Avenue Q and Theatre out in Santa Ana

Drama Review

I was lucky enough to see the hilarious and very heart-warming production of Avenue Q and Theatre Out in Santa Ana. To begin, Avenue Q itself is quite the original concept. The show is played out as if it an episode of a classic children's program, paralleling much of the style made famous by PBS' Sesame Street. However, there is a big difference as this show is aimed towards a more adult crowd, one could say. The show uses sex, drugs, and foul language to depict the story of a fresh out of college English major who moves in to the quirky urban neighborhood, Avenue Q. All this is portrayed through the use of actors using hand puppets, again sending a reminiscent nod to that of beloved children's shows such as Sesame Street and The Muppets.

The production at Theatre Out was set in a very small, intimate space. The theatre only seats 60, however it did not detract anything from the quality of the show. In fact, it made it feel as if we were at the live television broadcast as the studio audience, adding our own laugh track to the show; and there were tons of laughs. The crude humor, mixed with the childlike innocence of the setting really is the perfect recipe for hysterical jokes and situations. The set was fairly simple and stationary. It was comprised of the exterior of an apartment complex with a series of doors in which the characters would enter and exit from. The cast was quite wonderful, as they were all very well-versed in comedy, as well as singing. Being able act with one's own face is hard enough, but to add another element of acting as a puppet as well shows that the cast was very hard working, especially since they pulled it off brilliantly. My favorite parts were the audience participation moments when the characters would come into the audience. In one scene in particular the characters ask the audience for donations, in which they actually raised a total of $15.00 (which went towards the cast party on closing night). The best part of the night though was completely unscripted and unplanned moment in which an audience member's cell phone began ringing loudly during one of the very few "serious" moments of the show. Not only did the cell phone make noise, but the audience member began to audibly apologize for the disturbance. The cast, displaying impressive improvisational skill, used the moment to playfully embarrass the audience member making it a running gag throughout the rest of the show, including a lyric change and nod to him in the closing number of the show.

Overall, the production of the show was great. I enjoyed the moments of comedy, as well as the actual heart-felt moments of the show. When you see passed the puppet sex and the songs about embracing racism and internet porn, you gather that the message really is about loving your friends and neighbors.