I enjoyed a night of musical comedy at Avenue Q: The Musical at Skokie Theatre. Winner of the Tony Triple Crown (Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book), it was irreverent, poignant and hilarious, with a few life lessons added to the mix.
The entire cast – Back row: Heidi Hansfield, Rami Halabi, Natalie Rae, Sabrina Edwards, and Dennis Schnell. Front row: Zach Moore and Shea Lee. Photo courtesy of MadKap Productions.
A combination of puppets and performers tell the story of Princeton, a recent college graduate who searches for his purpose in life. Along the way, he finds love with Kate, a beautiful young monster. Also living on Avenue Q are roommates Nikky and Rod, Bad Idea Bear and a few others, including child television star Gary Coleman as the building manager.
Inspired by Sesame Street, there are several nods to the iconic children’s show, but this is an R-rated show with adult themes. While Sesame Street focuses on educational basics, Avenue Q delves into complicated issues such as love, race relations, careers and more.
I was hooked from the opening number, “It Sucks to Be Me.” Each of the 20 songs furthered the journeys of the characters while also being catchy fun tunes.
I found the production brilliant. As I got lost in the Muppet-like world unfolding on stage, I found myself marveling at how these furry creatures really made me think. Although I am well beyond the early post-college searching in life, the story was still thought-provoking. The beautiful message delivered is that complications in life ultimately make it more enjoyable.
Since it runs through Aug. 7, I have several chances to see it again with more friends. The other great news is Avenue Q is the first in a five-show season for MadKap Productions. Next up is Falling for Make Believe.
As a nearby resident, I couldn’t be happier live performances are back at Skokie Theatre. In addition to MadKap Production shows, there are plenty of other shows, including HERstory: Trailblazing Female Firsts.
— John Wroblewski, online writer
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