…brought to you by the Letter Q

Avenue Q

THE VICTORIA THEATRE ASSOCIATION

One Night Only!

On the evening of June 6, 2004…there was an epic battle on ‘The Great White Way,’ a battle along the lines of David & Goliath.  The musical that turned out to be a monster of a success–a certain GREEN Monster of a musical–went head to head with a little show that starred a bunch of monsters of the furry variety.  On that night, the theatre world was shocked when Avenue Q stole away three major awards (Best Book, Best Score & Best Musical) from the contender, Wicked.  Certainly this did not hurt Wicked, which is still going strong on Broadway and around the world, but the results did make a statement…the theatre community wasn’t going to allow the commercialism (“Disney-ification” even) of Broadway to always buy itself the ultimate recognition.

Avenue Q carried on as the little show that could, playing over 2,500 performances on Broadway before making an unprecedented return to Off-Broadway, where it is still running.  Additionally, it enjoyed a Las Vegas production as well as multiple tours and international productions.  It is very fortunate that The Victoria Theatre Association scored this one-night-only affair on March 30th, as this tour is set to close less than a month after it’s visit to the Gem City.  After receiving the most recent press release from the VTA (below), I am positive that the presenters wish that they had been able to schedule at least two or three performances of the show, as the ticket sales have been brisk and the show is nearly sold out.

While I enjoy the “Wicked’s” and “Lion King’s” like the rest of the country, I am so much more excited when a tour such as Avenue Q or Spring Awakening swings through town.  These shows have taken the artform in a slightly skewed direction, which is a good thing, no, a great thing…this is how new forms are created, and new audiences are developed.  It is very important for all arts organizations to consider not only the current season ticket holders, but also new potential audiences such as YP’s, college students, urban dwellers and others.

DISCLAIMER!

It is very important that I include the following information:  The puppets are cute to look at, but please don’t think about bringing your Sesame Street loving children!  For instance, the pretty pink puppet above, her name is Lucy The Slut.  The handsome monster in the first pic?  He sings a song titled “The Internet Is For Porn.”  Other songs will include “It Sucks to Be Me,” “If You Were Gay,” “What Do You Do with a B.A. in English,” “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” and the ever-popular “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today.”

So, long story short, if you won’t get offended easily by puppets talking about sexuality (full puppet nudity??), social issues and all-around questions of adulthood, do your best to score some tickets to this show!  Give TicketCenterStage a call today (967/228-3630) & try to grab the last of the seats.  It will be a good time, and maybe you’ll learn a few things that they never addressed on PBS when we were growing up!

-SA/VTA Press Release

We encourage local theatre companies to submit calendar items HERE, and official press releases to onStageDayton@gmail.com.

Tickets & Performance Information:

Avenue Q

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at The Victoria Theatre – 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $65 – $90

While the show is nearly sold out, you can inquire about tickets through Ticket Center Stage, or the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

For more information about Victoria Theatre Association’s entire 20010-2011 season, visitwww.victoriatheatre.com.

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Victoria Theatre Association PRESS RELEASE:

AVENUE Q’s One Night Performance Nears Sell Out

(Dayton, OH) – March 11, 2011 – Victoria Theatre Association’s one-night-only presentation of Avenue Q at the Victoria Theatre on Wednesday, March 30 is almost sold out.

“Due to the tour’s scheduling constraints we were unable to secure a second performance,” comments Ken Neufeld, President & CEO of Victoria Theatre Association. “The demand for tickets has been great – and gratifying! We’ll be looking to bring the tour back for another performance as soon as we can.”

As of Friday, March 11, there are less than 100 seats left, according to Lisa Wagner, Ticket Center Director. Most of the remaining seats are located in the theatre’s balcony. Prices of tickets are $65, $80, and $90. A number of Orchestra seats have been released for $90 each.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 967/228-3630 or 888/228-3630; online at www.ticketcenterstage.com, or at the Ticket Center Stage Box Office, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton.

The three-time Tony® Award winning musical is Broadway’s smash-hit about real life in New York City told by a cast of people and puppets through a hilariously irreverent, Tony-winning book and score.

AVENUE Q tells the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who moves to NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q, where everyone’s looking for the same things he is: a decent job, a stable relationship, and a “purpose.” Eventually, Princeton learns to embrace the ups and downs of city life and realizes that “the real world” isn’t so bad after all!

The New York Times hailed AVENUE Q as “a breakthrough musical of a very different stripe. Savvy, sassy and delicious!” and Entertainment Weekly claimed it was “one of the funniest shows you’re ever likely to see!”

AVENUE Q features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, book by Jeff Whitty, based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; and is directed by Jason Moore; puppet design by Rick Lyon, orchestrations by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by Lew Mead; associate director is Evan Ensign and music supervisor is Andrew Graham.

AVENUE Q is produced by Work Light Productions.

For more information on AVENUE Q visit www.avenueqontour.com.

Due to adult situations (like full-puppet nudity), AVENUE Q may be inappropriate for kids under 13.

For more information regarding the rest of the presentations at the Victoria Theatre and the Benjamin and Marion Schuster Performing Arts Center, visit www.victoriatheatre.com.