[NEohioPAL] Review of "Avenue Q" at Cain Park

[Bob Abelman]

Cain Park is the perfect place for charming, roguish 'Avenue Q'

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,

The Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier

Member, American Theatre Critics Association 

 

This review will appear in the Times papers on 6/21/12

 

Among the many rite-of-passage plays in existence, none explore life's difficult transitions with more acerbic wit, up-beat musicality, and hilarious puppetry than "Avenue Q."    

 

A parody of children's PBS programming, this musical taps the collective memory of several generations of children weaned on the small screen and turns it on its ear.  This Off-Broadway hit turned 2004 Tony award winner is now playing-and is exceptionally well-played-at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights.  

 

"Sesame Street" gone to seed, "Avenue Q" simultaneously blows and bursts the bubble of familiar kidvid conventions.  Learning moments become sight gags, human role models expose their flaws, and puppetry becomes a tad pornographic as muppets expose themselves.  Even the sexual orientation of Bert and Ernie equivalents comes into play.

This abundance of wonderfully absurd juxtapositions, written by Jeff Whitty, is complemented by songs by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx that reflect the sarcasm, indecision, and insecurities held by today's young adults as they transition from cloistered college life to real life.  Like the more outrageous but equally superb musical "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," currently on stage at the Beck Center, "Avenue Q" caters to young adult theatergoers while still appealing to open-minded older audiences.

What makes this production so delightful is Russ Borski's faithfulness to the original work in his energetic stage direction and creation of the "Sesame Street"-inspired set design.  Most important of all are his spot-on casting choices, particularly when it comes to pairing a performer with a puppet.  

 

The play features Princeton (Jesse Markowitz), who is a recent college graduate that moves into an apartment on Avenue Q managed by child actor Gary Coleman (Cameron Dashiell).  Neighbors include Kate Monster (Patty Lohr), an aspiring teacher; internet porn-aficionado Trekkie Monster (Todd Hancock); buttoned-down broker and repressed homosexual Rod (John Paul Boukis) and his overly altruistic roommate Nicky (Sean Szaller); cabaret singer Lucy T. Slut (Joanna May Hunkins); unemployed comedian Brian (Dan DiCello) and his Japanese fiancé Christmas Eve (Cindy Chang); and two Care Bears from hell (Zachary J. Lamb and Michelle Berkowitz, who also serve as the occasional second hand for Trekkie and Nicky).

 

Actors playing puppet characters (as opposed to the human characters Gary Coleman, Brian, and Christmas Eve) wear their puppet on one arm while they are fully exposed and serving as an integral part of their puppet's personality.  They are wonderful and manipulate their cloth alter-egos with incredible dexterity.  Everyone in the cast sings beautifully to the accompaniment of an invisible six-piece orchestra under David Robison's superb direction.   

 

Because Borski's puppets have been built slightly larger and less expressive than the originals, some handlers occasionally overcompensate by acting more broadly than is necessary.  Fortunately, in the context of a parody as excessive as this, where monsters intermingle with humans, boxes break into song and dance, and Gary Coleman is played by a woman, these performances become less distracting over time.  

 

When "Avenue Q" moved from Off-Broadway to Broadway, many critics noted that it was too small, too simple, and too silly an entertainment to justify the upgrade in real estate.  The same was said when the show attempted a run in glitzy Las Vegas.  It is a perfect fit as a summer production in the small theater space located in charming Cain Park.  

 

"Avenue Q" continues through July 1 at Cain Park's Alma Theatre in Cleveland Heights.  For tickets, which range from $22 to $24, call 216-371-3000 or visit http://www.cainpark.com.

 
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