The Cast of "Avenue Q" at Mixed Blood. Photo by Rich Ryan.
The hilarious and endearing puppet porn and pop music musical “Avenue Q” is back in Minneapolis and making its way to Mixed Blood Theatre for a run from March 25th – May 1st. I am so psyched. I have been raving about this musical to everyone I know since I saw it on a date at the Orpheum Theatre three years ago.
As always, TC Jewfolk has the hook up – we’re giving two lucky TCJewfolk readers each a pair of tickets to an “Avenue Q” performance of your choice. Read on for more info. [Tickets are no longer available]
If you’ve been living under a rock… I mean… if you haven’t already heard about this hilarious, sexy and fabulously real musical, here’s the scoop.
More About Avenue Q
The R-rated musical comedy – conceived by Robert Lopez and MOT Jeff Marx, who also wrote the music and lyrics – is a coming-of-age story about an earnest, optimistic liberal arts college grad who ventures to the Big Apple with only his hopes and dreams and gets an apartment on Avenue Q, which is about all he can afford. And just like in the real world, Princeton and his neighbors struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life.
Sound relevant? Sound a bit too familiar? That’s why Lopez and Marx jazz up the reality with memorable and shocking songs like “The Internet is For Porn,” “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today” and “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”
And there are puppets. Think Rent meets Sesame Street.
Co-creator, lyricist, composer and Member of the Tribe Jeff Marx hasn’t filled the musical with that many little Jewish tidbits (other than a joke about Jesus being Jewish, I can’t find any – am I missing some?) But in 2010, the Broadway casts of Fiddler on the Roof and Avenue Q got together to do a performance/ fundraiser for AIDS research called “Avenue J” that is hilarious if you have already seen Avenue Q, and still awesome even if you haven’t. Watch “Avenue Jew” here:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOq97zaBhko
How the Mixed Blood Performance is Different – and Super Cool.
The play is one of the longest running Broadway shows, and thanks to producer Kevin McCollum and Broadway director Jason Moore, Mixed Blood is the one of the first theaters to be granted permission to stage its own version of the show, with new puppets, musical arrangements and set. Jack Reuler, Mixed Blood’s Artistic Director (and director of the show) commissioned original puppets–some naughty, some nice–who capture the audaciousness of the Avenue Q neighbors. Open Eye Figure Theatre Artistic Director Michael Sommers serves as puppet master. Twin Cities puppet artists Wayne Krefting (creator of Woodland Productions) and Maria McNamara (who worked for the Jim Henson Company for eight years) created the new breed of interspecies puppets, still retaining that special nod (and wink) to the original Sesame Street inspiration.
The list of awards the show has won is super long – including Tony Awards for Best Original Score, Best Musical, and Best Book of a Musical. Don’t believe the reviews and awards? Watch some of the videos from the Broadway production on youtube – we’ve posted one of our favorites below.
Here’s “The Internet is For Porn” from the Original Broadway Cast
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKNnwLL991c
Awesome. Hilarious. So… you better buy tickets. Mixed Blood is committed to access for all, with single tickets ranging from $10-$28.
But if you’re lucky, you can score one of our favorite pairs of FREE tickets. Here’s how.
Answer this question in the comments below before Thursday, March 24th at midnight to try your chance at winning a pair of the free tickets. If you could bring anyone in the world to see Avenue Q with you at Mixed Blood, who would it be, and why? There’s no right answer – we draw the winner’s name randomly. Once we let you know if you win, you can pick which show you’d like to attend between March 25 – May 1.
Enjoy the show! See you there!
If I could bring anyone to the performance of Avenue Q, I would bring the members of the band Guster. It would be an amazing experience to see this show with the hilarious trio of Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller and Brian Rosenworcel- all three Jewish as well.
My husband – we have been wanting to see this show since it opened years ago! So glad that Mixed blood is putting it on!
I’d take Kermit the Frog, if possible. I’d love to see his green cheeks turn red. But since that’s probably not possible, I’d take my wife.
My husband, because he has the whole soundtrack memorized. “What can you do… with a B.A. in English…”
I usually go for the creative answer, but I just have to be honest on this one. I would bring my husband with me. He would really love to go. He goes to a lot of stuff I’m into (like the opera) and is a fabulously sweet guy. It would be so awesome if I could take him to this.
Fingers crossed.
I’d bring my husband. He’s my favorite date.
I would bring my sister–she is an aspiring actor and I think she’d love this show.
I’d bring my friend Marilyn. She is an incredible friend, sharing both of herself and her own opportunities. I’d love to share the show with her.
I would bring my bestie, Lindsay. We’d laugh the whole time and continue laughing for weeks.
I would bring my Miss Piggy muppet baby stuffed animal from childhood, only seems fitting. And if I can’t find that, I would bring a friend, because who wouldn’t want to see Avenue Q?!
I would take Michelle Bachmann, to show her how she acts in public, embarrassing Minnesota every day.
my crush. What better way to break the ice with Avenue Q.
My partner Teresa, whose puppets are a little too innocent.
I’d bring my boyfriend. He digs musicals & I’m the from the Sesame Street generation so I love the whole concept.
My husband. W both enjoy the theater and this delightful musical would make for a fun date night.
I’d bring my wife. She’s got a puppet fetish. I mean, wait what…?
My best friend, Christy. She and I have a similar sense of humor, and I know we would have a riot at this show.
I would bring my fifteen year old daughter and my thirteen year old son. Although the show might be considered ‘R’ rated, they’ve seen enough television and video games to have heard the language before. I would bring them because they are both artistically inclined and they need to see that there’s a wide world of entertainment out there and that theatre is a heck of a lot more than the one act play their rural high school puts on each year.
I’d bring my husband, and watch him jump up and down with excitement. Adorable.
I’d have to take my wife… who will undoubtedly be offended in the way that only an elementary school could.
I’d take the Pope. That dude needs to lighten up, and this might be just what he needs.
I would take my grandmother. I adore her.
I would take my best friend, because she’s my best friend.
I’d invite my Christian stepdaughter who loves having a Jewish stepmother.
I would bring my mom, just to shock and awe her. Oh, and because I love her very much.
And the winners of the free pairs of tickets are D-Wolfe and Tzillah! CONGRATS! I’ll email you with info about your tickets. The rest of you, I hope to see you at the theater!!!
I would invite Betty White cause I think she’d enjoy the humor.
I would invite Pee Wee Herman, but only he can decide if this mixes business with pleasure.