All tagged Avenue Q

The Best Musical Tony Award Debate: 2004

I find this particular Tony year the most oft-debated on social media. Of course, it was a year with incredibly diverse offerings, and the four nominated Best Musicals each had a great deal to recommend. Most people are either squarely and adamantly behind Wicked, certain that it was robbed by Avenue Q. Just as many are ardently confident that Avenue Q was the rightful victor. Then we have two other shows, Caroline, or Change and The Boy From Oz, both pieces that arguably have equal claim for the Best Musical Tony. Not since The Music Man bested West Side Story at the 1958 Tony Awards has there been a more hotly contested Best Musical category. So, let’s take a look at the nominees individually and then begin the debate.

Breaking a Bad Day: The Showtunes That Make Me Smile (Sometimes for the Wrong Reasons)

Sometimes, you are just having a bad and you turn to musical to help you overcome your situation. I realized, the other day, when I was feeling a bit crabby, that I began searching through my showtunes for certain songs that always guarantee a smile-inducing listen. I thought it would be fun to share some of those songs with my readership, with the hope that you will chime in with some of the songs that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I cannot wait to hear what you share. Until then, here are mine.

The Puberty of Avenue Q: A Musical at 15

Fifteen years ago, when I stepped inside the John Golden Theatre to see Avenue Q, I had a very limited idea of what I was going to see. It was a musical with puppets and I couldn’t fathom how a show, that looked like Sesame Street meets Broadway, was going to entertain or move me. I had no idea that this delicious satire of children’s programming, told through the lens of adult problems, was going to work its way into my heart and remain ensconced there.