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Naughty puppets in ‘Avenue Q’ set a date for Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
IF YOU GO: Broadway Across America-Atlanta: 2007-2008 Season
$94-$376, for season packages. Single tickets typically go on sale six to eight weeks before opening. 1-800-278-4447, broadwayacrossamerica.com
After winning the 2004 Tony Award for best musical, the producers of the zany and irreverent puppet show “Avenue Q” opted out of the national touring route in favor of an exclusive sit-down version in Las Vegas. It was not a smart gamble.
The 90-minute Vegas version closed last May after a piddling five-month run, and now “Avenue Q” has hit the touring circuit after all. The naughty, completely unauthorized “Sesame Street” sendup will stop at the Fox Theatre next March as part of Broadway Across America-Atlanta’s exciting 2007-08 lineup, which also includes “The Drowsy Chaperone,” John Doyle’s streamlined “Sweeney Todd” and the Tony-nominated ’80s show “The Wedding Singer.”
In a city that loves puppets, Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez’s “Avenue Q” should be a highlight of the upcoming season, which was to be announced today by Broadway Across America-Atlanta.
“After they closed in Las Vegas, they came back to the presenters and said, ‘We want to do a national tour,’ ” said Stephanie Parker, regional vice president of Broadway Across America-Atlanta. “So immediately a bunch of us jumped at the chance, because it’s a fabulous show.”
Parker warns parents, however, that “Avenue Q” — which contains simulated puppet sex, references to Internet porn and gay material — is “for mature audiences only.”
Also next year, the Broadway presenter will participate in the inaugural season of the $145 million Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, opening in September. The offering is “Jesus Christ Superstar,” in March, and Parker says the new, 2,750-seat venue looks promising as a destination for shows that aren’t likely to fill the Fox’s nearly 4,500 seats.
But she hesitated to say that the Cobb center would compete with the Fox — in terms of her offerings, at least. “I don’t know honestly how much we will do out there,” Parker says. “We kind of want to see how well things go and how the city responds” before making a further commitment.
Meanwhile, the crowd-pleasing Disney spectacle “The Lion King” returns next year for a four-week engagement at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Parker says “The Lion King” sold out its 2003 run at the Civic Center, and the choice of venue is a function of the show’s size. “The Fox is not large enough. … The show won’t fit in the theater.”
Looking ahead to 2008-2009, Parker says “The Wizard of Oz” back story “Wicked” will blow back into the Fox. Apparently, it’s never too early for a sales pitch.
Subscribe to the upcoming season, Parker says, and “you have a better chance of making 100 percent sure that you have tickets for ‘Wicked.’ ”
Shows and scheduled dates for Broadway Across America-Atlanta’s 2007-2008 season:
• “The Rat Pack — Live at the Sands” (Sept. 25-30)
• “The Wedding Singer” (Oct. 16-21)
• “The Drowsy Chaperone” (Jan. 22-27)
• “Avenue Q” (March 25-30)
• “The Lion King” (April 3-May 4, 2008)
• “Sweeney Todd” (May 27-June 1, 2008)
Season extras: “Riverdance” (May 13-18, 2008) and “Mamma Mia!” (June 10-15, 2008), both at the Fox Theatre; “Jesus Christ Superstar” (March 4-9, 2008), Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
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