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Avenue Q is an American musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who together, wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore. Avenue Q is an "autobiographical and biographical" coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Its characters lament that as children, they were assured by their parents, and by children's television programs such as PBS's Sesame Street, that they were "special" and "could do anything"; but as adults, they have discovered to their surprise and dismay that in the real world their options are limited, and they are no more "special" than anyone else. The musical is notable for the use of puppets, animated by unconcealed puppeteers, alongside human actors.

Originally conceived as a television series, the show was developed as a stage production at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, co-produced by The New Group and the Vineyard Theatre, and transferred to Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and spawned Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions.

With 2,534 performances, Avenue Q ranks 23rd on the list of longest running shows in Broadway history. The show ended its Broadway run on September 13, 2009, and then reopened Off-Broadway at New World Stages in October 2009.

Plot
Setting: a fictional street in an "outer-outer borough" of New York City

Act one
Princeton, a recent college graduate, is anxious to discover his purpose in life; but first, he must find an apartment and a job, with no work experience and an English degree. ("What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?") Beginning his search on Avenue A, he finally finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q. His new neighbors are Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant who can't find a boyfriend; Rod, an anal-retentive Republican banker; Nicky, Rod's slacker roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients; Trekkie Monster, a surly recluse who surfs the Internet all day in search of porn; and Gary Coleman, the building superintendent. Arguments ensue over whose life sucks the most. ("It Sucks to Be Me")

Nicky, who is straight, suspects that Rod is gay, and assures Rod it is okay with him if he is; but Rod insists he is not. ("If You Were Gay"). Gary, after helping Princeton move, hands Princeton a pile of bills to pay. Princeton receives a call to tell him that the call centre that he was going to start work at the next day had downsized and that there was no job for him. Gary reassures him that another opportunity will present itself. Princeton finds a penny from the year that he was born in and takes it as a sign that he needs to discover his purpose in life. ("Purpose") As part of his journey into finding his purpose, Princeton asks Kate about what her purpose is and Kate reveals that she dreams of starting a "Monstersori" school for young "people of fur". Princeton innocently asks Kate if she and Trekkie are related, since they are both monsters, but Kate angrily pronounces his assumption racist. Princeton, taken aback, counters that Kate's Monstersori School would discriminate against non-monsters. They and the neighbors agree that racism is an adult reality. (“Everyone's a Little Bit Racist”)

Princeton receives money from his parents, and the Bad Idea Bears, two charming troublemakers, convince him to spend it on beer. Kate's boss, Mrs. Thistletwat, assigns Kate to teach the next morning's kindergarten class, her first solo teaching opportunity. She decides that her lesson will be about the Internet and all its educational attributes, but Trekkie Monster and the male neighbors explain another reality of adulthood: Lots of adults—even "normal people"—use it to find pornography. ("The Internet is for Porn")

Kate is attracted to Princeton but wonders if Princeton likes her back. Princeton gives Kate a mixtape. She takes this as a sign that he secretly is attracted to her but his song selections are puzzling and give mixed messages ("Mixtape") He reveals that he is going to make further copies of the tape for his other friends but then invites her on a date to the Around the Clock Café to see a singer. Brian, the café's MC, does a raunchy standup act to lackluster applause. ("I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today") He then introduces Lucy the Slut, a skanky chanteuse who wows the guys, especially Princeton, with a seductive cabaret number. ("Special") The Bad Idea Bears suggest that Kate and Princeton order some "harmless" Long Island Iced Teas. Kate is initially hesitant but is once again corrupted by the Bad Idea Bears who challenge her and Princeton to a drinking game. Lucy flirts with Princeton which makes Kate jealous. Once Kate is totally inebriated Princeton take her home to bed.

Kate and Princeton have enthusiastic, high-decibel sex. Gary fields angry calls from other tenants but refuses to intercede. ("You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want When You're Makin' Love") Meanwhile, Rod hears Nicky say, "I love you, Rod," in his sleep, and is jubilant—but eventually realizes it was he who was dreaming. Kate and Princeton profess their mutual love, and Princeton gives Kate his lucky penny. ("Fantasies Come True")

The next morning, a hung-over Kate oversleeps and misses her teaching assignment. Mrs. Thistletwat berates her, and Kate angrily quits her job before she can be fired. Christmas Eve decides unilaterally that it is time she and Brian were married. At the wedding Rod is upset that he doesn't have a partner. Christmas Eve suggests that he should get a girlfriend but Gary says that she thought Rod was gay. They ask Nicky who blurts out loud (with Rod within earshot) his suspicion that Rod is gay. Rod, furious, says that he is wrong and makes up a lie that he has a girlfriend named Alberta who lives in Vancouver ("My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada"). He tells Nicky that he is no longer welcome in their apartment.

At the wedding Princeton starts panicking about how fast his relationship is moving with Kate and worries that it will detract him from finding his purpose. After Kate "catches" Christmas Eve's wedding bouquet (she steals it from of a little girl), Princeton panics and expressed his fear that Kate is detracting him from finding his purpose. He asks Kate if they can just be friends. Kate retorts that she already has plenty of friends, and breaks off their relationship. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line")

Act two
A despondent Princeton has been holed up in his apartment for two weeks after breaking up with Kate. The Bad Idea Bears try to cheer him up to no success. He is eventually coaxed out by the neighbors. ("There is Life Outside Your Apartment") Lucy is looking for a place to crash and seduces the rebounding Princeton. Kate is angry, but Christmas Eve explains that she would not be angry if she were not in love with him. ("The More You Ruv Someone") Kate writes a note to Princeton suggesting that they rendezvous at the Empire State Building and leaves it with Lucy, who promptly destroys it.

After being evicted from Rod's apartment, Nicky is living with Brian and Christmas Eve who evict him for being a messy roommate. As his last resort Nicky asks Gary if he can live with him. Gary tells Nicky to live on the street and confesses that he is deriving pleasure from Nicky's misfortune. ("Schadenfreude")

On the Empire State Building's viewing platform, Kate, thinking that Princeton has stood her up, throws his lucky penny away. Meanwhile, Lucy leaves promptly after her one night stand with Princeton. Princeton catches up with her on Fifth Avenue and Lucy tells Princeton that he is not special and she had no interest in continuing a relationship with him. Princeton's lucky penny hits Lucy and she is knocked unconscious. Kate and Princeton unsuccessfully attempt to work out their problems over Lucy's comatose body. Lucy develops asystole but then comes back to life.

Nicky sees Rod whilst begging for money. Nicky tries apologizing but Rod is too proud to accept Nicky's apologies, despite clearly missing him, and tearfully consults Christmas Eve. Princeton, Kate, and Nicky dream of returning to happier times. ("I Wish I Could Go Back to College")

Princeton gives a still-homeless, panhandling Nicky a quarter, and marvels at how fantastic he feels. Since thinking only about himself has gotten him nowhere, he decides to raise money to build Kate's Monstersori School. He solicits everyone, even breaking the fourth wall to shake down the audience, ("The Money Song") with disappointing results; but Trekkie Monster, recalling his own traumatic school experience, donates ten million dollars—explaining to the astonished cast, "In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!" ("School for Monsters/The Money Song (Reprise)")

Kate joyfully opens her new school. Brian lands a consulting job and Christmas Eve finally has a paying client (Rod), so the newlyweds move to a better neighborhood: Flushing, Queens. Rod finally comes out, to no one's particular surprise, and takes Nicky back in. Nicky finds Rod a boyfriend—Ricky, a muscle-bound hunk who otherwise looks and sounds exactly like Nicky. The Bad Idea Bears discover Scientology. Lucy reveals that she has been "saved by the Lord" and becomes a born-again Christian and takes a vow of chastity. Kate and Princeton agree to give their relationship another go. ("There's a Fine, Fine Line (Reprise)")

A new college graduate inquires about the vacancy in the building, ("What Do You Do with a BA in English (Reprise)") and Princeton has an epiphany: maybe his purpose is to put everything he learned into a Broadway musical. Everybody, especially the new guy, immediately ridicules him. The cast reminds Princeton that in the real world many people never find their purpose; but life goes on, and everything—both good and bad—is "only for now." ("For Now")

Musical numbers

 * Act I
 * "The Avenue Q Theme" – Company
 * "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?" – Princeton
 * "It Sucks to Be Me" – Brian, Kate Monster, Rod, Nicky, Christmas Eve, Gary Coleman, and Princeton
 * "If You Were Gay" – Nicky with Rod
 * "Purpose" – Princeton and Company (via "singing boxes")
 * "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" – Princeton, Kate, Gary, Brian, and Christmas Eve
 * "The Internet Is for Porn" – Kate, Trekkie Monster, Brian, Gary Coleman, Rod, and Princeton
 * "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" – Brian
 * "Special" – Lucy
 * "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)" – Gary, The Bad Idea Bears, Princeton, Kate, and Company
 * "Fantasies Come True" – Rod, Kate, Nicky and Princeton
 * "My Girlfriend, Who Lives in Canada" – Rod
 * "There's a Fine, Fine Line" – Kate


 * Act II
 * "It Sucks to Be Me" (Reprise) ‡ – Princeton
 * "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment" – Brian, Princeton, Christmas Eve, Gary, Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, and Company
 * "The More You Ruv Someone" – Christmas Eve and Kate
 * "I Wish I Could Go Back to College" – Kate, Nicky and Princeton
 * "The Money Song" – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
 * "School for Monsters" – Trekkie Monster and Company
 * "The Money Song" (Reprise) – Nicky, Princeton, Gary, Brian and Christmas Eve
 * "There's a Fine, Fine Line" (Reprise) – Princeton and Kate
 * "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?" (Reprise) – Newcomer
 * "For Now" – Company

‡ = "It Sucks to Be Me (Reprise)" was not part of the original show or original cast recording. It was added to the Las Vegas production, and subsequently became part of the current off-Broadway show.

Instrumentation
The musical is scored for bass (acoustic and electric), drums/percussion (drum kit, bell tree, bongos, china cymbal, cowbell, egg shaker, finger cymbals, ice bell, mark tree, ratchet, siren whistle, slide whistle, tambourine, temple blocks, triangle, vibraslap, and wood block), guitars (acoustic, electric, and banjo), reeds (Bb clarinet, alto sax, and flute), and two electronic keyboards.

Other Avenue Q songs
Eight additional songs were written for Avenue Q or associated promotions, but are not part of the show itself.


 * "Only in Vegas": This parody of Las Vegas-style show tunes was written to promote the Las Vegas production. It featured Rick Lyon operating a Steve Wynn puppet, who tells the cast of Avenue Q how happy they will be in Las Vegas. The song was performed on the Regis and Kelly syndicated television show and in some press and media events.


 * "Rod's Christmas": Found on the CD Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 5: Rod headlines at the "Don't Tell Daddy's Cabaret and Night Club" (a parody of the New York piano bar Don't Tell Mama, which is named for a song from the musical Cabaret). Rod sings that Christmas is the time of year where he can combine his two great loves, "Christmas carols and show tunes."