By Lisa DiCarlucci, Entertainment Editor
A good friend of mine summed up “Avenue Q” perfectly: “Puppets talking about sex; what’s not to love?” The racy musical comedy about a diverse group of puppets, monsters and humans is just as delightful and hilarious way off-Broadway at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, NY.
“Avenue Q,” with a book by Jeff Whitty and a score by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, is the story of Princeton, fresh out of college with a B.A. in English, who is looking for his purpose in life, which may or may not involve the adorable Kate Monster who lives next door. Their cast of characters in their neighborhood include Rod, a closeted republican investment banker and his slacker roommate, Nicky, Brian, an out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancee Christmas Eve, Trekkie Monster, an internet porn addict, and Gary Coleman –yes, that one- the neighborhood superintendent.
This quaint playhouse looks like a giant barn from the outside and a renovated church on the inside. It’s unassuming, but the quality of this production holds up to Broadway standards. Quite literally, being that the lead, Howie Michael Smith (Princeton), played the starring role during “Avenue Q’s” Broadway run over 1,000 times.
The rest of the cast is by no means left in Smith’s shadow. Each performance was strong especially Chris Cooke (Nicky, Trekkie Monster and Bear) whose range of animated voices are hysterical and scarily similar to the original Broadway cast. Gwen Hollander who plays Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut brings a sugary sweetness to the furry-faced Kate as she pines over Princeton.
The weakest link of the cast is Carla J. Hargrove (Gary Coleman) who brings little variety in tone and doesn’t seem as invested in her character as the others. She tries to bring humor to jokes that are actually more depressing than funny. Coleman’s passing detracts from her character’s relevancy and laughing at his misfortune seems overdone and unfair.
EJ Zimmerman plays a Japanese therapist named Christmas Eve with one client and a thick accent, but the accent is too exaggerated and comes off as fake. Often she seems like she’s trying too hard though her lines are genuinely funny.
The most notable aspect of this production is its similarity to the original production. Gateway Playhouse is truly a hidden gem of Long Island offering a show that rivals anything on The Great White Way and for a better price. The vocals were flawless, the set uses clever dimensional tricks to create a realistic neighborhood and the original creator designed the puppets whose faces bring a heartbreaking sincerity and innocence to this show that, though crude at times, is really about finding your way through life and love.
The cast of “Avenue Q” ( Jeff Bellante, Courtesy of Gateway Playhouse)
