[NEohioPAL] Review of "Avenue Q" at Blank Canvas Theatre

[Bob Abelman]

Wrong hands, warm heart defines Blank Canvas’ ‘Avenue Q’ 



Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal



Despite being rooted in pop culture specific to the show’s original Gen-X audience – where a takeoff of 1970s children’s television drives the comedy, Muppet-like creations take to the stage, and a fictionalized Gary Coleman is a main character – the Tony Award Triple Crown-winning “Avenue Q” (Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book) is remarkably durable.



The show’s endurance is no doubt due to Jeff Marx, Robert Lopez and Jeff Whitty’s hilarious script and gentle melodies (Lopez has since penned the score for “The Book of Mormon” and “Frozen”), but mostly it is the intriguing juxtaposition of adorable “Sesame Street”-like hand puppets being foulmouthed, simulating sex and singing politically incorrect songs (“Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”), all while their human handlers are in full view.  



And it is in the handling of these puppets, well designed by Dave Haaz-Baroque, Noah Hrbek and director Patrick Ciamacco, where this Blank Canvas production falls short. 



For more of this article, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/bob_abelman/
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