Avenue Q bound for Brisbane

Avenue Q caused a sensation at the 2004 Tony Awards by beating blockbuster Wicked to win the three most coveted awards – Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score – and now it is heading to Queensland.

The production is still playing on Broadway to packed houses six years later as well as enjoying continued success on London’s West End where it has been playing for the past three years.

Brisbane audiences will have the opportunity to see what all the FUZZ is about when this award winning musical that has become a cult hit around the world comes to QPAC from February 20.

Directed by Jonathan Biggins, and featuring a stellar cast including Mitchell Butel, Natalie Alexopoulos, David James, Luke Joslin, Christina O’Neill, Cherine Peck, Frank Hansen, Leah Howard, Josie Lane and Gus Murray, Avenue Q finishes its Australian tour in Brisbane after delighting audiences in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide.

Avenue Q is not the most upmarket of New York streets, and is about as far away from Park Avenue as you can get, but it is home to some lively and off the wall characters performed by an unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets.

Princeton, a bright eyed college graduate, has just moved to this neighbourhood as he desperately tries to follow his dreams and discover his ever elusive purpose in life. A tiny bank balance, the distraction of a busty blonde and a variety of weird and wonderful friends and neighbours lead Princeton on a hilarious story of self-discovery.

Life may suck on Avenue Q but being jobless, homeless, politically incorrect, having sex (whether hetero, homo or porno…and that’s just the puppets) are just some of the topics featured in the terrific songs of this show. For those weaned on Sesame Street, the Avenue qpuppets may look familiar, but with musical numbers like ‘Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist’ and ‘If You Were Gay’, this send up of political correctness isn’t for the kiddies.

Avenue Q features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, from a book by Jeff Whitty.

The Australian production of Avenue Q, produced by Arts Asia Pacific and Power Arts (and in Adelaide, in association with the Adelaide Festival Centre), is directed by Jonathan Biggins.

Other members of the creative team include David Skelton as Musical Director, Nathan Wright as Choreographer, Set and Costume Design by Richard Roberts, Sound Design by System Sound and Lighting Design by Richard Pacholski. Sue Giles, from Polyglot Puppet Theatre, has provided expert puppetry consultation and training to the actors.

Bookings: www.showbiz.com.au