Avenue Q opens in Sydney....and the verdict is?

We let The Truthbooth team out of their cage last night for the opening of Avenue Q at Sydney's Theatre Royal. After receiving stellar reviews from our Melbourne colleagues, we were all filled with anticipation to see the show. But did it live up to expectations? Behold the official Truthbooth verdict...

Sara says –

I’ll admit I thought I was waaaay too high brow for a musical with crass jokes and full puppet nudity. Everyone I spoke to about Avenue Q insisted it was hilarious, a really good show, but I just didn’t believe that I would find it funny.

Oh how wrong I was.

From the opening line – “What do you do with a BA in English” I felt like the show had been written exclusively for me. It’s the perfect show for anyone who grew up with their mum telling them they could be anything they like when they grow up, only to find that aspirations aren’t instantly fulfilled upon leaving university with an Arts degree in hand.

Avenue Q offers a reality check punctuated with LOLZ for Gen Y’s with their head in the clouds, commiserates with the Gen X’s who’ve found life didn’t turn out quite like they thought it would and indulges Baby Boomers with a little bit of schadenfreude. Not sure what that term means? Avenue Q will explain it to you!

Think your life sucks? Consider Avenue Q as a warm fuzzy puppet shoulder to lean on, who’ll wipe away your tears (of laughter).

David says –

Avenue Q is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of the ups and downs of adult life. Invariably every number in this musical puppet show has a comical take on one controversial topic or another, be it sex or sexuality, racism, or poverty. Before going to see the show I'd watched some promotional videos on Youtube, but I can say without question that the show is definitely funnier in person. You'll never look at muppets quite the same way again.

Nayomi says –

Avenue Q confirms that puppetry is no longer just for kids. Hot from all the hype on Broadway and the West End, this production is well, different, yet impressive.

The musical show is more than just Sesame Street through a dirty humoured lens. Rather, it's a combination of MTV's reality show The Real World with a Sesame Street spin that cleverly speaks to a generation who've been brought up to believe they can achieve anything, yet find it almost impossible to achieve...anything. A Gen X or Baby Boomer who has been around the block a few times will relate.

The performances by both the puppets and humans are convincing and so alike Sesame Street's 'Children's Television Workshop' way, that all the R-rated material becomes laugh out loud funny, and the more controversial the topic, the funnier it gets: note the sex scene between Princeton and Kate Monster.

Avenue Q is good fun - sharp and witty on the outside, with a soft and sticky sentimental core.

Brooke says –

Avenue Q is really wonderful! Even as someone who doesn’t speak English as their first language, I found the show was really easy to understand and be associated with. Some of the hottest issues in current society are addressed in the show, such as unemployment, sex, race, etc... it really is worth watching!

Chris says –

What an excellent way to spend a couple of hours and be entertained by muppets masquerading as humans! ‘The internet is for porn’ or so it would seem according to the Trekkie monster and is also one of the many clever songs put together by the crew. I loved the Bad Idea Bears as these little demons do come out in all of us at some time or other and with consequences the next day!!

John says

Welcome to Avenue Q where the residents live by the motto that “It sucks to be me”. The musical touches on topical social issues such as racism, homosexuality, and pornography in a confronting and open way but its portrayal through puppets, makes it comfortable to laugh out loud about these taboo subjects.

The puppet masters are flawless as they maneuver their fuzzy counterparts around the stage with expressions and emotions that brings the puppets to life.

At times, the story is depressingly sad but speaks so many truths that everyone is able to connect on many levels with the characters and feel right at home on the avenue. Don’t be thrown off by the puppets, this show is serious adult fun.

With an average rating of
it's safe to say that Avenue Q receives the official THUMBS UP from the Truthbooth! We highly recommend you see this show Sydneysider's before it moves on to Canberra.

Click here to find ticket information and performance dates for Avenue Q on MyTickets.

Have you seen this show? Tell us what you thought!