Those &*$%! puppets

'Avenue Q' sensation finally hits Chicago: Meet the furry, sexy urbanites from a place not at all like 'Sesame Street'

By Chris Jones | Tribune critic

May 16, 2008

The puppets are finally coming! The puppets are finally coming!

The stiff-jawed, R-rated denizens of "Avenue Q" sure took their sweet time getting to Chicago. London and Las Vegas both seduced Kate, Princeton and their human handlers away from us for far too long. It's lucky we Midwesterners are the forgiving types.

But after almost five years, the tour of the hit, Tony-winning 2003 Broadway pop musical by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx is finally landing in Chicago. At last, we'll get to hear such prescient ditties as "The Internet Is for Porn" and the straight-to-the-point "It Sucks To Be Me." Finally, fans of "Sesame Street" can indulge an adult taste for irony and sexuality and yet still spend some quality time with a character whose face is bright orange.

Welcome to "Avenue Q," a fictional, outer-borough New York neighborhood of the terminally washed-up, where losers, loners, over-schooled college grads and has-been celebrities all come together. Hey, at least it's diverse. Here, puppets and humans get on surprisingly well.

The basic plot to this show is a community of hip, urban twenty- and thirtysomethings all trying to find love and their way in the world, a la "Rent." Some of the characters are people, most are puppets—with always-visible human handlers there to give them voice and movement.

Meet the characters:

PRINCETON: His passionate, pre-coital appearance has a lot to do with a permanently orange visage. He may be fresh-out-of-college and naive, but Princeton knows how to make a star: His original handler, John Tartaglia, now has his own TV show. The omnipresent irony of the show doesn't step on his sincerity. (To be performed in Chicago by Robert McClure.)

LUCY: This slutty siren (and Kate's alter ego) knows an impressionable fellow like Princeton when she sees him. Better watch out, orange boy. (Performed by Kelli Sawyer.)

KATE: This sad, nerdy, kindergarten teacher's aide hasn't had a boyfriend in ages. And you get the sense that the Cookie Monster might be her mama. But hey, monsters are people, too. (Performed by Sawyer.)

ROD and NICKY: These puppets are permanently in a fight. Wait! Are they an adult version of Bert and Ernie? And did they just come out of the closet? (Performed by McClure and David Benoit.)

TREKKIE MONSTER: This monster prefers porn to cookies, but shares parentage with another primal creature from another famous street. Jim Henson's name isn't on this show. But you can't help but wonder ... (Performed by Benoit.)

BRIAN: A washed-up comedian who is surrounded by dysfunctional puppets. It really sucks to be Brian. (Performed by Cole Porter.)

CHRISTMAS EVE: That's a rough name for an unemployed psychologist. But then again, she has a rough life.(Performed by Angela Ai.)

GARY COLEMAN: Gary Coleman? That's not Gary Coleman! He's not even a puppet. And what's he doing in the show anyway? He's the building superintendent. Did things really get that bad for him? (Performed by Carla Renata.)

'Avenue Q'
Puppets and people singing. Suggested for adult audiences only.

When: May 21 to June 7

Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.

Price: $25 to $75, 312-902-1400 and www.broadwayinchicago.com