Westfield State’s Department of Music will bring the modern Tony-award-winning musical “Avenue Q” to Dever Stage from April 15-18. With a cast of student actors and the support of the Music Department and Theatre Arts Division of the English Department, the show features professional puppeteering and musical direction by an internationally respected conductor. It promises to be spectacular.
Winner of the Tony “Triple Crown” for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, “Avenue Q” is packed with heart. We had a chance to talk with the director and Westfield State Music Professor Mary Brown Bonacci, D.M.A., about the show, how it was selected and the ironic humor that arises from its contrasts with Sesame Street.
How would you describe “Avenue Q”?
Through the playful medium of puppets, “Avenue Q” is the adult comedy that takes a whimsical and irreverent look at the realities of responsible adult life and how they contrast with the carefree freedom of youth. This musical comedy revels in adult themes, language and humor. It is intended to be great fun for adults, young and old, but is not appropriate for younger audiences.
Can you comment on the challenges of working with puppets?
Students will have a unique opportunity to work as puppeteers in this musical. They have done workshops with a professional puppeteer and have practiced special skills, such as lip-synching and special bodywork specific to puppetry and special puppets. Our student actors will bring their 15” furry characters to life with their hands and voices. In this way, student actors are in full view of the audience, but support the character while remaining out of the audience’s direct attention. Some actors have equated the experience to that of watching a film with subtitles. After a few moments, the experience of seeing a human actor holding a puppet loses its novelty, and attention resides with the story rather than its means of expression.
Are the puppets exact replicas from the Broadway show?
The puppets we will be using are licensed from a company that owns sets of puppets designed and built for “Avenue Q” to loan out. The original Broadway puppets, by Rick Lyons, are similar to costumes; specifically designed for their production, and are copyrighted artistic work.
What’s the show selection process?
In order to select shows, we assemble a number of faculty and staff and solicit ideas from students. We usually start by asking for titles from the students and considering them for feasibility, asking questions such as: Can we build the set? How big is the orchestra? How does this show compare with our seasons so far? Is it relevant to students? From there, we assemble a list of five or six shows, read and discuss them further and come to a consensus among future production staff and other attendees.
What do you hope audience members get from watching this show?
I hope audience members get a good laugh from watching the show, of course, and that they have a great time seeing the talented Westfield State students in action.
Beyond that, this award-winning book has much to say about maturity and being the person you choose to be, although it is often a struggle. Adult audiences should relate to these furry, foam characters, realizing, “I’ve been there, too,” that real life isn’t always easy, taking responsibility isn’t easy, but we can’t take ourselves too seriously, and when we care about each other, we’ll get through the difficult, uncomfortable moments in life and still feel pretty good.
You have an impressive music director for the show. What can you tell us about him?
Dr. Steven Gross has impressive international credentials as a conductor for opera and music theater and as an educator and scholar. He is strongly committed to developing artistic talent through the rehearsal process. His artistic vision for the music and its process is right for our academic environment. Dr. Gross has a passion for American musical theater, and we are honored to have him on board.
For more information, see deverstage.com or call for tickets at (413) 572-8492.
