Mercury Theater Chicago's Hit Revival Avenue Q Extends Again

Mercury Theater Chicago’s revival of their homegrown production of Avenue Q has extended performances for the second time due to popular demand, now playing through December 30, 2018.  A racy cross between South Park and Sesame Street, Avenue Q is a modern musical focusing on a group of unique 20-somethings making their way through the “Big City”, seeking their purpose in life. 

This clever 2003 Broadway hit by songwriters Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez and playwright Jeff Whitty, transfers well in a breezy, intimate staging by director L. Walter Stearns at Mercury Theater Chicago. The show is the story of Princeton, a 23-year old college grad with no job, no girlfriend, and no sense of purpose.  After moving to Avenue Q, a fictional slum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Princeton meets plucky but lonely Katie Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant with dreams of opening a school for monsters like herself or “people of fur” in her words.  Princeton’s other neighbors include failed stand-up comic Brian and his partner Christmas Eve, a therapist with no clients; former child celebrity Gary Coleman; growly-voiced Internet porn addict Trekkie Monster; and bickering roommates Rod, a closeted gay Republican investment banker, and Nicky (a twist on Sesame Street’s bickering Bert and Ernie).  Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and the ever-elusive meaning of life.

Jackson Evans and Leah Morrow
Photo by Brett A. Beiner

Originally conceived as a television show, the show was developed as a stage production at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference.  It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003 and transferred to Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards (Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Original Book).  After spawning Las Vegas and West End productions, two national tours, and a variety of international productions, Avenue Q closed it’s Broadway run on September 13, 2009.  With more than 2,500 performances, Avenue Q ranks 24^th on the list of longest running shows on Broadway.   The show re-opened began it second Off-Broadway run on October 10, 2009 at New Works Stages where it continues to run today.

Unfortunately, Chicago never got a decent run of the Broadway tour as producers focused their initial post-Tony efforts on Las Vegas.  The tour did a few week “hit and run” stop in Chicago, leaving Chicagoans wanting more of the sassy and lovable puppets.  L. Walter Stearns and the Mercury Theatre Chicago filled the void with an award winning 2014 production that ran 169 performances, setting new box office records for the theater.  Stearns transformed the large-scale Broadway production into a more intimate production that connected with audiences.

Mercury Theater Chicago's Avenue Q
Photo by Brett A. Beiner

The current Mercury Theater Chicago revival has a mix of returning cast members along with new talent.  “We were looking for a group of ‘triple threats,” explains Stearns.  “Not only do the actors need to act, sing, and dance, but they also have to work naturally with the puppets on stage.”  The Mercury Theater Chicago didn’t simply rent puppets from a theatrical rental house.  Stearns sent a picture of each actor to Puppet Designer/Creator Russ Walko, asking him to design puppets that incorporated the personality of each actor into the puppet.  The result were puppets that more effectively communicated the emotions of each actor.  The actors then participated in a “puppet boot camp”, led by master puppeteer, actor, puppet designer and builder Rick Lyon.  Lyon not only created the puppets for the original Broadway production on Broadway, he was also in the show’s original cast, creating the roles of Trekkie Monster, Nicky, the Blue Bad Idea Bear, and others.  The cast began work with just eyes on their hands and graduated to working with more complicated puppets.  Stearns explains the real magic of the show is when the audience “forgets the puppets are nothing more than fur sand felt and start to believe they have a mind, heart, and soul

Avenue Q is part of a new generation of musical theater (Rent, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Be More Chill) that resonate with a younger generation of theater goers. These works deal with issues that are important to younger audiences in ways they can relate to.  With an extended run of Avenue Q, the Mercury Theater connects with the vibe that is so much a part of the Southport neighborhood, demonstrating that the theater wants to be an active part of the community.

Photo by Brett A. Beiner

In many ways, Avenue Q hasn’t aged well.  Songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “The Internet is for Porn” don’t necessarily play well in our politically correct “Me Too” and “Black Lives Matter” society. However, Stearns and the cast of the Mercury Theater revival bring an energy and enthusiasm that overcomes any outdated materials or references. The show addresses adult issues while spoofing the memories of a beloved television show.

Each performance of Avenue Q at the Mercury Theater Chicago will be collecting donations on behalf of Seasons of Concern.  Created over 30 years ago by Chicago artists to provide care for those in the theater community afflicted with AIDS-related illness, Season of Concern has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from generous artist and theater patrons to benefit hundreds of people in the entertainment industry – actors, directors, designers, technicians, and playwrights who are experiencing health-related emergencies and medical issues.

With this latest extension, the Mercury Theater Chicago will continue to be a place where puppets are friends, monsters are good, and life lessons are learned through the rest of the year.  To learn more, check out www.mercurytheaterchicago.com.