A long way from Sesame Street: Avenue Q takes the stage at Utica

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A long way from Sesame Street: Avenue Q takes the stage at Utica

Members of the cast and their puppet companions on the stage in Strebel Auditorium for Avenue Q.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Laura Salvaggio talks about bringing the off-color and beloved parody to life.

Avenue Q is a long way from Sesame Street.

The multiple Tony Award-winning musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors parodying the popular and long-time running children's program premiered in 2003 and quickly became a Broadway smash. Avenue Q follows Princeton, a recent college graduate, as he moves into a rundown neighborhood in New York City and navigates the challenges of adulthood alongside his quirky neighbors, who are a mix of humans and puppets.

Now, the production, praised for its humorous and clever approach to themes of racism, homosexuality and internet pornography, hits the stage courtesy of Utica University Theatre.

We sat down with Assistant Professor of Theatre and Chair of Utica's Performing and Fine Arts Department Laura Salvaggio to talk about bringing this off-color and beloved parody to life and whether the actors or the puppets are the ones pulling the strings.

UTICA MAGAZINE: Why choose Avenue Q for the summer production?

LAURA SALVAGGIO: This show has been on my personal "bucket list" since it first came out. Justin Jones '21, G'23 (a graduate of Utica with a Bachelor's in business, an MBA AND a theatre minor, who I've loved working with in the past) was eager to do something edgy, so we started brainstorming shows and when we realized we had access to the talent we needed for this particular show, we were both very excited. And the potential talent was excited. We haven't been doing summer shows at Utica U, but we're hoping this is the first of many! It's a great opportunity to keep local alumni engaged and provide some fun enrichment to current students who are local over the summer.

UM: What were some of the challenges in bringing together performers that also needed to be puppeters?

LS: A lot of the challenges were addressed right at the beginning during the audition process. At auditions we were looking for both excitement to engage with the puppet and a bit of natural inclination to do the right things with it, in addition to the usual singing/ acting skills. We had a good sized group of folks audition and some really talented folks who didn't end up in the cast.. Folks we love and love working with. Sometimes that's show-biz. There were some really hard choices there, but in the end the right folks showed up to the audition room. None of them were highly experienced puppeteers, but they were all excited to learn and eager to do the work. I think we've developed some rather experienced puppeteers and I am INCREDIBLY proud of this hardworking team.

UM: How did the Puppetry Guild of Upstate New York and a professional puppeteer like Aaron Lathrop become involved and what was that process like to watch between they and the cast?

LS: The Puppetry Guild folks are locals (West Windham... so still a bit of a trek) who we've worked with in the past and the minute they heard this show was a possibility, they reached out and wanted to help. Aaron is actually one of my husband's close friends from early grade school on! We were all friends/ theatre kids in high school in Southeastern CT where there is actually a pretty "hopping" puppet scene, so we've watched Aaron's career in puppetry from the beginning and have kept in touch through the years. It was awesome to have an excuse to get him to visit!

UM: Where do the humans stop and the puppets begin in these performances and personalities?

LS: If we've done our job right, each character should feel like a single unit where you don't think too hard about the human vs the puppet. Our puppets don't have legs, so it's a good thing our actors do!

UM: We know that this show is definitely not for kids, despite the presence of furry puppets. What's something that you think adult audiences are really going to enjoy about this show?

LS: I think they'll enjoy the whimsy of childhood memories learning life lessons from puppets and the juxtaposition of that whimsy being in a MUCH more adult setting. These lessons include things like what the internet is REALLY for, finding a job and dating skills. Princeton makes some pretty bad choices along the way while trying to find his purpose. I also think adults are going to laugh a TON. We have had some questions from folks who want to bring "younger than advisable" audience members. If they are with their parent, that's totally okay as long as the parent understands there's stuff. You should expect swearing, puppet sex, puppet nudity (do puppets have nipples?), alcohol, suggestive moments of human sex, death and investment advice.

Avenue Q hits the stage of Strebel Auditorium in all its felt-covered glory August 13, 14, and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and August 16 at 2 p.m. General Admission is $20, and $5 for students. Advance tickets are available online with cash-only ticket purchases at the door.

As noted, this show contains adult themes and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

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