Avenue Q (2024 film)

Avenue Q is a 2021 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore and written by Jeff Whitty based on the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. The film stars Bobby Moynihan, Ne-Yo, and Margaret Cho as Brian, Gary Coleman, and Christmas Eve, respectively. The main cast of puppets are performed by John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo (reprising their Broadway roles as Princeton and Kate Monster), Brian Henson (as the voice of Rod), Kevin Clash (as Nicky), Noel MacNeal (as Trekkie Monster), and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (as Lucy the Slut). It also features voice performances by veteran Muppeteers Dave Goelz and Fran Brill, the latter in a rare, post-retirement role, as the Bad Idea Bears; Louise Gold as Mrs. Thistletwat; Bill Barretta as Ricky; Steve Whitmire, in his first performing role since his departure from The Muppets Studio in 2016, as a newspaper salesman; and Joey Mazzarino as a doctor. Other characters are performed by David Rudman, Martin P. Robinson, and Paul McGinnis (who also served as "senior assistant puppeteer").

Like the musical, the film centers around Princeton, a youthful puppet character with big dreams and a tiny bank account, who is trying to figure out what is his purpose in life. He moves into a shabby apartment on Avenue Q and hooks up with many of the avenue's residents, including aspiring teacher Kate Monster, homosexual investment banker Rod and his roommate Nicky, broke and unemployed Brian, Japanese therapist Christmas Eve, washed-up former child star turned superintendent Gary Coleman, and Internet pornography-addicted Trekkie Monster. Throughout the film, the cast has to deal with the hardships of real life, and briefly wish to return to a time when everything in life wasn't so difficult, but eventually accept their hard lives, knowing that everything in life, good or bad, is only "for now."

Also like the musical, the film touches on such adult themes as racism (mainly, that everyone is racist to some extent), homosexuality (Nicky tries to assure Rod he wouldn't care if Rod was gay), Internet pornography (as Trekkie points out, lots of people watch it), schadenfreude (Gary points out to Nicky that lots of people show it), the hardships of relationships (Kate stresses over not having a boyfriend and struggles to maintain one with Princeton, Rod and Nicky can't get along as roommates) and employment (Brian is laid off and penniless, Kate struggles to open a new school for monsters), and the consequences of actively trying to seek out your life's purpose (Princeton ends up feeling more miserable the longer he searches). One minor difference is the alteration of some dialogue to fit the story's medium (Princeton suggests his purpose in life is to put everything he's learned into a movie rather than a musical, and the whole cast sings, "This film is only for now!" during the final number).

The puppets for the film were designed by Ed Eyth (based closely on original Broadway designs by Rick Lyon) and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop in New York (which also builds the Sesame Street Muppets), which also built over 300 new puppets exclusive to the film, all of whom appear throughout the film as background extras (as everything from cabaret patrons to neighbors to wedding attendees to college students to hospital staff and patients), especially in the "For Now" song near the end of the film. To perform each newly built puppet (and to provide assistance for the lead performers), the film's puppeteers hired Rick Lyon himself, Jennifer Barnhart, Peter Linz, and around 350 of their fellow puppeteers from the Jim Henson Company and Sesame Workshop (both current and past) to help perform the characters. Avenue Q was dedicated in memory to the real Gary Coleman, who died in 2010 and was supposed to play himself in the original musical; in his dedication, he's referred to as "A great friend of Avenue Q."

The film was released in the United States by Universal Pictures on November 25, 2021. It garnered generally positive reviews (praising the direction, acting, music, and puppetry) but underperformed at the box office, earning $140 million worldwide on a $90 million budget.

Cast
Bobby Moynihan as Brian

Ne-Yo as Gary Coleman

Margaret Cho as Christmas Eve

John Tartaglia as Princeton, Mrs. Thistletwat (puppetry), and Ricky (puppetry)

Stephanie D'Abruzzo as Kate Monster, Newspaper Salesman (puppetry), and Box

Brian Henson as Rod (voice)

Kevin Clash as Nicky, Blue Bad Idea Bear (puppetry), and Box

Noel MacNeal as Trekkie Monster, Hospital Doctor (puppetry), and Box

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Lucy the Slut, Yellow Bad Idea Bear (puppetry), and Box

Dave Goelz as Blue Bad Idea Bear (voice)

Fran Brill as Yellow Bad Idea Bear (voice)

Louise Gold as Mrs. Thistletwat (voice)

Bill Barretta as Ricky (voice)

David Rudman as Rod (puppetry), Newcomer, and Box

Steve Whitmire as Newspaper Salesman (voice)

Martin P. Robinson as College Teacher

Joey Mazzarino as Hospital Doctor (voice)

Paul McGinnis as Box and Senior Assistant Puppeteer

Additional Puppeteers: Brad Abrell, Catherine Adell, Christian Anderson, Rachel Appelbaum, Pam Arciero, Anthony Asbury, Heather Asch, Steve Axtell, Grant Baciocco, Greg Ballora, David Barclay, Billy Barkhurst, Jennifer Barnhart, Phil Baron, Lawrence Basgall, Jake Bazel, Nate Begle, Tau Bennett, Carol Binion, Ronald Binion, David Bizzaro, Tim Blaney, Cheryl Blaylock, Rickey Boyd, Mary Brehmer, Lindsey Z. Briggs, Matthew Brooks, Warrick Brownlow-Pike, Lisa Buckley, Julianne Buescher, Tyler Bunch, Jessica Carleton, Kevin Carlson, Raymond Carr, Brian Carson, Kristin Charney, Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo, Ed Christie, Brian Clark, Ceili Clemens, Josh Cohen, Spencer Cohen, Bruce Connelly, Frankie Cordero, Austin Michael Costello, Melissa Creighton, Carole D'Agostino, Nathan Danforth, Dorien Davies, Bill Diamond, Ryan Dillon, Alice Dinnean, Jamie Donmoyer, Ben Durocher, Jodi Eichelberger, Artie Esposito, Peggy Etra, Darci Lynne Farmer, David Matthew Feldman, Olga Felgemacher, Roberto Ferreira, Genevieve Flati, Galen Fott, Thom Fountain, Mark Gale, Aymee Garcia, Rob Gardner, Cameron Garrity, Dan Garza, Noah Ginex, James Godwin, Stacey Gordon, Jerome Green, Alex U. Griffin, Art Grueneberger, BJ Guyer, Sam Koji Hale, Elizabeth Hara, Terri Hardin, Paul Hartis, Christopher Thomas Hayes, Andy Hayward, Chris Heady, Ric Heitzman, Cheryl Henson, Heather Henson, Rachel Herrick, Joshua Holden, Gwen Hollander, Patrick Holmes, David Hosay, Dave Hulteen, Eric Jacobson, Jason Jacoby, Haley Jenkins, Patrick Johnson, Scott Johnson, Sean Johnson, Victoria Johnson, Avery Lee Jones, Brian Michael Jones, Ulysses Jones, David Jordan, Camille Kampouris, Francis Kane, James Kemp, Vicki Kenderes-Eibner, John Kennedy, Kathleen Kim, Donna Kimball, Joe Kovacs, Mary Robinette Kowal, Andy Rocco Kraft, Adam Kreutinger, Jim Kroupa, Tim Lagasse, Scott Land, Tiffany Lange, Bruce Lanoil, Michael Latini, Todd Gerson Levin, Len Levitt, Jayden Libran, Peter Linz, Michael Lisa, Weston Chandler Long, Spencer Lott, Paul Louis, Rick Lyon, Peter MacKennan, Lara MacLean, Amanda Maddock, Greg Manion, Jim Martin, Wayne Martin, Karen Maruyama, Drew Massey, Ed May, Cathy McCullough, George McGrath, Jess McKay, Anney McKilligan-Ozar, Megan McNerney, Ted Michaels, Tracie Mick, Danny Montooth, Andrew Moriarty, Alison Mork, Kathryn Mullen, Jason Murphy, James Murray, Jim Napolitano, Russell Nauman, Kevin Noonchester, Sarah Oh, Michael Oosterom, Brett O'Quinn, Carmen Osbahr, Adam Pagdon, Chris Palmieri, Christine Papalexis, Annie Peterle, Marc Petrosino, Megan Piphus, Karen Prell, David Quesal, Mike Quinn, Jared Ramirez, Bill Remington, Steven Ritz-Barr, Julio Robles, Abby Roderick, Melissa Roja, Tim Rose, Adam Rudman, Joey Rudman, Carla Rudy, Paul Rugg, Nicolette Santino, Rob Saunders, Benjamin Schrader, Michael Schupbach, Michael Schwabe, Joe Selph, Pam Severns, Benjamin Siemon, James Silson, Scott Silson, Jessica Simon, Michelan Sisti, David Skelly, James Sloane, Colleen Smith, Jeff Speetjens, Thom Stanley, David Stephens, Andy Stone, David Strassman, Lisa Sturz, Ian Sweetman, Norman Tempia, Blair Thomas, Allan Trautman, Steve Troop, Basil Twist, Art Vega, Gabriel Velez, Jack Venturo, Alex Villa, Jack Vogel, Matt Vogel, Cynthia von Orthal, Russ Walko, Robin Walsh, Justin Walters, Stacey Weingarten, Daniel Weissbrodt, Wayne White, Melissa Whitmire, Vanessa Whitney, Steven Widerman, Susan Widerman, Mark Bryan Wilson, James Wojtal, Chase Woolner, Eric Wright, Evy Wright, Matt Yates, Victor Yerrid, Bryant Young, Teddy Yudain

Credits
Dedicated to Gary Coleman 1968-2010 A great friend of Avenue Q.

Directed by Jason Moore

Written by Jeff Whitty and Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx

Additional material written by Todd Berger

Produced by Kevin McCollum

Executive Producer: Lisa Henson

Based on the hit musical of the same name by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx

Director of Photography: Charles Minsky

Production Designer: Bo Welch

Art Director: Eve Stewart

Choreographer: Ken Roberson

Puppets for the film designed by Edward Eyth and built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, New York

Puppets for the show designed by Rick Lyon

"Avenue Q" set designed for the film by David Gallo

"Avenue Q" set designed for the show by Anna Louizos

Edited by Steven Weisberg

Original Score by Michael Giacchino

Music and lyrics from the show written by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx

Music for the film supervised by Alan Menken

Music for the show directed by Gary Adler and supervised by Stephen Oremus

Costume Designers: Mirene Rada and Polly Smith