what's the GARY COLEMAN in AVENUE Q thing all about?

[cturtle]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 11:01am

i've always accepted this as just theatrical silliness, but we were listing to AVENUE Q yesterday and wondered if there was any significance to the seemingly inexplicable appearance of GARY COLEMAN as one of the characters. does anyone know the back story?

[Aphexis]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 11:07am

?

[IMsooHyprToday]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 12:25pm

significance? probably not.

but it is really easy to make jokes at his expense cuz... well... his life sucks!

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 1:05pm

Gary Coleman is the epitome of someone who peaked in his childhood, which is a theme that runs throughout the show with many of the other characters

[IMsooHyprToday]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 1:30pm

hmmmm VERY true BS2b!!!!!

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 1:31pm

I try

[Jon]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 2:07pm

The fact is, AVENUE Q waas originally conceived as a TV series - possibly for Comedy Central. Gary Coleman was going to play himself. When the show was re-thought as a stagwe musical, it was decided that the Gary Coleman character would remain. Rather than try to find a short guy to imitate Coleman, they decided to have a normal height woman play the role - thus pointing up the absurdity of it!

[cturtle]

Posted: 5/22/05 at 5:34pm

thank you, thank you, jon! cturtle will be able to slelep tonite