Avenue Q is a musical conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics, and directed by Jason Moore. The book is by Jeff Whitty and is largely inspired by (and is in the style of) Sesame Street; most of the characters in the show are puppets (operated by actors onstage), the set depicts several tenements on a rundown street in an Outer Borough of New York City, both the live characters and puppet characters sing, and short animated video clips are played as part of the story.

The show was initially developed at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. It was then produced by and opened at the Off-Broadway Vineyard Theatre in March 2003. The production transferred to Broadway in July 2003 and won several Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. The show spawned a 2005 Las Vegas production, a 2006 West End production and various international productions. An Australian national tour began in June 2009 and will end in June 2010.

Several characters are recognizably parodies of classic Sesame Street characters: for example, the roommates Rod and Nicky are based on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster is based on Cookie Monster.[1] However, the characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems instead of those faced by children of varying ages, thus making the show more suited for the adults who grew up with and worked on Sesame Street. Four of the original cast members (John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jennifer Barnhart and Rick Lyon) had worked on Sesame Street before. Part of the humor of the show comes from its contrast to Sesame Street: the characters use profanity in their dialogue (both spoken and sung), and the songs concern adult themes such as sex and homosexuality. A recurring theme is the central character's search for a "purpose". Since the original cast recording was released, the song "The Internet Is for Porn" has become particularly popular on websites such as YouTube. According to the official site, the musical is appropriate for both adults and mature teenagers.

Avenue Q Musical Theatre Tickets
John Golden Theatre
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