“Avenue Q: The Musical” at Overbrook Theater Oct. 12-16

Avenue Q The Musical Graphic

The MCC Center for Theater will open the 2016-2017 season by staging “Avenue Q: The Musical” on Oct. 12-16 in the college’s Overbook Theater.

Shows take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday – Saturday, Oct. 12-15, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16. Tickets, which go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 5, are $10 for the general public and $5 for current MCC students, faculty, and employees. For reservations or further information, call (231) 777 -0324.

“Avenue Q: The Musical” is the story of what happens when the simple promises of childhood meet the messier, more complex realities of adulthood – but with puppets! Winner of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book, “Avenue Q: The Musical” mingles live actors alongside colorful puppets reminiscent of children’s shows like “Sesame Street,” however, this is no show for children and is recommended for mature audiences only.

The decidedly adult musical, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, debuted off-Broadway in 2003. Popular songs from the musical include “It Sucks to Be Me,” “If You Were Gay,” and “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”

Much like the musical’s purposely unconcealed puppeteers, “Avenue Q: The Musical” takes familiar settings, images and conceits of popular children’s shows and forces them into the light of real world scrutiny. In doing so, the musical both satirizes as well as earnestly explores coming-of-age issues and fears, as it follows freshly graduated protagonist “Princeton” on his search for purpose in adulthood.

MCC’s Director of the Center for Theater, Sheila Wahamaki, will direct the breakthrough musical, with Cece Gorman as Assistant Student Director. Set and light design are by Tom Harryman, costumes by Susan Eyler, and scenic paint design and construction by Brian Goodman.

The show features Aiden Smith, Erin Mickelson, Gabe Cerchiori, Aaron Ponce, Sarah Stepanek, Tim Hegedus, Paul Dickens-Jacobs, Katie McCool, D’marco Hughes, Hannah Erdman, Adrianne Lewis, Madisen Schuppe, Claire Beaman and Bonnie Weise.