Sesame Street, all grown up

From left, Kate Monster, Carly Anderson, Princeton and Nicholas Duncan of “Avenue Q,” which will raise its curtain in Charlotte Theater in Seoul on Aug. 23, pose for a photo. / Courtesy of Seol & Company

Musical 'Avenue Q' is smart and witty example of puppetry for adults

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Many who grew up watching American children’s series “Sesame Street” retain a special affection for Big Bird, Cookie Monster and the rest of the lovable gang. This is not only because they taught us about counting and the alphabet, but perhaps they also remind one of more innocent times.

But what would happen if the lovable puppets “grew up” and began yapping about more mature subjects? Would we still love them then?

That is the question posited by the 2003 Broadway musical “Avenue Q,” which features Sesame Street-inspired puppets entering adulthood. The brainchild of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, the musical has been touted as a witty satire that raises more mature questions about dating, the workplace and other areas.

The unusually and exceedingly peculiar puppets of “Avenue Q” made a short visit to Korea Tuesday, two months ahead to the Tony Award-winning show’s first arrival to Korea, which is slated to open at Charlotte Theater in Seoul in late August.

At a press event at Seoul Convention, those puppets were rolled out one-by-one. First up was Princeton, a recent college graduate trying to secure a job with his English degree. He sang “Purpose” from the show, in which he contemplates his purpose of life in Korea. Then “Lucy the Slut” came on stage, seducing the host of the event — Oh Sang-jin, a Korean entertainer.

Trekki Monster, who sings “The Internet Is for Porn,” was excited at that “Korea has a high-speed Internet.” Kate Monster, a pretty, smart, but single kindergarten teaching assistant, criticized Trekki for being a pervert and sang “There’s a Fine Fine Line,” agonizing over the thin line between lover and friend.

The puppets were specially dressed up for their photo-op in Korea — Kate wore a beautiful “hanbok,” or Korean traditional dress, while Princeton wore Korean rapper Psy’s blue suit and sunglasses and even demonstrated his signature horse dance. Lucy was in a costume similar to that of sexy singer Lee Hyo-ri.

In the production created for Korea, young British actor Nicholas Duncan takes the roles of Princeton and Rod, while Scottish actress Carly Anderson plays Kate Monster and Lucy. Duncan understudied the roles during the tour of “Avenue Q” in the United Kingdom, while Anderson, whose work includes traditional shows such as “My Fair Lady” and “South Pacific,” is new to the show. Both 24, Duncan and Anderson exude energy and expertise in puppetry.

Paul Warwick Griffin, one of the associate producers of the show in Korea, said its magic lies in the manipulation of the puppets.

“You might wonder whether you should see the puppet or the actor at first, but you will quickly forget about it and whole-heartedly focus on the puppet, as it is a part of the absolute thrill and magic of the show,” Griffin said.

He added that the show “must” use puppets, because otherwise the actors might be arrested if they do what the puppets do on stage — namely swear and have sexual intercourse.

The actors of “Avenue Q” go through special puppetry training in addition to rehearsal for singing, dancing and acting. Duncan and Anderson both said puppeteering is a rewarding challenging.

“We have to work as one,” Duncan said. He added that the key of puppeteering is “never, ever looking at the puppet,” but focusing on the same place as the puppet would.

Anderson showcased her starkly differing portrayals of Kate and Lucy. When she performs Kate, her voice is more of a “standard American,” while Lucy uses a southern American accent in a huskier and sexier voice.

Seol & Company, the producer of “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Wicked” in Korea, ventured to introduce the Tony Award-winning show here, believing that the story will resonate with Korean audiences.

“Avenue Q” makes clear that it is an “adult puppet musical.” The Korean production is rated for 15 and over, but the company suggests 18 and over because it deals with subject matter such as sex, pornography, homosexuality and race.

The content of the touring production here will be the same as the original Broadway one, though there will be a few tweaks for Korean audiences.

The joy of the show is that it is done in a warm, light-hearted way, which can be a great vehicle to address serious subject matter and gently encourage discussion.

“This is such a unique show full of ups and downs, a roller coaster of emotions. There are no shows like this,” Duncan said.

“Avenue Q” in Seoul will open on Aug. 23 and will run through Oct. 6. Other cast members include Jacqui Sanchez, Josh Wilmott, Christopher Ragland and Naoko Mori. Tickets cost 50,000 to 130,000 won. For more information, call 1577-3363.