Puppets and Fairfield students alike will take the stage when the hit musical “Avenue Q”comes to Fairfield on April 22 to April 26.
The musical has won the Tony Awards’ “Triple Crown” in 2004: Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The music and lyrics were written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and the book was written by Jeff Whitty.
“Avenue Q” is a puppet show for adults that tackles adult problems in a humorous way. It is based on an original concept by Lopez and Marx. Lopez, who wrote the music for 2013’s hit Disney movie “Frozen,” said that “after seeing ‘South Park’ something was dislodged, and I realized, ‘Oh, what if we took ‘Sesame Street’ and applied it to the problems of being an adult?’”
Some of the songs from the musical include, “What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?,” “There Is Life Outside Your Apartment” and “I Wish I Could Go Back to College.”
Characters struggling to find purpose in life express their woes through these songs and many more. The play deals with relatable themes such as apathy, lack of purpose and struggling with student loans. These all-too understandable problems will surely make the show a hit among Fairfield students.
Princeton, the main character who is portrayed by Sean Switzer ’17, is a recent college graduate who moves into a New York apartment on Avenue Q. On this street, he meets the rest of the zany cast of characters, Kate (Cristelle Sens-Castet ’15), Rod (Alex Mongillo ’16), Trekkie (Franco Luzzi ’15), Lucy (Maggie Greene ’15) and many other wacky puppets that help Princeton find his way in the world.
The cast of this production also includes Alec Bandzes ’15, Lizzie Bateson ’16, Liam Cahill ’18, Brendan McNamara ’17, Katie Premus ’15, Tori Schuchmann ’16 and Danny Ward ’18. The crew includes Lynne Chase as the lighting designer, Julie Leavitt as the costume designer, Lynne Porter as the scenic designer and Jeremy Jenkins as the technical director. Guests artists coming to Fairfield for the show include Jackob Hofmann as the director, David Harris as the music director and Linda Wingerter as the puppet master.
“Of course I think this show is relevant for college students about to graduate, but I also think it’s universal,” stated Hofmann. “Even though there’s a lot of satire, dirty jokes and off-the-wall humor, there’s a heart to this play.”
The musical will be performed at the Wien Experimental Theatre at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. There will be a performance every night at 8 p.m. from April 22 to April 26, and there will be 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets will be $12 general admission, $6 for seniors and University staff and $5 for students.
Theatre Fairfield is the resident production company at Fairfield. They produce three or more productions every year.
This play contains inappropriate material for some audiences and is not recommended for children under the age of 17.
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