#1
Posted: 9/13/09 at 11:37pm
Not really a review, more of an extended post of me gushing about how much I love Avenue Q and how amazing the final performance was. So yes, I am biased.
First of all, the lottery was PACKED. Easily more than 100 people there, for only 6 names. The show was completely sold out, so there was nothing like a Rent final performance where they pulled more tickets out of nowhere. So the odds were mad unfavorable.
A mostly unenthusiastic few were chosen, including a guy who automatically held up two tickets in the air and promptly sold them for face value.
The Golden was mobbed with producers, actors, creatives before the show, since basically all of the tickets were pulled and the show was full of people who have been (or I guess, will be) involved with the show. This kind of made for an audience full of people who were familiar with the jokes, but absolutely nothing was modest about the laughter.
It was truly an honor to see the Golden so full of life after having seen the show many times with a near-empty rear mezzanine. The most applause were probably for Ann Harada after "The More You Ruv Someone," "My Girlfriend who Lives in Canada," and, pleasantly, "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today." All characters and puppets got entrance applause, including the Bad Idea Bears (Ricky got modest applause).
The show went along without a hitch, no stepping out of character or sobbing on stage. During "For Now," casts from Vegas, Broadway, Tour, the creative team, designers, etc all came out and sang the final verses, including "This show! is only for now."
We were then treated to about 10 minutes of speeches, which included jokes about the Tony Award and how long the show has run, and probably the best line of the night: "What's an Oleanna?"
And you all know by now that yes, we were told that Avenue Q now has a home at the New World Stages, starting 3.5 weeks from tonight. Tickets are already on sale. This news got an insane amount of applause from the audience, and I don't think there was anyone in the theatre, cast included, who wasn't shocked by the news.
I asked a couple of actors at the stage door if they were continuing with the show and they told us that they had no idea that the show was transferring.
An absolutely magnificent evening of theatre, and the most emotionally-charged roller coaster I have ever been on. I don't hide the fact that Avenue Q is my favorite musical that I have ever seen, nor can I count the number of times I have actually seen the show, but the final performance was not the sob-fest I thought it would be. Even before it was announced that the show would be transferring, it was clear that this was a celebration of the success of a show that was severely underestimated every step of the way. All good things must come to an end, but everything in life is only for now.
And for all of the people I saw on these boards talk about how they never saw the show, or never gave it a chance, or it wasn't "up their alley," you now have more time to see it. Do NOT put it off.
First of all, the lottery was PACKED. Easily more than 100 people there, for only 6 names. The show was completely sold out, so there was nothing like a Rent final performance where they pulled more tickets out of nowhere. So the odds were mad unfavorable.
A mostly unenthusiastic few were chosen, including a guy who automatically held up two tickets in the air and promptly sold them for face value.
The Golden was mobbed with producers, actors, creatives before the show, since basically all of the tickets were pulled and the show was full of people who have been (or I guess, will be) involved with the show. This kind of made for an audience full of people who were familiar with the jokes, but absolutely nothing was modest about the laughter.
It was truly an honor to see the Golden so full of life after having seen the show many times with a near-empty rear mezzanine. The most applause were probably for Ann Harada after "The More You Ruv Someone," "My Girlfriend who Lives in Canada," and, pleasantly, "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today." All characters and puppets got entrance applause, including the Bad Idea Bears (Ricky got modest applause).
The show went along without a hitch, no stepping out of character or sobbing on stage. During "For Now," casts from Vegas, Broadway, Tour, the creative team, designers, etc all came out and sang the final verses, including "This show! is only for now."
We were then treated to about 10 minutes of speeches, which included jokes about the Tony Award and how long the show has run, and probably the best line of the night: "What's an Oleanna?"
And you all know by now that yes, we were told that Avenue Q now has a home at the New World Stages, starting 3.5 weeks from tonight. Tickets are already on sale. This news got an insane amount of applause from the audience, and I don't think there was anyone in the theatre, cast included, who wasn't shocked by the news.
I asked a couple of actors at the stage door if they were continuing with the show and they told us that they had no idea that the show was transferring.
An absolutely magnificent evening of theatre, and the most emotionally-charged roller coaster I have ever been on. I don't hide the fact that Avenue Q is my favorite musical that I have ever seen, nor can I count the number of times I have actually seen the show, but the final performance was not the sob-fest I thought it would be. Even before it was announced that the show would be transferring, it was clear that this was a celebration of the success of a show that was severely underestimated every step of the way. All good things must come to an end, but everything in life is only for now.
And for all of the people I saw on these boards talk about how they never saw the show, or never gave it a chance, or it wasn't "up their alley," you now have more time to see it. Do NOT put it off.
