While not nearly as raunchy as the Broadway version, Mount Elizabeth Secondary School’s production of the musical Avenue Q was entertaining and provocative on Jan. 27 and 28.
While parents were surely grateful for the lack of X-rated puppetry, the show still featured many provocative and catchy numbers such as “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today” and “Schadenfreude.”
“All of the scenes that were cut, were cut for a very good reason,” said Zarah Rus who played Lucy — a minor promiscuous character.
The show is a parody of the children’s television program Sesame Street.
Many of the background and practice puppets were created by Grade 12 student Troy Ross — who has a passion for puppetry and was responsible for this year’s choice of musical.
The show’s cast and crew were made up entirely of Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 students, who have been working on the production since September.
The impressive sets were made by hand by the show’s director, and head of MEMSS’s drama department, Rick Jones.
The intricate multi-level set was built to look like a New York City tenement block. It was built out of recycled sets from past productions, PVC and plumbers pipe and scaffolding.
A lot has changed in the 20 years since the show was first brought to stage, but the themes of uneasy transitions into adulthood, uncertainty in relationships, and found family, remain as relevant today as they were in 2003.
The final song “For Now,” reminds audiences that all the challenges faced in life are only temporary.
Jones writes: “Despite the zaniness and jokes, Avenue Q delivers a sincere philosophy: we must appreciate joy and endure any sadness we are currently experiencing, while acknowledging that everything is fleeting. Learning this lesson makes life seem all the more precious.”