Le monde des musicals

Musical (2003)

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Musique: Jeff Marx • Robert Lopez •
Paroles: Jeff Marx • Robert Lopez •
Livret: Jeff Whitty •
Production à la création:

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.

Avenue Q” : où comment les humains comme les marionnettes affrontent les affres de la vie moderne. Cette comédie hilarante raconte l’arrivée à New York de Princeton avec ses grands rêves et son petit compte en banque, il s’installe alors Avenue Q et découvre un voisinage plutôt sympathique. Princeton se fait rapidement des amis , Brian le comédien au chômage et sa fiancé thérapeute Christmas Eve, Nicky la flemmarde au grand cœur et son colocataire Rod, un banquier républicain, Trekkie Monster l’accro à internet, et enfin Kate la ravissante maîtresse d’école. Princeton et ses nouveaux amis se retrouvent confrontés aux problèmes de la vie : trouver un emploi, l’amour ainsi que leur but dans la vie…
Une comédie plusieurs fois récompensée aux Etats-Unis !

Acte I
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 at Avenue A, he finally finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q. His new neighbors are Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant; Rod, an anal-retentive Republican banker, and Nicky, his slacker roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his day job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Asian 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
Princeton finds a lucky penny and starts searching for his purpose in life Purpose. Kate 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. Kate says that assumption is 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 her lesson will be the Internet, and all its educational attributes, but Trekkie Monster explains another reality of adulthood: lots of adults (men, anyway) use it for pornography. The Internet is for Porn
Princeton gives Kate a mixtape. His song selections are puzzling, making her wonder what message he is trying to send, but eventually she decides that he must like her Mixtape. Sure enough, he invites her on a date to the Around the Clock Café. Brian, the café's MC, does his raunchy standup act I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today, 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, and, once Kate is totally inebriated, that 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 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, Nicky blurts out his suspicion that Rod is gay. Rod, furious, insists he has a girlfriend named Alberta in Vancouver My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada and tells Nicky he is no longer welcome in their apartment.
When Kate catches Christmas Eve's wedding bouquet, Princeton confesses a fear of commitment and asks Kate if they can just be friends. Kate retorts that she has plenty of friends, and breaks off their relationship. There's a Fine, Fine Line

Acte II
A despondent Princeton has been holed up in his apartment after breaking up with Kate, but is 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 her anger means she loves Princeton. 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.
A homeless Nicky laments his fate to Gary, who 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. A hundred stories below, Lucy, walking by on 5th Avenue, is knocked unconscious by the penny.
Kate and Princeton unsuccessfully attempt to work out their problems over Lucy's comatose body. Rod is too proud to accept Nicky's repeated apologies, despite clearly missing him, and tearfully consults with 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. 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 looks and sounds exactly like Nicky. The Bad Idea Bears discover Scientology. Lucy, recovered from her head injury, 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 pass on everything he has learned about real life in 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

Avenue Q est un spectacle de marrionnettes. Surprenant ? Et pourtant ce n'est pas un spectacle pour les enfants, l'étiquette "Parental advisory, explicit content / Strong language, sexual content" collée sur le CD est de rigueur. Sans vulgarité mais avec beaucoup d'humour et de justesse, les acteurs/marionnetistes jouent à merveille.

1 Avenue Q est un musical abordant de manière centrale l'homosexualité.

Acte 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
"Mix Tape" – Kate 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

Acte 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
"Schadenfreude" – Gary and Nicky
"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

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Avenue Q

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Avenue Q

Avenue Q's unique presentation requires substantially more suspension of disbelief by audience members than normal. The cast consists of three human characters and eleven puppet characters who interact as if human, Sesame Street-style. The puppets are animated and voiced by actor/puppeteers who are present, unconcealed, onstage, but remain "invisible" relative to the storyline. That is, the puppets and human characters completely ignore the puppeteers, and the audience is expected to do so as well. This can be a challenge, as puppeteering mechanics are at times complex: the same puppet may be operated by different puppeteers in different scenes, and the actor voicing the puppet may not be the one animating it. One puppeteer sometimes voices two or more puppets simultaneously. Conversely, the so-called "live-hands" puppets (see Puppets, below) require two puppeteers – again, in full view of the audience.
The show draws considerable inspiration from Sesame Street, and substantially imitates its format. Marx interned at the program early in his career, and four of the original cast members—John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jennifer Barnhart and Rick Lyon—were Sesame Street performers. (D'Abruzzo returned to Sesame Street after leaving Avenue Q.[6]) Three of the puppet characters are direct, recognizable parodies of classic Sesame Street puppets: the roommates Rod and Nicky are a riff on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster bears the distinctive voice and disposition of Cookie Monster (though not his obsession with baked goods). (The production officially disclaims any connection with either Sesame Workshop or The Jim Henson Company.)
All of the characters, puppet and human, represent "amalgamations of things and feelings [Marx and Lopez had been] going through personally." The characters are young adults, searching for their "purpose" in life, and facing real-world adult problems with uncertain outcomes, as opposed to the simplistic problems and invariably happy resolutions faced by characters on children's television programming. Much of the show's ironic humor arises from its contrasts with Sesame Street, a metaphor of the contrasts between childhood and adulthood, and between the children's TV world and the real world. The story line presupposes the existence of "monsters" and talking animals; and human actors sing, dance, and interact with puppets, both human and non-human, as if they were sentient beings, in a light-hearted, quasi-fantasy environment. (No attempt is made to explain why seven of the human characters are played by puppets, while the other three are played by actual humans.) However, the characters face real-world problems; they use abundant profanity in dialogue and musical lyrics; there are episodes of "full puppet nudity" (and puppet sex); and many songs and sub-plots address decidedly adult themes, such as racism, pornography, homosexuality, and schadenfreude.
The show also employs a highly unusual plot device: a real-life, present-day celebrity inserted as a character in a fictional situation within the story. Gary Coleman, the juvenile actor who played Arnold Jackson in the 1980s American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, and later famously sued his parents and business advisers over misappropriation of his assets,[9] is portrayed (by a woman in most productions) as an adult, forced to accept a job as a building superintendent in the run-down Avenue Q neighborhood due to his dire financial situation. The show's creators have explained this trope as an illustration of "one of the most important themes in Avenue Q...that life isn't as easy as we've been led to believe...and who better to symbolize the oh-so-special-as-a-kid/but-not-so-special-as-an-adult thing we all faced than Gary Coleman? He's practically the poster child."
Marx and Lopez have also said they originally intended to offer the Gary Coleman role to Coleman himself, and he expressed interest in accepting it. However, he never showed up for a meeting scheduled to discuss it. Coleman later threatened repeatedly to sue Avenue Q producers for their depiction of him, but ultimately did not.
When Coleman died on May 28, 2010, casts of both the Off Broadway production in New York City and the second national tour in Dallas dedicated that evening's performances to his memory. The Coleman character remains in the show with modified dialogue.