Overview
Synopsis
Winner of the Tony Triple Crown for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book, the hilarious Avenue Q tells the timeless story of a recent college graduate trying to find his way in the world. Set in New York City all the way out on Avenue Q (he couldn’t afford anything better), we are introduced to fresh-faced Princeton as he struggles to find his purpose: meeting friends, finding love, losing love, and finding it again, along the way. Inspired by the beloved children’s show Sesame Street, Avenue Q creates a puppet-filled world that is a little more reflective of the difficult, R-rated realities that we face when we learn that real life isn’t as simple as we dreamed it might be – but perhaps, suggests Avenue Q, life is all the more colorful and worthwhile for it.
Note: Despite featuring puppets, Avenue Q is R-rated, featuring adult topics, offensive language, and an onstage portrayal of puppet sex. There is, however, a cleaned-up version of the script appropriate for performance in schools.
Show Information
- Book
- Jeff Marx , Robert Lopez
- Music
- Jeff Marx , Robert Lopez
- Lyrics
- Jeff Marx , Robert Lopez
- Conceived By
- Jeff Marx , Robert Lopez
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2003
- Genres
- Comedy, Parody, Farce
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- the mythic avenue q, in contemporary new york (and a nightclub)
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Avenue Q was developed at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Jeff Marx, one of the creators of the show, interned at “Sesame Street” early in his career and drew inspiration from his work experience when creating Avenue Q - three of the puppet characters (Trekkie Monster, Rod, and Nicky) are recognizable parodies of classic “Sesame Street” puppets (Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie).
The show opened Off-Broadway at the
to read the context for Avenue Q and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
The Company appears and sings a cheery song about what a great day it is on Avenue Q (“The Avenue Q Theme”). Princeton, a fresh-faced puppet and recent college graduate, is equipped with his Bachelor’s Degree in English and is on the hunt for two things - his life’s purpose and an affordable apartment in New York City (“What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?”).
Princeton finds a building on Avenue Q with a sign advertising apartments for rent. At the building, he meets the
to read the plot for Avenue Q and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor |
Songs
Act One
- The Avenue Q Theme – Company
- What Do You Do with a B.A. in English? – Princeton
- *It Sucks to Be Me – Brian, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman, and Princeton
- If You Were Gay – Nicky with Rod
- Purpose – Princeton and Company (via "singing boxes")
- Everyone's a Little Bit Racist – Princeton, Kate, Gary, Brian, and Christmas Eve
- The Internet Is for Porn – Kate, Trekkie Monster, Brian, Gary Coleman, Rod, and Princeton
- Mix Tape – Kate and Princeton
- I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today – Brian
- Special – Lucy
- You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love) – Gary, The Bad Idea Bears, Princeton, Kate, and Company
- Fantasies Come True – Rod, Kate, Nicky and Princeton
- My Girlfriend, Who Lives in Canada – Rod
- There's a Fine, Fine Line – Kate
Act Two
- It Sucks to Be Me (Reprise) – Princeton
- There Is Life Outside Your Apartment – Brian, Princeton, Christmas Eve, Gary, Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, and Company
- The More You Ruv Someone – Christmas Eve and Kate
- Schadenfreude – Gary and Nicky
- I Wish I Could Go Back to College – Kate, Nicky and Princeton
- The Money Song – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
- School for Monsters – Trekkie Monster and Company
- The Money Song (Reprise) – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
- There's a Fine, Fine Line (Reprise) – Princeton and Kate
- What Do You Do With a B.A. in English? (Reprise) – Newcomer
- For Now – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A song that uses short stanzas to tell a story about love.
A genre of literature, film, and theatre that focuses on the emotional and/or moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.
A musical where a theme, metaphor or concept is just as important as the overarching plot and the featured songs.
A type of comedy that uses exaggeration, often with clowning and ridiculous behaviors, in order to entertain.
Temperament, mood
Denoting or taking place in a New York City theatre that is smaller than those in the Broadway theatre district and typically stages less expensive/commercial productions.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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