Avenue Q School Edition

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:02pm

It's in the works. Received this email from MTI today-

Dear Friend of MTI:

We’re delighted to announce that MTI has acquired the rights to represent the exciting and edgy hit musical AVENUE Q! While it is not available for general release at this time, we wanted you to know that in conjunction with the authors, the plan is to release two versions of the show: AVENUE Q School Edition (suitable for High Schools to perform, with any material that might be deemed “questionable” for a general audience altered or removed) and the full version of AVENUE Q, with variations for sections/songs/lyrics that will allow a production to retain as much of the original as possible, but be flexible to allow theatres to amend it within author-approved guidelines for various community standards.

We have set up two special FAST TRACK notification pages for these versions of AVENUE Q. We also have included a text field where you can make any comments or give us your thoughts about how you think AVENUE Q will work in your theatre. We look forward to hearing from you!

Your friends at MTI!


ETA: http://www.mtishows.com/email/AvenueQ_announce.htm

Updated On: 5/7/07 at 09:02 PM

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:08pm

No. Bad idea.

These productions are going to kill the show and its amusement/purpose.

ESPECIALLY if there are no puppets-- just isn't going to work.

No.

[goofy108]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:12pm

where does it say no puppets?

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:17pm

How many high school students do you know that are skilled puppeteers?

[TheaterAddict7652]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:17pm

Having a "school edition" of Avenue Q kind of defeats the entire point of the show

[Tag]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:19pm

Avenue Q sold out when they opened the Vegas company. Anyone really surprised?

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:20pm

This is almost laughable. Yeah, I thought Rent the school edition was a bad idea, but this really takes the cake.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:21pm

Please, SweetQ.

You haven't seen the final product, so you have no idea if it will work out or not. If it gives the chance for schools and theatres to do the show who otherwise wouldn't be able to, why on earth is that a bad thing?

[James885]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:26pm

This seems like a really bad idea. What makes Avenue Q such a riot is all the adult humor. If you take that away, what's left?

And what are they gonna do about the puppets???

Updated On: 5/7/07 at 09:26 PM

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:30pm

"AVENUE Q School Edition (suitable for High Schools to perform, with any material that might be deemed “questionable” for a general audience altered or removed)"

This part cracks me up. If you remove all the "questionable" material, what exactly is left? The show would be like 20 minutes long!

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:36pm

Well, I assume they won't be taking out EVERYTHING. Just the more extreme stuff.

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:36pm

I just want to know what they're going to tell all those high schoolers that the internet is for...

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:41pm

"Well, I assume they won't be taking out EVERYTHING. Just the more extreme stuff."

Uhhh....remember these are for high schools, in our ultra p.c. society.

Entire characters (a.k.a. Lucy the Slut) are going to have to be cut, and a number of songs (Internet is for Porn, You Can Be As Loud..., Special) plus verses of several other songs. I question whether Everyone's a Little Bit Racist and If You Were Gay will even fly in most high school programs.

The reason the show works is because it's a dirty Sesame Street. Without the dirty, it just becomes Sesame Street.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:44pm

The Internet is really really great

for POKER!

Akiva

[TechEverlasting]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:47pm

Yeah, but what do you do after you're finished playing poker?...

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 9:56pm

HORRIBLE idea. I don't mind letting regional and community theatres do it, but high scools!? Come on!

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:00pm

The internet is for school
the internet is for school
lots of kids get up real early
for school school school

This is a bad idea.

[suzycat]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:01pm

The Internet is for... Corn?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:03pm

"I wish I could go back to first grade. Life was so simple back then."

...God help us..

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:06pm

Taking out material and some of the songs would allow for a school to put it on but it wouldn't be Avenue Q.
It defeats the purpose.

I do think some of your songs (that you are creating) are good. Shall we make a PG version of Avenue Q!?

[Mythus]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:11pm

Just because they're making a school edition doesn't mean they're making all the characters high schoolers, NathanLaneStalker.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:12pm

True, but I was just playing around.

Still a bad idea though.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:35pm

This could be interesting...?

[sparrman]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:36pm

"How many high school students do you know that are skilled puppeteers?"

How many musical theatre performers do you know that are skilled puppeteers? But they get cast in Avenue Q on Broadway anyway...

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/7/07 at 10:40pm

But they get trained and take classes before they put them on Broadway.

And they audition with puppets from the show and the casting directors decide if it works or not.

Do you think they will do that for a high school? Nope, didn't think so.