ABCs of Avenue Q: Puppets aren’t child’s play in grown-up musical

By Diana Nollen

People and puppets may make you think of a certain celebrated street, but these people and puppets are strutting down an avenue.

Avenue Q.

The hit Broadway musical swept up six Tony Awards in 2004, including Best Musical, knocking “Wicked” off its celebrated broom for that top honor.

To be very clear, the “Sesame Street” machine didn't write “Avenue Q,” didn't endorse it, authorize it or otherwise have a hand in its production. But one of the writers and four of the original puppeteers did work for “Sesame Street” at one time and the parallels can't be denied.

Actors are interacting with puppets, imparting life lessons, singing and gathering in front of a big city brownstone.

But roommates Rod and Nicky aren't Bert and Ernie; Trekkie Monster is addicted to porn, not cookies; Lucy the Slut is not Miss Piggy and Avenue Q is in a rundown part of New York.

The lessons are different, too.

All the characters are grown up, so they're learning the ABCs of adulthood, not childhood.

Their lessons are not for children.

“It's basically a sendup of any kids' show between the '70s and '90s that integrates puppets and humans coexisting,” says Tim Kornblum, 21, of Union, N.J. He plays one of three human characters in the show's second national tour, coming to the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids for five performances March 26  through 28, 2010. Hancher and the Paramount Theatre are teaming up as presenter and sponsor, respectively.

The show also is landing in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls from March 31 to April 2, 2010.

“It teaches lessons to the audience as opposed to teaching kids how to grow up,” Kornblum says by phone from a recent tour stop in Tempe, Ariz. “It teaches adults how to live life and how to handle the different taboos they'll be presented with throughout their life.”

He ticks off some of the topics: racism, homosexuality, porn, sex, death and drug use.

“It's a very light-hearted way of delivering some very serious messages,” he says of the show's structure. “Because it's done that way, it's easier for the audience to grasp the serious subjects that might not go over if done in a serious manner. Because it's done with a wink and a nod, the audience can relate to it more.”

The story centers around Princeton, a college grad who heads to New York City with big dreams and little money. All he can afford is an apartment in a rundown neighborhood, where everyone else is looking for a job, a relationship and a purpose, too. The humans wear colorful clothes and interact with the puppets, but not the puppeteers, who are dressed in gray.

Kornblum portrays Brian, “an out-of-work comedian trying to find his place in life,” he says. “He's engaged to a Japanese therapist and she pretty much takes care him. He's a hopeful guy, out there trying to have fun and trying to make people laugh.”

That pretty much describes Kornblum, too.

“Yes, Brian and I are frighteningly similar, which I think is one of the reasons it's so easy to play him,” Kornblum says. “I've always loved doing comedy, making people laugh. One of my favorite things is improv comedy, but you don't get to do that in a Broadway show. You have to stick to the script. I love doing drama, but it's much easier and much more relaxing being on stage doing something where the audience is laughing.

“I find it much easier to put a smile on your face, rather than a tear in your eye.”

For the most part, audiences are smiling and laughing at the show's ribald antics.

“Because we play a lot of smaller cities that weren't gotten to on the first tour, we're hitting our fair share of more conservative towns,” he says. “While we have occasional opposition or people who don't love it or will complain or walk out, in general, the response is fantastic. We get a lot of people thanking us for bringing the show to a place a big show normally wouldn't go.”

Kornblum has been a Muppet fan since childhood.

“I grew up with ‘Sesame Street' and the Muppet movies,” he says. “My favorite growing up was ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol.' Before I ever started listening to real music, the only music we listened to in the car were cassette tapes of ‘Sesame Street' tracks.”

Then he saw “Avenue Q.”

“It's amazing,” he says. “I fell in love with this show the first time I saw it on Broadway four or five years ago. I knew it was something I wanted to be part of. It hit home in terms of the messages it was presenting. ... The script is really funny; it's a well-made script. I'm just lucky that they happened to be holding auditions.”

Otherwise, he'd be back at Wagner College on Staten Island, cramming in that last semester toward a psychology degree.

“I made a backhanded deal with my parents. I said if I wind up on Broadway or in a national touring show, I don't have to go back (to finish school). They said yes, and sure enough, I auditioned about a month later and it all worked out,” he says.

The tour started in South Carolina in September 2009 and will continue through at least June. If the tour is extended, Kornblum would love to go along for the ride. Beyond that, he's hoping to stay in the spotlight.

“Acting is a niche I want to pursue,” he says. “It's something I could see myself doing for a long time.”

FAST TAKE

What: Broadway musical “Avenue Q”

In Cedar Rapids: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 26; 2 and 7:30 p.m. March 27 and 28, at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 First Ave. NE

Tickets: $57 main floor, concourse; $50 balcony; $35 college students; at U.S. Cellular Center Box Office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Memorial Union Box Office in Iowa City, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-(800) 745-3000

In Cedar Falls: 7:30 p.m. March 31 to April 2, 2010, at Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, 8392 University Ave.

Tickets: $27 to $47 at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Ticket Office, 1-(877) 549-7469 or www.unitix.uni.edu

Warning: Contains adult situations and language. “Avenue Q” has not been authorized or approved by The Jim Henson Co. or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.

Information:

www.hancher.uiowa.edu/events/Q.html;

www.uscellularcenter.com/USCC/uscc.html; www.uni.edu/gbpac and

www.avenueqontour.com