"Avenue Q"
to be produced in Manoa Valley Theatre's
2010-11 Season!

music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
book by Jeff Whitty

HONOLULU (October 5, 2009)—Manoa Valley Theatre has obtained the rights to produce the acclaimed Broadway musical, Avenue Q, in Hawaii next season. MVT is only the second community theatre in the country to so far obtain licensing to stage this Tony Award-winning “Best Musical.”

Described as “pant-wettingly funny,” Avenue Q ingeniously combines a cast of humans and puppets who tackle such thorny-but-topical subjects as dating, racism, internet porn, being gay and finding your purpose in life. The show is largely inspired by (and is in the style of) Sesame Street. MVT’s production will be held in March 2011 as a featured part of its 2010-11 season.

“Our artistic mission is served in large part by presenting plays that are timely, topical, theatrically clever, and of course entertaining. Avenue Q hits smartly on all counts,” Dwight Martin, MVT producing director, stated. “It’s going to be a terrific show for our community’s talent as well as our community’s audiences.”

Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty, was initially developed at the 2002 National Music Theatre Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. The show opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, and subsequently transferred to Broadway in July 2003. It won several Tony Awards including “Best Musical.”

After a run lasting more than six years and over 2,500 performances, the Broadway production of Avenue Q closed on September 13, 2009. The production ranked as the 20th longest running show in Broadway history. Moments after the final Broadway performance ended, producers announced that Avenue Q will transfer back for another Off-Broadway run. Previews for the Off-Broadway run begin October 9, 2009.

The story line follows Princeton, who, fresh out of the university, moves into Avenue Q in downtown New York. He tries to discover his “purpose,” while meeting the many quirky residents of Avenue Q – with all their hopes and dreams – and dealing with life’s many distractions.

Tickets to Avenue Q at Manoa Valley Theatre will be available starting in May 2010.

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