Avenue Q OBCR: Does the novelty wear off?

I have a feeling I might get harangued for this.


But does anyone else find that each time they listen to the OBCR of Avenue Q, there seems to be just a little less to it than the last time.

It seems like most of the songs, the more I listen to them, the more I seem to not enjoy them as much.

Perhaps it is beacuse many of the songs could be considered novelties and the jokes begin to wear thin after the umpteenth listen.

The songs that I do not find myself growing tired of ('Purpose,' 'There's A Fine, Fine Line' and 'The More You Ruv Someone') seem to be the ones without the over-the-top humor.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Avenue Q when I first heard it, and still do. But it seems I love it a little less and less as time goes by, which is the opposite of what usually happens.

I usually grow more fond of Cast Recordings as I listen to them more and more.

Does anyone else feel this way? (Either with Avenue Q or any other CR?)

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Well, I guess I should clarify this is going solely on the Cast Recording, as I have (regretfully) yet to see it live.

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I actually find myself in that position pretty often, unless it's one of the shows that I really, truly love - one of those that I could go back and watch again and again. After I see a show, if I like it, that cast recording will literally be all I listen to for days, sometimes even weeks. Then, eventually, I'll get slightly tired of it, and put it back in the regular rotation, occasionally pulling it out and re-discovering it. I think Avenue Q is a good example to that point in general, though. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Avenue Q, but I think it's a great example of a CR where the novelty wears off, probably because at first, the humour is so blantantly obvious and over-the-top. Once you know those jokes, most of them just aren't laugh-out-loud funny anymore... I don't think it says anything bad for the show, but it's just a fact of habituation. Avenue Q may also be such a good example because, honestly, I don't think its score is that brilliant. The lyrics, IMO, are wonderfully witty, but musically, it's just not really that sophisticated, and I guess that might make it kind of easy to get tired of.

That said, please don't hang me. You all know I love Q.

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Loved it when I first got it, still love it today.
I see what you're saying though, I do find myself skipping thru to hear "Purpose", "Fantasies Come True", "My Girlfriend who Lives in Canada", "Fine Fine Line" and "The More you Ruv Someone"... The others don't get as much play as they used to...
It's not because I don't find the jokes funny anymore, i've seen the show too many times to count, and still find it amusing... It's more about personal preference..

I still love the OBCR, but of course, once the surprise out of ANY comedic work is gone, it's never as funny as the first time you hear it

So are you. Happy Holidays, Corine.

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I definitely agree with Priest. Although, I never really liked this CD to begin with. I could never listen to this CD the whole way through and actually enjoy it - I thought the jokes were tired and songs were annoying to begin with. Don't get me wrong - the FIRST time I heard them I thought they were cute and clever, but I don't see HOW people can sit there and listen to this CD over and over - the CD literally drives me up the wall.

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I have a love/hate relationship with Q. I'm over all of the "comedic" songs for the time being, and I can only listen to Purpose without getting bored and changing the song.

I completely agree. The novelty of many of the songs has worn off, and I find myself being increasingly drawn to several of the more meaningful songs. The one "funny" song that I still love beyond belief though- "I'm not Wearing Underwear Today". Probably because it's just so random.

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Priest, the only thing I can possibly say is that I completely agree with every single word you said. You have voiced what I've been feeling about Q for oh, the past three months. Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels it's lost its magic.

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It's true. It does sorta lose its novelty. I don't like it as much as I used to.

I completely agree. I bought months ago, listened to it like crazy, and then it has faded away. All my other showtunes have ittle re-emergences back into my life but I don't like Avenue Q like I once did.

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It's the same way with WICKED. It's one of my favorite shows, but I feel like throwing up everytime I listen to the OBCR!