It’s amazing when a local theater company proves they have what it takes to raise the bar—and that’s what has happened with the Revolution Stage Company, and their production of the Tony Award-winning smash-hit musical, Avenue Q.
The exceptional cast of 10 outstanding performers, handpicked by producers James Owens and Gary Powers, gifts the audience with fast-paced, high-energy fun.
In this extremely adult musical-parody version of Sesame Street (with lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, and the book by Jeff Whitty), puppets and humans intermingle. We quickly meet Princeton, who is trying to find his purpose. He’s an optimistic graduate with big aspirations and a minuscule bank account venturing into the bustling landscape of New York City. He sets up residence on Avenue Q, a quirky neighborhood inhabited by a cast of eccentric characters. Princeton is played by the talented Patrick Wallace, who not only has to effortlessly manipulate his puppet; his flawless acting and physicality are spot-on and seem effortless, too. He’s a recent transplant from the Bay Area; keep an eye on this young man, as I am sure he will become a star in the desert.
Brian, the unemployed human comedian, is played with perfect groaner-joke ability by Steve Giboney. His playfully awkward and humorous line delivery immediately show why Brian is unemployed. His therapist fiancée, Christmas Eve, played by Christine Michele, is a steamroller of humor, strong singing ability and a welcome lack of political correctness. The role is written to steal every moment, but it takes a skilled actress to squeeze every drop of funny out of each punchline—and Michele does just that.
Next are the unapologetic “Bert and Ernie” rip-offs: Nicky, the benevolent slacker, is brought to life with pure sweetness and intense likability by Joseph Portoles, an actor with clear singing chops and good comedic timing. His closeted gay Republican roommate, Rod, is played to stuffy perfection by Samuel Moffatt.
The audience favorite comes in the large, furry puppet form of an internet addict named Trekkie Monster (Miguel Arballo). Let’s just say that when Trekkie Monster takes matters into his own hands, the audience screams with laughter. Arballo is tall, but he is somehow able to disappear when he brings his larger-than-life, pervy puppet onto the stage.
Another puppet monster is the adorable kindergarten teacher Kate Monster (Phylicia Mason). She is by far the most subtle character—until she boldly drops a F-bomb, leaving the audience momentarily stunned, then howling with laughter. Her puppet is the least animated, but that minimal quality somehow seems just right for Kate Monster. Mason has a lovely singing voice that soars over the audience in one of the few ballads within this energetic musical: The poignant “There’s a Fine, Fine, Line” is just one of the many strong truthful moments that brings heart and depth to this production.
In every good plot, there has to be an antagonist, and here, it is the sultry, curvy seductress puppet known as Lucy the Slut (Jana Giboney). The saucy cabaret singer appears with her number “Special” at the Around the Clock Café, drawing undivided attention from the male puppets in the crowd. Lucy appears three-quarters of the way through the first act, but Giboney makes her presence known by taking command of the stage. She makes Lucy the character you love to hate.
The neighborhood wouldn’t be complete without the building supervisor, who is none other than Gary Coleman from TV’s Diff’rent Strokes, exquisitely played by powerhouse Alisha Bates. Known throughout the desert for her Broadway/gospel vocal chops, she seems to enjoy the hell of out the role, complete with the famous catch phrase, “What’chu talkin’ about, Willis?” Her vocals excel in “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love)” and “Schadenfruede.”
Several of the actors step in briefly to play minor characters. Jana Giboney stopped the show for a moment with her outrageous New York character puppet, Mrs. Thistletwat. Kelly McDaniel and Portoles play the cuddly “Bad Idea Bears,” the devil-on-your-shoulder conscience advisers. McDaniel also plays the second hand of the puppet Nicky. Next to those of Trekkie Monster, this is the hardest-working hand in the show.
Director James Owens keeps the flow of this over-the-top musical moving with continuous raunchy fun. As Owens said in his opening curtain speech, “If puppet sex offends you, then this probably wasn’t the best choice for you tonight!” He was able to maneuver the 10 actors, and their puppets, with nice stage pictures and focused blocking, despite the relatively small performance space.
The other director responsible for the evening’s success is the musical director, Stephen Hulsey. While most of us prefer live musicians, the recorded score didn’t mar my experience, because the cast sold it from beginning to end, guided by a steady, knowledgeable musician.
The sound mix for the music was fine, but some performers’ microphones were not at the same level as others. A few times, dialog during character entrances was lost because microphone volumes were too low, or even off.
Run, don’t walk, to see this outstanding production. If you do miss it, then to quote the residents of Avenue Q: “It sucks to be you!”
Avenue Q will be performed at 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, through Thursday, Jan. 25; and 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Revolution Stage Company, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $35 to $45. For tickets or more information, visit www.revolutionstagecompany.com.