Fort Myers Florida Weekly

“Avenue Q” musical kind of a Sesame Street for adults




From left, Mrs. T (Tracy Weaver), Gary Coleman (Robert Barner), Kate Monster (Ruthgena Faraco) and Christmas Eve (Liz Mora). COURTESY PHOTO

From left, Mrs. T (Tracy Weaver), Gary Coleman (Robert Barner), Kate Monster (Ruthgena Faraco) and Christmas Eve (Liz Mora). COURTESY PHOTO

Entertaining audiences with humor and bouncy tunes, the Southwest Florida premiere of the Tony award-winning musical “Avenue Q” is coming to The Laboratory Theater of Florida (The Lab) from Feb. 25 through March 27. Expect riotous laughter as complex adult themes are debated by puppets resembling Sesame Street Muppets. With songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet is for Porn” and “If You Were Gay,” this show is decidedly not for young children, despite the adorable, hand-operated characters.

“There is puppet nudity,” Artistic Director Annette Trossbach says with a chuckle. “It has adult language and sexual situations with important life lessons, such as how not to be a racist, why to be open-minded with LGBTQ issues and how to be a good neighbor and care for others. This is meant to be a fun show, and it also sparks conversation and thought. All of those serious topics go down with a spoonful of sugar when there are very hilarious puppets involved.”

Kate Monster (Ruthgena Faraco) is ready for “Avenue Q” at The Lab! COURTESY PHOTOS

Kate Monster (Ruthgena Faraco) is ready for “Avenue Q” at The Lab! COURTESY PHOTOS

The story centers on Princeton who recently graduated college with an English degree and can’t find a job. All he can afford is a low-rent apartment on Avenue Q , in Alphabet City, where he meets the other down-and-out characters — most of the puppets like Princeton, animated and voiced by actors visible on stage. Peering from a second-level window is Trekkie Monster, the show’s version of the Cookie Monster. Among the human characters is a portrayal of Gary Coleman from the 1990s television show “Different Strokes.” Having lost all his TV money, he’s the superintendent of the grimy brownstones in this beleaguered neighborhood.

“I saw ‘Avenue Q’ six or seven years ago at the New World Stages in Manhattan, and I found that in the first five minutes I stopped watching the actors and started watching the puppets,” Ms. Trossbach explains, adding that The Lab rented the beautifully crafted puppets directly from Broadway. To enhance the illusion, the puppet-wielding actors wear dark clothing, in contrast to the colorful costumes of the human characters in the production.

Princeton (Steven Michael Kennedy) is excited for the SWFL premiere of “Avenue Q” opening on Feb. 25 at The Lab.

Princeton (Steven Michael Kennedy) is excited for the SWFL premiere of “Avenue Q” opening on Feb. 25 at The Lab.

Ms. Trossbach is delighted with the caliber and dedication of the local cast, helmed by Carmen Crussard, a frequent director and actor at The Lab who also runs the theater programs at Cypress Lakes High School Center for the Arts and the Alliance for the Arts. “If ‘Avenue Q’ were a book, it would be called ‘Adulting for Dummies,’” says Ms. Crussard. “I think this show is hilarious because we see so much of ourselves in these characters. Sure, we all deal with all kinds of problems as adults, but as long as we can still laugh at ourselves, I think we will all be okay, even if we still haven’t found our purpose.”

The two leads are played by veteran performers at The Lab. Ruthgena Faraco, who recently played Celie in “The Color Purple,” is Kate Monster. Playing Princeton is Steven Michael Kennedy, who starred in the national premiere of “Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man.” After a triumphant turn as musical director for “The Color Purple,” Earl Sparrow returns in the same capacity. “The rehearsals are an absolute scream,” Ms. Trossbach says, adding that the actors are having a blast despite sore wrists and tendons in their forearms from handling the puppets.

 

“Anyone who watched ‘Sesame Street’ as a kid is going to love this twist,” Ms. Trossbach says of the 2004 Tony award winner for best book, best score and best musical. “‘Avenue Q’ is perfect for our Southwest Florida audience. I look for shows like this that start conversations, have a good community outreach element and allow us to consciously be more representative of our diverse community.”

“We’re pretty excited to be able to produce edgy and cutting-edge theater,” says Marketing and Education Director Paula Sisk. “Theater was designed to make you think. You should have fun, yes. It should be an enjoyable evening, but you should be thinking about what you just experienced after you leave the room, and that’s what we try and do. ‘Avenue Q’ prompts stimulating conversations in an easily digestible way, and we like that.”

“Avenue Q” runs from Feb. 25 to March 27 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $37, with discounted pricing for students, preview performances and every Thursday night show. Seating is socially distant, and masks are required inside the theater.

The Laboratory Theater of Florida is located at 1634 Woodford Avenue, in Fort Myers. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 239-218-0481 or visit www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com. ¦

In the KNOW

“Avenue Q”

» When: Feb. 25 through March 27
» Where: The Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave., Fort Myers
» Information: 239-218-0481 or www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *