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), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (as Lucy the Slut), and Karen Prell (as one of the Bad Idea Bears). It also features voice performances by Dave Goelz as the other Bad Idea Bear, 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 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 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 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 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, Rose the Redbird, and Box

Dave Goelz as Blue Bad Idea Bear (voice)

Karen Prell as Yellow Bad Idea Bear, Belle the Bluebird, and Box

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)

Additional Puppeteers: Pam Arciero, Heather Asch, Jennifer Barnhart, Tau Bennett, Ron Binion, Lindsey "Z" Briggs, Lisa Buckley, Tyler Bunch, Raymond Carr, Frankie Cordero, Melissa Creighton, Ryan Dillon, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, Mark Gale, Aymee Garcia, James Godwin, BJ Guyer, Chris Thomas Hayes, Andy Hayward, Patrick Daniel Holmes, Eric Jacobson, Haley Jenkins, James Kemp, Vicki Kenderes-Eibner, John Kennedy, Kathleen Kim, James Kroupa, Tim Lagasse, Michael Latini, Peter Linz, Spencer Lott, Lara MacLean, Amanda Maddock, Ed May, Paul McGinnis, Tracie Mick, Alison Mork, Carmen Osbahr, Anney Fresh Ozar, Annie Peterle, Marc Petrosino, Sam of The Zing Zongs, Michael Schupbach, Carole Simms D'Agostino, Matt Vogel, James Wojtal, Eric Wright (Uncredited: Alice Dinnean, Colleen Smith)

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 John Debney

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

Costume Designers: Mirene Rada and Polly Smith

Puppet Captain: Rick Lyon