Related Sites: · Visit the official Avenue Q website! · See Avenue Q and other upcoming shows at the Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis! Grade: A-

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Any visit to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Grand Avenue in St. Louis is a welcome one. I could sit in any seat in the house for hours without stage production whatsoever, just taking in every minute detail of the Fox's amazing architecture. They don't make them like this anymore.

I think that's what makes "Avenue Q" so affecting when it comes to our fair town. The Fox has a long and rich history since it opened as a silent picture house in 1929. You feel it when you walk in the door, like stepping into a cathedral to performing arts. Everyone comes a bit better dressed, a bit more refined, and a bit more respectful than the average moviegoer who can't seem to leave their cell phones alone for ten minutes.

And then the lights dim, the music swells and Brian walks on stage through the door of his New York outer boroughs tenement house set piece. He's clad in a bright green bowling shirt, clashing orange shorts, and red high-tops. In short, he looks like me away from the Fox.

Now this wasn't my first stroll down the avenue -- I saw "Avenue Q" a year or two ago when they last came to town. One of the joys of seeing it a second time (or even twenty-second, I'm sure) is seeing and hearing the reaction of the audience. You could tell as folks were filing in that a lot of them had no idea what to expect. When Brian gets the ball rolling on the song, "It Sucks To Be Me," you can hear the nervous chuckles turn to earnest laughter. The irony of seeing such an irreverent production in such a classy venue only adds to the entertainment.

Brian (Tim Kornblum), an unemployed thirty-something with dreams of being a late night TV comic, is just one of several interesting people living on Avenue Q. His fiance, Christmas Eve (Lisa Helmi Johanson), is a highly educated Japanese woman with no clients to help her launch her career. Kate Monster (Jacqueline Grabois) lives next door, and as the name implies she's a cute, cuddly, furry-faced monster puppet. Readers new to "Avenue Q," yes, you read that right: puppet. And she's not the only one as the show's "odd couple" Nicky (Michael Liscio, Jr.) and Rod (Brent Michael DiRoma) live next to her. Nicky is the sloppy but affable Ernie to Rod's white-collar Republican Bert. The last tenement houses Trekkie Monster (Michael again), who looks a bit like a shaggy Fozzie Bear with horns but sounds more like the Cookie Monster. He lives above the new kid on the block, Princeton (Brent again),

AVENUE Q National Tour 2009 National Tour Cast © John Daughtry 2009

The first act is an absolute scream, with songs like "If You Were Gay," "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," and "The Internet Is For Porn." Princeton begins his search for a purpose and soon finds himself involved romantically with Kate Monster. As Brian and Christmas approach their wedding, a secret Rod has been keeping begins to drive a wedge into his friendship with Nicky. Trekkie and Gary Coleman keep things light and lively, and the Bad Idea Bears just stir the pot.

After the intermission, things get a bit more serious as Princeton realizes his quest to find himself has become horribly derailed. Kate's life path isn't fairing much better. Nicky and Rod have a major falling out at their neighbor's wedding, and while there are still many funny moments including Lucy the Slut, another puppet character played by Jacqueline Grabois, narrowly escaping death when "some idiot threw a penny off the Empire State Building." As you might expect, everything turns out OK in the end.

AVENUE Q National Tour 2009 Lucy The Slut, Jacqueline Grabois © John Daughtry 2009

The short run at the Fabulous Fox, April 30- May 2, is the only real disappointment. I can't imagine this show having any difficulty selling out for a week or even longer engagements. Just remember, if anyone asks you what it's about, don't just tell them it's Sesame Street for adults. Tell them the truth: it's a touching story of idealistic youth facing the trials and tribulations of life and love in the big city... and full-on simulated puppet sex.