Feature Photo By: Izzy Honey– Leads Donovan Strouse and Nate Beutel perform a song on stage with their puppets Kate Monster and Princeton. The musical premiered on September 28th and will be shown twice more tonight and on Saturday.
Avenue Q can best be described as a comedic raunchy remake of Sesame Street, a favorite childhood show. The play premiered last night with a bustling audience that almost filled up the front section of the theater. From songs about not wearing any underwear to a story of heartbreak and romance, Rangeview’s latest musical has it all.
The play follows the stories of several puppets living on Avenue Q. The newest member of the community, Princeton, puppeteered by senior
Nate Beutel, searches for his purpose but finds something more important instead: love. His love interest is Kate Monster, puppeteered by sophomore Donovan Strouse.
The cast has been working 5-6 days a week since auditions on August 18th to put on the strongest performance possible.
Donovan Strouse commented, “It’s been a lot of work but being a part of something that’s so fun doesn’t feel like work at all.” She said, “It was such an honor [being a lead]… I was a little nervous at first, but everyone really supported me and I couldn’t ask for a better theater family.”
The musical joked about many controversial topics in ways that are intended to be comically offensive. One character, who was named Christmas Eve, played by senior Tania Sunti, was portrayed as a stereotypical Asian, and she even sang a song titled “The More You Ruv Someone”.
Preceding this song was a song titled “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” in which cast members laugh at racist jokes. Even more daring was “If You Were Gay”, sung by Nicky (junior Matthew Etter) to the musical’s gay character, Rod, puppeteered by senior Corbin Gertschitz. While
these topics are so obviously contentious, these sections of the play received the most laughs and loudest applause from the audience.
Audience member junior Trinity Stevenson said, “It was great. It was really funny and the actors were great. It was really good.”
Avenue Q not only had great actors, but was complete with a live band. Hidden beneath the stage, six student musicians provided the music that accompanied the actors and actresses on stage.
Junior Alex Katschke, the bassist for the pit orchestra, said, “It’s really fun not being in front of everyone where they can sit and judge you all the time. Its nice to work with some people that you don’t normally work with because I’m normally in orchestra and not band, so I’m working with band kids.”
Missed the premiere? Avenue Q will be performed on Thursday and Saturday at 7:00, so there is still a chance to see the play that everyone will be talking about.
