Everybody grew up on Sesame Street. But what happens when Sesame Street grows up?
That’s the concept of the irreverent musical comedy, Avenue Q, a 2003 Tony Award winning Broadway production which Lethbridge Theatre company Hatrix Theatre will be bringing to the stage in May.

“ We’ve done irreverent productions before like The Evil Dead and Spamalot, which was a comedy, but which also had poignant moments,”  said director Brian Quinn noting Spamalot and Avenue Q are two musicals he’s most wanted to put on in Lethbridge.  As of May he will have done both.
 So the local theatre company is looking for at least 14 good men and women to bring the show to the stage beginning with auditions, Nov. 26 at the Moose Hall.
 The musical combines three human actors with 11 puppets and a lot of hard hitting comedy.

“They aren’t the actual Sesame Street characters, so there's no Bert or Ernie or Cookie Monster or Oscar the Grouch, but they are definitely inspired by Sesame Street,” said director Brian Quinn adding the production will appeal to a lot of different people, particularly university students and recent graduates who will be able to identify with the sentiments of the production.
“The principal character Princeton has just graduated with a BA in English and sings a song ‘What Do You Do With a BA In English.’ He just graduates and doesn’t have a job yet so he moves to a lower income part of the city based on tenement flats in big cities- Avenue Q,” Quinn continued adding he meets all kinds of interesting characters there.

“ This definitely isn’t Guys and Dolls,” said Quinn adding the play is meant for mature audiences as it explores some pretty prevalent issues like racism, sex, relationships, Internet porn and many other issues.

“ We won’t be casting anyone under the age of 18. Though people under 18 can attend the show.  It shouldn’t be up to me to make that decision. That’s up to the parents,” he said.
 For example a discussion be about whether the characters Kate Monster and Trekkie Monster are related inspires a song called “Everybody’s a Little Bit Racist.”
“It isn’t the idyllic world of Sesame Street,” Quinn continued.

 There are some key characters including superintendent Gary Coleman from Different Strokes and a Japanese character which ideally require  a black  and Japanese actor, respectively.
“ I saw it three or four years ago in Medicine Hat and really loved what they did with it. I really enjoyed it,” Quinn said.

“It’s a comedy, but not just a comedy of laughing when people fall down. Though there is a song called Schadenfreude. And there is a song called  ‘Purpose’ about trying to figure out your purpose in life,” he said.
“The music is very catchy. Especially ‘It Sucks To Be Me,’” he said.
 He has a top notch backstage crew lined up including musical director Richard Coombes who recently moved to Lethbridge from Vancouver where he has been involved with a variety of productions from Phantom of the Opera to Kiss Me Kate and even a production of Avenue Q.

 Danceworks’ Mark Litchfield and Candy Williams will be handling choreography and Juanita Devos has been recruited to be stage manager whole her husband Brent DeVos will be creating the set.
 Hatrix is looking for more people including principal cast.

 While puppetry experience isn’t essential, it will be welcome.
“ I won’t lie, puppetry isn’t easy. There is a physical aspect to it. That’s what rehearsals are for,” he said.

 They need 14 people on stage, though can get away with 13 as Mrs. Thistletwat can be played by one of the other actors.
He noted there has already been a lot of interest in Avenue Q  among Hatrix veterans.
“I’ve been putting the word out at the University of Lethbridge and on social media,” he said.

“ A lot of people have been waiting for us to do this. We’re trying to get 20 people, if we could get 40, it would be even better,” he said adding creating the actual puppets will be a lot of work on its own.
 There will be two audition puppets on hand at the auditions for people to work with. Most of the puppets require one puppeteer apiece, though a couple of the characters require two.

You don’t have to prepare an audition piece for Nov. 26. You can go in cold and sing from provided scripts or simply sing “Happy Birthday.”
 Bente Hansen will be on hand to provide musical accompaniment.
The show will be  running for 10 dates at the Moose Hall — May 5-9 and 12-16. There will be a total of 700 tickets available for the show.
 Auditions are at 7 p.m. at the Moose Hall, Nov 26.