Opera House Players, Broad Brook, CT
through February 21, 2016
By R.E. Smith
By turns hilarious, touching, topical and raunchy, “Avenue
Q” has everything one could hope for in a puppet musical, especially if one is
hoping for catchy songs and intimate, R-rated, felt-based relationships. The
story tracks the lives of the millennial denizens of a street not unlike one
called “Sesame,” (complete with educational animations), as they deal with
“real life” and their relationships with each other.
Half of the team that wrote the book, music and lyrics, is
Robert Lopez, also partly responsible for “The Book of Mormon” and “Frozen,” so
expect zippy one-liners set to hummable ditties such as “It Sucks to Be Me,
sung by performers operating puppets. It takes some real musical chops to
create a humorous tune on the topic of “Schadenfreude” as song by a fictional
Gary Coleman.
As broadly humorous as the idea may seem, a lot has to go
right for concept to succeed and not seem like amateur hour. Fortunately, the
Opera House Players have mastered all the elements, starting first and foremost
with the cast. Although speaking through their puppets, one cannot help but
split one’s attention between watching the puppet and the actual performer.
Whichever one is chosen, both deliver an enjoyable performance.
Kellie Comer, as Kate Monster, never wavers in her
commitment to making sure her furry counterpart is always “emoting,” all the
while giving a multi-dimensional performance herself. She can deliver a curse
word and sing the tender “There’s a Fine, Fine Line” with equal aplomb. Ryan
Pipke manages 2 totally different characters, “Trekkie Monster” and “Nicky”,
sometimes at the same time. In these cases he is often assisted by Alysa Auriemma,
who still gives complete performances even when she is
literally lending an extra hand. Pipke’s vocalizations
definitely carry a hint of familiarity that helps underscore the humor in “The
Internet is for Porn” and “If You Were Gay.” Auriemma’s solo as “Lucy” in “
Special”, showed that a puppet can be droll and ribald simultaneously. Michelle
Ortiz-Saltmarsh and Daniel Viets as the “Bad Idea Bears” were perfect comic
foils, cute and cheerfully malevolent. On the wholly human side, and more
caricature then the puppets, is “Christmas Eve” given real energy and presence
by Sandra W. Lee, especially when she explains the conflicting emotions that
occur “When You Ruv Someone.”
“Avenue Q” takes the familiar, turns it sideways, gets your
toes tapping, and leaves a smile on your face. Perfect for a February date
night at the theater!
