likeable character is looking for a place to live when he finds Avenue Q and all of its residents including Kate Monster (Kacy Hoffster), roommates Rod (Stephen Jackson) and Nicky (Shawn O’Brien), engaged couple Brian (Andi Dennis) and Christmas Eve (Sharon Yun), Trekkie Monster (O’ Brien), and superintendent Gary Coleman (Victoria Friday)…yes, that Gary Coleman. 

After an intro and welcome to Avenue Q, a newly graduated Princeton is questioning “What Do You Do with a BA in English?” As he ponders this question, he runs into Kate Monster, Brian and other residents of Avenue Q as they are battling out whose life is the worst in “It Sucks to Be Me.” As each resident hears this song, they all chime in with their own reasons to win this competition that truly no one actually wants to be in. As Princeton continues to think about this, some new not so good friends enter. The Bad Idea Bears (Kat Corvino and Mark Gollihur) are just what their name suggests. Convincing Princeton to spend his parents’ money and live it up, they embody the bad ideas faced in growing up. As this song ends, we are transported to the apartment of musical theatre enthusiast Rod and his roommate Nicky. When Nicky arrives home to interrupt Rod’s evening of relaxation, he tells a story of being mistaken for being gay thinking Rod might truly be gay. As Rod immediately becomes defensive, Nicky tries to assure him that their relationship wouldn’t change in “If You Were Gay.” Despite this assurance, Rod is adamant that he is not gay and wants to hear none of this story or song. As we head back to the streets of Avenue Q, we find Princeton learning more about finding his “Purpose.”  When he asks Kate her purpose, she explains that she wants to open a school for monsters. While this conversation starts as innocent, it quickly devolves into the characters learning that “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist.” As Kate is then given a big opportunity to teach, she turns to the internet for some assistance.  As she discusses the perks of the internet, Trekkie Monster discusses some perks that he prefers in “The Internet is for Porn.” Annoyed by this information, we follow Kate back to her apartment and learn more about her crush on Princeton. When he stops by with a “Mixtape” we see that the feelings might be mutual as he invites her to see Brian opening for a headline performer that night. As we head to the comedy club, we see Brian’s attempt to fulfill his purpose of becoming a comedian in “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today.” In a stark contrast to the comedy, the headline performance by Lucy the Slut (Hoffstetter) invites the gentleman to feel “Special.” It ends up being Princeton and Kate and Brian and Christmas Eve who have a special end to their night with some, shall we say, adult activities. These activities were well choreographed by Intimacy Coordinator Sean McGarry and underscored by “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want” sung by Gary Coleman. Realities catch up to all of our Avenue Q residents in “Fantasies Come True”, “My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada” and “There’s A Fine Fine Line” leaving us on a cliffhanger for many of these relationships. As the curtain opens on act 2 we learn that Princeton isn’t any closer to finding his purpose as his friends remind him “There Is Life Outside Your Apartment” and Kate might love Princeton as Christmas Eve explains what happens “The More You Ruv Someone.” A newly homeless Nicky learns how his misfortune is making others happy in Schadenfreude and Kate, Nicky, and Princeton all long for an easier time in “I Wish I Could Go Back to College.” As tumultuous as things seem to be on Avenue Q, all of the residents ban together to raise money for Kate’s “Monster School” in “The Money Song.” As relationships repair, disagreements are mended and new paths are discovered, our residents learn that everything is truly just “For Now.” 

One thing that makes Avenue Q unique is its use of puppets (provided by Puppetry Plus by Cre8tive Space) alongside actors. Princeton, Kate, Rod, Nicky, and Trekkie were the main puppets while Brian, Christmas Eve, and Gary Coleman were human actors. The cast tackled this beautifully with Dennis, Yun, and Friday interacting masterfully with the puppets, making the audience forget the size difference between them. The puppeteers also brought each character to life and made the audience see the reactions and emotions of an inanimate puppet. Hofstetter and O’Brien each played two puppet characters who at times appeared on stage simultaneously. Both actors seamlessly navigated between the voices and emotions of the characters even when Corvino or Gollihur was puppeteering one of them. Corvino and Gollihur took on multiple roles throughout the show, stepping into several characters and flawlessly switching between each. Both also paired with O’Brien as Nicky and Trekkie to bring to life a dual-handed puppet. The choreography of these scenes was masterful and showed the connection of the actors and how they had perfected working together. Balne’s portrayal of Princeton allowed the audience to see each nuance of his personality in each line and song. Jackson also expertly showcased the full range of emotions in song and dialogue as Rod worked through his own struggles with his sexuality. The vocal technique and ability of the entire cast was a true joy to listen to. While all songs were truly enjoyable, Friday’s soulful vocals during “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want” and Yun’s emotional delivery of “The More You Ruv Someone” were a true showcase of vocal mastery. Through all of this, it was clear that Knowlton- Balne, Dennis, and Wilson worked with the cast to find the depth of each of their characters and to truly bring them to life in each scene. 

With a lot of heart, humor, and some taboo topics, Avenue Q is an absolute must see. I truly found myself sad that the show was over and wishing it could start again as Princeton finished his last line of “For Now”. While this show is not appropriate for kids, adults should absolutely head on down to visit Avenue Q. 

Avenue Q runs at the Masquerade Theatre through October 17th with pay what you can performances available on October 7th and October 15th. 

Tickets can be purchased at https://masqueradetheatre.simpletix.com/