changes to avenue q? (warning there may be spoilers ahead)

[adamized88]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 6:25pm

warning***there may be spoilers ahead!!***


so i went to see avenue q for the 6th time last week and noted that the intro to life outside your appartment had changed - brian starts to tell a joke about an octopus at a food store with three things in his cart (last one is a red head with big tits) but he didn't have a punch line yet.

i returned for the 7th time last night and was confounded by the changes

1) the orchestrations to purpose were new. also the background singing parts of rick, jen and mary were changed - they were singing more oos - and sometimes different words then the original

2) there was more background music in diaglouge parts of the show

3) kate monsters speech about her monster school before everyone's a little bit racist was worded differently she didn't talk about the monster cannon - can't remember exact change

3) the intro to act two began with a mini entre act and instead of the bad idea bears talking from the trash (the pur-piss, pur-piss-less-ness dialogue) lights came up on princeton singing "it sucks to be me, it sucks to be broke and unemployed and turning-(spoken) god i'm old - (sung) twenty-three" - then brian came in and told his joke and told princenton he should come see nyc

4) life outside your apartment - again orchestrations changed - a lot more electric guitar - choreography changes to match music in some spots. also one lyric changed the old "you could win the lotto or make a friend" was now "you could step in dog **** or make a friend" - i've heard this was a lyric in an earlier verison of the song

5) schaudenfreude - the bridge from "straight a students getting bs" to "watching actors never reach the ending of their oscar speech" was completely cut - instead the song moved from the end of the proceeding verse straight to "the world needs people like you and me..."

6) the money song - started out the same - through niki's "suddenly i am feeling closer to god verse" - then gary, christmas eve and brian just walked on stage - niki and princeton sang a new verse to christmas eve and it seemed that only rick lyon was comfortable with it - the all chipped in - got six dollars and then approached the audience - no more christmas eve and brian trading in their wedding gifts for cash - though gary had a new line after giving money "i haven't felt so good since i sued my parents"

7) final change - in for now when lucy enters- she had a new outfit - a country club type white dress with a pink ribbon - instead of coming from yoga class she said something like "i had to beat it from my bible study group. i was saved by god and he restored my chastity so i'm a virgin again!!"


anyone know what's going on? were these changes in the vegas or london version? i love the show and i hadn't heard anything about this before so i just wanted to see if anyone knew why alterations were being made at this point!!!


thanks in advance!!

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 6:33pm

I saw it for the 8th time a couple weeks ago and I did notice some changes.

However, there were the same bad idea bears talking from the trash (the pur-piss, pur-piss-less-ness dialogue).

I did notice the "I had to beat it from my bible study group. i was saved by god and he restored my chastity so i'm a virgin again!!"
I actually think I liked that better.

However, Brian's joke does not fit in, at all. I have no idea why they made that change- to me, it really doesn't make sense. And, if I remember correctly, I don't think the audience found it particularly amusing.

I think I did hear "you could win the lotto or make a friend" but now that you say it, "you could step in dog **** or make a friend"- it does sound slightly farmiliar.

I have to say- There will be nothing like the original cast- EVER. However, I think I did like Barrett a tinsey bit more than John.

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 6:51pm

Wow. That is quite a handful of changes, and good job remembering them. Now I also really want to know why they are making all these changes.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 6:57pm

"I had to beat it from my bible study group. i was saved by god and he restored my chastity so i'm a virgin again!!"

this was in the Vegas version to begin with, and also is in the London version.

[Parks]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 7:02pm

Sounds interesting. Can't wait to see it for a 5th time

[joshy]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 8:02pm

Yeah, these are all the London(&Vegas?) changes! I looove the new orchestrations in Purpose. I agree that audiences never seen to find Brian's 'octopus' joke very amusing. I always feel bad for the guy playing Brian, his two big moments are that and that underwear song!

[broadwayboy522]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 8:53pm

I'm actually mad about what they did to Schaundenfreude. I haven't actually seen the show but I own the cast recording and i find that part really funny. Does anyone know why they took away part of the song?

[friedrichVT]

Posted: 8/26/06 at 10:53pm

They were all changes for Vegas and then implemented in London. They're changes that the creative staff have wanted to do for a long time. I know many may not approve but I find it fascinating and impressive that even w/a best musical Tony, the Q team has never stopped thinking about their show. Art should NEVER stagnate. Many ( tony-winning) shows have implemented changes post opening: Dreamgirls instantly comes to mind. The old addage holds true: If it aint broke ,don't fix it...but on the flip side: If ya aint happy,don't settle.

Updated On: 8/26/06 at 10:53 PM

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:00am

Princeton singing "It Sucks to be Me"
I have to see it. I was devasted when Johnny left and than I was crazy about Barrett.
I think I will have to see it with the new Princeton.
I have loved every single PRINCETON. I do miss Stephanie as Kate, though. Mary is great though.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:03am

Corine, as I said- There will be nothing like the original cast- EVER. However, I think I did like Barrett a tinsey bit more than John.

You should go see it again but don't expect anything like the original cast. Don't get me wrong, the new cast is wonderful- it's just that the originals were the originals and will always be the best originals in my opinion.

Did that make any sense?

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:08am

My favorite is Jennifer and she is still in the show!!!!!
But I adore Johnny, Barrett, Ann Harada and Stephanie.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 1:10am

Jen is a sweetheart! I will miss her when she leaves but I hope to see her in a bigger role soon!

[emo_geek]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:13am

Most of these changes were that of which were in the Vegas version....hmmm

[SNLMedia]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:26am

I saw the show last night and was so thrown off guard by all these changes. The only change I enjoyed was how the first verse of "Purpose" after Princeton picks up the penny ("I don't know how I know...") is now set to a much more reflective and slower tempo, with a solo spotlight on Howie/Princeton as he sings it. It makes the song a little more touching. All the other changes made it feel like they were trying too hard.

Adamized, another change I noticed that you didn't mention is during "Loud as the Hell You Want". A flowerpot is thrown from the stage left wing onto the stage and shatters, followed by a prerecorded voice saying "Shut the f*** up!" Because I had a lotto seat, I actually noticed the flowerpot on a platform in the wing before the show started, and I knew I didn't remember it being a part of the show the last time I saw it.

Updated On: 8/27/06 at 03:26 AM

[adamized88]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 3:49pm

thanks snl media! i forgot about that one - instead of answering the phone during that number - you're right - that flowerpot came flying in - made me jump let me tell you!!! lol

[joshy]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 9:15pm

I always thought the trading wedding gifts thing was illogical and unfunny.

Is there anyone who thinks the yoga class thing is funnier than the chastity thing? Seriously?

[NJgirl]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 9:41pm

I revisted Q today..and love the changes to Purpose, Princeton singing "sucks to be me" and liked the flower pot instead of the phone call.

I'm especially mad "schadenfruede" was cut down and I wasn't thrilled with the rest of the dialogue and music changes.

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 10:08pm

Wow! I'm actually surprised that they changed the Broadway show, especially the cut of The Money Song. Seems like they completely changed it to the old full Vegas show. I wonder if the changes will be reflected in the huge book they're releasing this November. (which includes the full script)

[Parks]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 10:24pm

My theatre arts teacher said that after previews, they're not allowed to change the show at all. He claims it's illegal or something...

I told him lots of Broadway shows do it, but he didn't believe me.

[Horton]

Posted: 8/27/06 at 10:28pm

I am upset they changed it, but I am saying that just based on what has been posted I really want to see it again to compare.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 8/28/06 at 1:12am

Parks,
As long as the creative staff are the ones that are making the changes, i.e., the writers, choreographer, director...etc. they can make all that they want. There's no rule or law that says you can't make changes to your own work. Your Theatre Arts Teacher is very much mistaken.

Updated On: 8/28/06 at 01:12 AM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/16/06 at 9:51pm

Saw the show for the 5th time this afternoon. Haven't seen the show in a while, and it's the first time since most of the cast has changed. I vaguely remembered this thread going into the show, but I didn't remember there were so many changes!

Some were good, especially the new beginning orchestrations for Purpose, and the flower pot bit in Loud As The Hell You Want, if only because it gives Gary Coleman a chance to scream the F word really loud! (Although I couldn't figure out, is he sweeping the street then?) I also liked the beginning of Act Two - up until the deadly tit joke.

HATED HATED HATED the cuts to Schaudenfreude. It's just such a jarring cut to the song, and it doesn't help it at all. In fact, I found that cut bit to be one of the stronger points in the show. I guess I can understand the point of cutting the "returning the wedding gifts" part, and some of the other cuts, but cutting Schaudenfreude was a stupid thing to do. I also didn't care for the end bits with Lucy. Sorry, but I loved the juicy jumpsuit better than the religious bit, especially since it comes right before a scientology joke. Too much in one shot.

Also, unless I'm getting cataracts, did anyone notice there were some lighting changes too? At least in the first act, it seemed like there was a lot more of this purplish/blue colour being used during the numbers. I only ask because it wasn't very flattering.

In all, though, I still love the show. It just seemed a little off. Also, since they're cutting a show that is already relatively short, why not just cut the intermission and go straight through?

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/16/06 at 10:01pm

uh-

It seems not many people like the changes. I wonder what reason there was in changing so many things.
I also don't like the cutting of some of the songs. Was there something wrong before? There's gotta be some reason behind it.

What I really don't understand is the whole joke bit at the beginning of act two. Is that supposed to be...funny? I wonder what the "purpose" was of adding that in.

Honestly, I love Q, it is absolutely brilliant- (and I think the best show), but WHAT IS GOING ON!?!

[bwayondabrain]

Posted: 9/16/06 at 10:04pm

i think the whole bible study group joke is funny, but what was the original yoga class one?

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/16/06 at 10:08pm

I think it was something like she got out of her yoga class just in time to make it to the final number...