Avenue Q deserved every award it got IMO. The score is much more tuneful than Wicked's mostly forgettable score (and this comes from someone who loves Schwartz's Godspell and Pippin scores). 2 or 3 memorable songs does not a good score make.
Avenue Q also has a bright and witty book which shines in comparison to Winnie Holzman's book, which contains underdeveloped characters (Fiyero), plot holes, and loose ends (the green bottle, the whole Animal/animal subplot that's introduced in Act 1, then dropped).
Basically what I'm saying is that the better show won. That's not to say Wicked is a god-awful show, but it relies on tons of spectacle to cover up the flaws in the material. Flaws which were clearly evident to the Tony voters.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Updated On: 6/2/08 at 08:28 PM