OMG!!! FULL NUDITY in a Philippine Theater Production!!!

Before you start palpitating,
let me clarify that;

it's actually:

Last night,
thanks to Awesome Anton and The Bachelor Girl,

I watched the final full dress rehearsal
of the Philippine Production of the
Best Musical winner of the 2004 TONY Awards,


I've been pumped to watch this ever since
I saw the excerpts on TV three years ago.

How can a guy who grew up on Sesame Street
resist a Broadway show about grown-up Muppets?



I'm amazed that Atlantis Productions
and co-directors Bobby Garcia & Chari Arespacochaga
were able to bring the show to the Philippines that fast.

Remember,
it took more than a decade for MISS SAIGON to land at the CCP.



What's really great is that the creators of AVENUE Q,
Robert Lopez and the two Jeffs, Marx & Whitty,
made some re-writes to tweak the music, lyrics, & book
to make it even funnier for the Filipino audience.

Even the colors of the set were brightened,
to give the stage a more "sunny day, sweeping the clouds away" look.

And all the puppets?
100% Made in the Philippines.




The show is a testament to the genius
of creative stagecraft;

while the viewer sees the actors animate the puppets
during the whole show,

after awhile,
the actors "disappear" into their furry roles.

In the first few minutes,
I was ogling Rachel Alejandro,
but after awhile,
she was gone and I was just focused on her puppets,
KATE MONSTER and LUCY the SLUT.


The rest of the cast is excellent as well.

Simultaneously performing both the "human roles"
and the skilled puppeteer requirements,
ambidextrously and almost acrobatically
hurdling the ventriloquistic challenge
of emphasizing the facial expressions of their puppets,

shifting voices second by second,
singing as two different characters during most songs,

and doing it so well that the viewer forgets
about the "humans"
and actually gets lost in the lives of the puppets.

I'm totally grateful to the Children's Television Workshop
for that show that taught me to love
the Fours Macro Skills of English:
Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

It's safe to say that I wouldn't be managing
a network of English Proficiency Centers
if not for my daily afternoon dose of Sesame Street,
and the valuable lessons from Bob, Maria, Gordon, & Mr. Hooper,
when I was a kid.



And now, what Avenue Q does
is to make us imagine what if,
like us,
the Muppets did grow up?

The show is an explicit,
and let me emphasize, X-plicit,
homage to...

SESAME STREET.


While the puppets here aren't actually Muppets,
and while they are called by different names,

Avenue Q provides a glimpse
of what may eventually have happened to:


1. ERNIE & BERT:
> so what was the deal about their sleeping together?
did they eventually remove their pajamas,
and reveal that they were, ummm.... GAY??!??!

2. COOKIE MONSTER
> did the furry blue chocolate chip addict
eventually become a connoisseur of.... PORN?!?!?

This begs the question,
will it be safe to bring your Sesame Street-age kids
to this show?

Here's some advice from the official AVENUE Q website:

Who is AVENUE Q appropriate for?

Adults love AVENUE Q,
but they seem a little, er, fuzzy
on whether it's appropriate for kids.

We'll try to clear that up.
AVENUE Q is great for teenagers because it's about real life.
It may not be appropriate for young children
because AVENUE Q addresses issues
like sex, drinking, and surfing the web for porn.

It's hard to say what exact age is right to see AVENUE Q -
parents should use their discretion
based on the maturity level of their children.

But we promise you this -
if you DO bring your teenagers to AVENUE Q,
they'll think you're really cool.

What is AVENUE Q about?

AVENUE Q is the story of Princeton,
a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City
with big dreams and a tiny bank account.

He soon discovers that the only neighborhood
in his price range is Avenue Q;
still, the neighbors seem nice.

There's Brian the out-of-work comedian
and his Korean therapist fianceé Christmas Eve;

Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his roommate Rod --
a Republican investment banker
who seems to have some sort of secret;

an Internet (porn) addict called Trekkie Monster;

and a very cute kindergarten teaching assistant named Kate.

And would you believe,
the building's superintendent is Gary Coleman?!?
(Yes, that Gary Coleman.)

Together,
Princeton and his newfound friends
struggle to find jobs, dates, sex (& porn!), love,
and their ever-elusive purpose in life.




By the way,
in a super-inspired bit of casting,

AIZA SEGUERA plays,
who else?

GARY COLEMAN!!!


Meet the rest of the residents of Avenue Q:

Felix Rivera - Princeton / Rod
Joel Trinidad - Nicky / Trekkie Monster
Frenchie Dy - Christmas Eve
Rycharde Everley – Brian
Teenee Chan - Mrs. Thistletwat and others.


This definitely is the MUST-WATCH theater event of 2007.

IT WILL REALLY SUCK TO BE YOU if you miss it!!!

Here's more information on the playdates,
as well as some discounted rates,
from The Bachelor Girl:


When are the play dates of Avenue Q Manila?
Avenue Q Manila will run from 07-23 September 2007
with performances on:
07, 14, 21 September 2007 Friday 8pm
08, 15, 22 September 2007 Saturday 2pm and 8pm
09, 16, 23 September 2007 Sunday at 3pm

Where is the venue of Avenue Q Manila?
Avenue Q will be performed at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium
in RCBC Plaza at the corner of Sen Gil Puyat and Ayala Ave.,
in Makati City.

How much are the Avenue Q Manila tickets?
Balcony Php 500
Loge Php 1,000
Orchestra Php 1,250


How do I avail of the ticket discount for the 15 Sept 2007 2pm show?
The Early Bird ticket discounts may only be availed of
by purchasing directly from the show buyer.
Please contact Lorna Lopez thru:
(Sun) 0922.3875729
(Globe) 0917.9256505
(email) llornalopez@gmail.com

Where else can I buy Avenue Q Manila tickets?
For your convenience,
Avenue Q Manila tickets at regular prices
are also available at Ticketworld online
or by calling the Ticketworld Head Office at 891.9999

The Ticketworld Head Office hours are:
Monday-Thursday 9am-7pm
Friday and Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 10am-7pm

Ticketworld outlets can also be found at the Ayala Center:
Greenbelt 1 Ticket Booth Makati 750.4180/81
QUAD Glorietta 1 Ticket Booth Makati 893.1563/4254 or 894.4429