Avenue Q- Page 4

[Ilive4nyc]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 6:29pm

Hi there, sorry if this has been discussed already, but can someone tell me how the lottery has been since John left? Also how would the lottery be on a Thursday night?

Thanks for any help!

[jeffmarx]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 6:31pm

I was going to chime in about whether or not there's a plot, but realized I don't want to argue about it. So I'd rather not say.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 6:33pm

*applauds Jeff*

I finally decided to read this thread, and the first three posts made my head spin. Most of the people on this thread don't even deserve to have anything explained to them; the first attack was completely and totally useless. Get over yourselves.

... back to your regularly scheduled catfight.

[Raggy Q poo]

Posted: 2/20/05 at 6:46pm

Well, Jeff; since you are 1 of the creators, I'd like to know your opinion if there is a plot or a theme, or rather what you planned on there being.

Nobody can argue with you because you are the creator! Creators know everything!!!

And whether it is theme or plot, the mature people will accept your answer (even me )

Love to the Q!

[jeffmarx]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 12:41am

Well I hate to get in the middle of such an intelligent discussion, folks, but if you really want to know -- I'd have to agree with Codine2......

You may not like the story Avenue Q is telling, but I would hardly say there's no story there.

The show does deal with a lot of themes like homosexuality, racism, etc. but it's not like we go from one to another like an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Our bookwriter, Jeff Whitty did a terrific job (in my unbiased opinion, of course) of fitting all the songs together into a cohesive story and making sure they all belong and make sense in the context of the plot -- which wasn't an easy task, considering that most of the songs were written before the book was. In fact, in the interest of servicing the plot, we ended up cutting a lot of songs which no longer fit as the story developed, much to Bobby's and my dismay... (The one we hated losing most, "Tear It Up and Throw It Away" was later recorded for inclusion in the souvenir programs.)

I might add, as Codine2 was kind enough to point out, that 735 Tony voters in their "infinite wisdom" chose to give the Tony for best book to Jeff Whitty over the bookwriters for The Boy From Oz, Wicked, and Caroline, or Change (some hefty competition!!!)

So that's my 2 cents. I think the show would get really tiresome really fast if it were just a bunch of funny songs and sketches without a compelling plotline running through the show. Feel free to disagree...

Again, you might not like our plot much, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say we don't have one at all. If anything, I think we have quite a few plots going on at the same time -- Kate & Princeton's meeting and love story, Nicky & Rod's story, Rod's personal journey, Princeton's search for his purpose (which starts at the very beginning of the show and continues through the end of the show), Kate's seeking a boyfriend and the developing story/journey there, Kate's story with her job and her school, etc.

I really didn't mean to get into this discussion, so I'm going to drop out now and let you all take it from here -- but you asked what I thought, so there it is.

Incidentally, when we were first hashing out the story, we had endless discussions over just how much the show should be revue-like (like a certain tv show) and how much it should be a real traditional book-musical. In the end, we decided that to sustain a 2 hour theater experience, a revue (whatever themes notwithstanding) wouldn't work, it had to be a real book-musical with an arc, where the audience cares about and follows the characters' journeys. Whether we succeeded in that regard or not is a matter of opinion, but a book-musical is certainly what we were aiming to write.

Thanks to those who have such nice things to say about Avenue Q... It's so nice to hear that what we worked so hard on is connecting with and bringing a kick to people. :)

I RUV BOOK-MUSICALS!

Jeff

[Jwei123]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 12:45am

Jeff~ thank you for taking the time to post that (and for having the best name ever (i have it too!!! :)..)) We at BWW really appreciate, and avenue Q being one of my favorite musicals, i am glad that i share this space with someone like yourself

...and i agree..jeff's book (wow ANOTHER awesome name! haha) is SO hilarious. I know ultra conservative people who saw Q and thought everything was just a riot. If you can do that to them (trust me...they are the anal conservative type), Q can be for anyone! Thanks again :)

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 12:55am

Thank you Jeff...

And in case anyone missed it, my first comment of this thread was "Are you joking?" That was to Raggy who said Q doesn't have a story...

And MUNK - I think I just laughed the hardest ever at your comment (probably because I am tired as hell):

How are AQ and DRS similar?

Munk: They are both musicals

ok, not so funny at the time...but when I read it, I laughed...

_end stupidity...


JWEI - You mean like my 76 yo uncle who laughed at AQ's...umm...more explicit jokes? Updated On: 2/21/05 at 12:55 AM

[QtKt]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 7:55am

Yikes.. my sentiments exactly!
Thanks for posting Jeff! We ruv ya!
And what a great book-musical it is..... Thank you for bringing it to the stage, it means a lot to a lot of us. (and personally, I think it's just an incredible, original plot)

[Corine2]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 8:03am

Very funny Codine2.
And Jeff did you bid on Trekkie?
Updated On: 2/21/05 at 08:03 AM

[Raggy Q poo]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 8:25am

Jeff- Thanks for explaining

To the rest of you all...we can all have our own opinions...we just don't need to fight and argue over them.

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 10:41am

This is what a member of the board, FindingName I believe, had to say about me, after I expressed my opinion on this thread:

"First off, Auntie Codine, just look at your icon and then look at OrdifaggyJukebox's. He looks like a young version of the lead singer of Harvey Danger, but with an extra helping of gay(tm)! Unless he's a girl, in which case he's a future one of those big large lesbians.

Secondly Codine, all of us gay boys on this site have been your boyfriends for years, even though many of us are also your nephews and your sons and your mothers. But that's okay because that is the kind of family we are here. Except for SubparJerkoff there. Didn't artfag glass frames go out in like 1997?


OMG! I just looked back and saw that he signs his things "Vincent!" This is just like It's Pat!"

Does anyone else on this board find this rude and uncalled for? It's okay to use words like "fag" on this board to insult people? Well then, two simple words for you. F*CK you.

-Vincent

[La Vie Boheme]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 11:36am

IM GONNA BE THERE TOMORROW!

Its my first time seeing it and i cant wait!

Will anyone else be there?

Ill be in NYC Tuesday and Wed!

[Plum]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:21pm

OrdinaryJukebox, if you have issues with Namo take it up with him or the mods.

[OrdinaryJukebox1]

Posted: 2/21/05 at 1:55pm

Is that a "polite" way of saying that I shouldn't have defended myself on the board. Should someone not have said to him, "Wow, that's really quite rude, but if you feel like verbally bashing someone, take it up with him"? Unreal...