Actually, because of the relationship woes, New York City setting, job issues and breast implants – it was more like an episode of Sex and The City, with puppets.

Sitting in my seat waiting for the opening drum roll to pop, I found myself flipping through the Playbill for opening night of “Avenue Q.”

I read the actor’s bios and various Milwaukee-based advertisements. However, when I got to the back of the bill, there was an intriguing disclaimer.

“Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved in any manner by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.” Needless to say, I am glad I took the time to read the small and seemingly insignificant print, otherwise when I saw the two puppets (who reminded me of the Sesame Street characters I grew up with) having the most intense love making session I have ever witnessed on stage, I probably would have shed a few tears.

Yes, it’s true. Puppets were having sex on stage, but that’s not all they were doing. They were admitting what kind of Internet porn they preferred, chasing a breast implant infested woman err, puppet, trying to out a closeted gay roommate and sucking down long island ice teas like 18-year-olds with their first fake ID.

This show was quite the rollercoaster ride. Despite the uncountable times I literally almost fell off of my seat from laughing so hard, it reminded of a daytime soap opera with profanity and four-part harmony. Actually, because of the relationship woes, New York City setting, job issues and breast implants – it was more like an episode of “Sex and The City” with puppets.

All comparisons aside, it was a delight to see that “Avenue Q” came to Milwaukee. This Tony Award winning musical follows a recent college grad named Princeton on his journey of moving up into adulthood and into an apartment in New York City. His neighbors are the ones who ultimately teach him what life outside of college is really like.

Christmas Eve, a young Japanese woman who lives next store with her husband Brian, is a psychologist who can never quite seem to keep any patients for longer than one visit. The control she lacks in her profession she makes up for in her marriage by keeping her aspiring comedian of a husband on a very short leash. Surprising him with their wedding is just one of her crazy antics that he does not get to have a say in.

Kate Monster, is the wide-eyed kindergarten teacher’s assistant who lives upstairs from Princeton. She dreams of creating a school just for kids that are monsters (a.k.a. puppets) so they don’t have to go through the bullying that she endured growing up.

Through the song, “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist,” Kate and Princeton dabble in the idea that Kate’s dream school for monsters, may be on the racist side by not allowing any one else to go there. Another fact as to why this musical is only intended for audiences 16 and up.

By far, the funniest and perhaps the most significant, characters in the show were the Bad News Bears. They show up at the most crucial decision making points in the show, persuading Princeton to do what seems like a good idea at the time, but later turns out to be a large mistake.

For example, when he and Kate go out to see Brian’s comedy routine at a bar across the street Kate tells him that she cannot stay out too late because she has to teach in the morning.

Then, by way of delicate pirouettes and charming music, come The Bad News Bears, whose innocent voices and charming nature are too cute to say no to. They get Princeton to order Kate a long island ice tea.

And then another and then before they knew it, they were doing the nasty all night long. Kate oversleeps and eventually loses her job because of her escapades.

This show was full of twists and turns, die-hard laughter and eventually a standing ovation. If you didn’t get a chance to see this innovatively raunchy show, the tour will be visiting our neighbor to the south, Chicago, at the end of May.

Avenue Q is a delight for almost the whole family. I would feel weird taking a little sibling or even grandma to this one; that’s what “The Lion King” was for.

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