 | Avenue Q is an award-winning 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. The show was 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. It is still running on Broadway and holds the position of 28th longest running musical in Broadway history. The show has spawned a 2005 Las Vegas production, a 2006 West End production and various international productions. A U.S. national tour began in July 2007. |
| The show 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. Also, several characters are recognizably parodies of classic Sesame Street characters: for example, the roommates Rod and Nicky are versions of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie, and Trekkie Monster is based on Cookie Monster. However, the characters are in their twenties and thirties and face adult problems instead of those faced by pre-schoolers. The characters use profanity, and the songs concern adult themes. A recurring theme is the central character's search for a "purpose." Since the musical soundtrack for it was released, the song "The Internet is For Porn" has become particularly popular on websites such as YouTube and can be downloaded for free from the official website. | |
Avenue Q - It Sucks To Be Me (London footage during the Children in Need charity night of 2006) | |
Lyrics: It Sucks To Be Me KATE MONSTER: Morning, Brian! BRIAN: Hi, Kate Monster. KATE MONSTER : How's life? BRIAN : Disappointing! KATE MONSTER: What's the matter? BRIAN: The caterine company laid me off. KATE MONSTER: Oh, I'm sorry! BRIAN: Me too! I mean, look at me! I'm ten years out of college, and I always thought - KATE MONSTER: What? BRIAN: No, it sounds stupid. KATE MONSTER: Aww, come on! BRIAN: When I was little I thought I would be... KATE MONSTER: What? BRIAN: A big comedian on late night TV But now I'm thirty-two And as you can see I'm not KATE MONSTER: Nope! BRIAN: Oh Well, It sucks to be me. KATE MONSTER: Nooo. BRIAN: It sucks to be me. KATE MONSTER: No! BRIAN: It sucks to be broke and unemployed and turning thirty-three. It sucks to be me. KATE MONSTER: Oh, you think your life sucks? BRIAN: I think so. KATE MONSTER: Your problems aren't so bad! I'm kinda pretty And pretty damn smart. BRIAN: You are. KATE MONSTER: Thanks! I like romantic things like music and art. And as you know I have a gigantic heart So why don't I have a boyfriend? Fuck! It sucks to be me! BRIAN: Me too. KATE MONSTER: It sucks to be me. BRIAN: It sucks to be me. It sucks to be Brian... KATE MONSTER: And Kate... BRIAN: To not have a job! KATE MONSTER: To not have a date! BOTH: It sucks to be me. BRIAN: Hey, ROd, Nicky, can you settle something for us? Do you have a second? ROD: Ah, certainly. KATE MONSTER: Whose life sucks more? Brian's or mine? NICKY AND ROD: Ours! ROD: We live together. NICKY: We're as close as people can get. ROD: We've been the best of buddies... NICKY: Ever since the day we met. ROD: So he knows lots of ways to make me really upset. Oh, every day is an aggravation. NICKY: Come on, that's an exaggeration! ROD: You leave your clothes out. You put your feet on my chair. NICKY: Oh yeah? You do such anal things like ironing your underwear. ROD: You make that very small apartment we share a hell. NICKY: So do you. That's why I'm in hell too! ROD: It sucks to be me! NICKY: No, it sucks to be me! KATE MONSTER: It sucks to be me! BRIAN: It sucks to be me! ALL: Is there anybody here It doesn't suck to be? It sucks to be me! CHRISTMAS EVE: Why you all so happy? NICKY: Becuase our lives suck! CHRISTMAS EVE: Your lives suck? I hearing you correctly? Ha! I coming to this country for opportunities. Tried to work in Chinese restaurant, but I am Japanese. But with hard work I earn two Master's degrees in social work! And now I a therapist! But I have no clients And I have an unemployed fiance'! And we have lots Of bills to pay! It suck to be me! It suck to be me! I say it Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka- Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Sucka-Suck! It suck to be me! PRINCETON: Excuse me? BRIAN: Hey there. PRINCETON: Sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for a place to live. CHRISTMAS EVE: Why you looking all the way out here? PRINCETON: Well, I started at Avenue A, but so far everything is out of my price range. But this neighborhood looks a lot cheaper! Oh, and look - a "For Rent" sign! BRIAN: You need to talk to the superintendent. Let me get him. PRINCETON: Great, thanks! BRIAN: Yo, Gary! GARY COLEMAN: I'm comin'! I'm comin'! PRINCETON: Oh my God! You are Gary Coleman! GARY COLEMAN: Yes I am! I was the cutest little balck kid on TV I made a zillion dollars that my parents stole from me! My life was over and I was the butt Of everyone's jokes, But I'm here fixing toilet on Avenue Q - ALL: It sucks to be you. KATE MONSTER: You win! ALL: It sucks to be you. BRIAN: I feel better now! GARY COLEMAN: Try having people stopping you to ask you "What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?" It is old. ALL: It sucks to be you on Avenue Q (Sucks to be me) On Avenue Q (Sucks to be you) On Avenue Q (Sucks to be us) But not when we're together. We're together here on Avenue Q! We live on Avenue Q! Our friends do too! 'Til our dreams come true, We live on Avenue Q! PRINCETON: This is real life! ALL: We live on Avenue Q! NICKY: You're gonna love it! ALL: We live on Avenue Q! GARY COLEMAN: Here's your keys! ALL: Welcome to Avenue Q! |
Wicked Top Xanadu |
