“Raucous, wicked and unsparingly funny!” raves The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times calls it “savvy, sassy and delicious!” This hilarious show tackles life’s complex issues and is full of heart and hummable tunes such as “What Do You Do with a B.A. in English” and “It Sucks To Be Me.” Avenue Q was called “one of the funniest shows you’re ever likely to see” by Entertainment Weekly. It remains one of Broadway’s biggest and most enduring successes.

Avenue Q tells the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate who moves to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q. While seeking a decent job, a stable relationship and a "purpose," he also finds a host of fascinating Avenue Q residents who help him embrace the ups and downs of city life. Princeton, with a little help from his friends, eventually realizes that "the real world" isn't so bad after all.

Avenue Q is the creation of Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty, a trio of young talented theatre artists who took home Tony Awards for Best Original Score (Lopez and Marx) and Best Book of a Musical (Whitty). Avenue Q is directed by Jason Moore, has puppet design by Rick Lyon, musical supervision by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley and sound design by Acme Sound Partners. Avenue Q is produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, Vineyard Theatre and The New Group. The cast features thirteen veteran performers from the Broadway and Las Vegas productions including Robert McClure (Princeton, Rod), Kelli Sawyer (Kate Monster, Lucy the Slut and others), David Benoit (Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Bear and others), Cole Porter (Brian) and Angela Ai (Christmas Eve). For more information on Avenue Q visit www.avenueq.com.

CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHY INFORMATION

ROBERT LOPEZ (Music and Lyrics, Original Concept, Animation Design) is still reeling winning the 2004 Tony Award for Best Score for Avenue Q, which has been produced in New York, Vegas, London, Stockholm, Helsinki, and now this tour! Bobby’s musical version of Finding Nemo, co-written with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, is currently playing in Walt Disney World. In 2007, he co-wrote songs for a musical episode of NBC’s “Scrubs.” He and his brother Billy Lopez have written music for Nick Jr’s “The Wonder Pets!” and Disney’s “Johnny and the Sprites.” Bobby is busy at work on lots of new projects. He grew up in Greenwich Village, graduated Yale 1997 (with a BA in English!) and now lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter.

JEFF MARX (Music and Lyrics). B'way debut. Jeff would like to take this opportunity to plug his book, How To Win A High School Election. A serious guide for student council candidates, it has sold over 15,000 copies and can be found in bookstores and on the internet. This is Jeff's first musical. He is now living in Los Angeles, writing various projects with different collaborators. He went to L.A. to work on the musical episode of “Scrubs,” loved it there, and stayed. He has a law degree, a Tony Award, a Mustang convertible, and a wonderfully sweet rescue dog named Princeton. Many thanks to the hundreds of people whose contributions helped make Avenue Q a reality.

JEFF WHITTY (Book) won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Avenue Q. Plays include The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler (next appearing in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2008 season), The Hiding Place, The Plank Project, Suicide Weather, and Balls. Theaters presenting his work include the Atlantic Theater Company, South Coast Repertory, the Vineyard Theater, the New Group, and New York Stage and Film/Vassar. Currently at work on the libretto for a musical version of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City. As an actor, he has appeared regionally, Off-Broadway, and in film and TV. Website: www.Whitless.com.

JASON MOORE (Director). B’way: Steel Magnolias, Avenue Q (Tony nomination, Best Director). Off-B’way: Guardians, Avenue Q, The Crumple Zone. Associate director: Les Misérables (Broadway, national tour), Ragtime (Vancouver). Writer: The Floatplane Notebooks (Charlotte Repertory Theatre). TV: episodes of “Dawson’s Creek,” “Everwood,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Brothers and Sisters.” Upcoming projects: Shrek: The Musical for Dreamworks Animation and Sam Mendes’s Neal Street Productions on B’way in 2008. Jason is a graduate of Northwestern University.

*Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved by The Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets are on sale now and range from $27 to $67 depending on performance time and seating preference. All prices include applicable facility fees. Additional charges may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office(805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55402), online at HennepinTheatreDistrict.org or through Ticketmaster: 612-673-0404 or ticketmaster.com. Performance dates for Avenue Q are Tuesday, Jan. 1 through Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 at the State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55402. Show times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Groups of 15 or more, please call 612-373-5665 for information and reservations.

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST

Hennepin Theatre Trust is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization dedicated to enhancing the cultural and economic vitality of the Hennepin Theatre District. With a focus on engaging community members in a diverse array of live performances and educational experiences, the Trust’s annual presentations include the M&I Bank Broadway Across America–Minneapolis Season, National Geographic Live! Speaker’s Series and an eclectic range of variety entertainment including theatre, dance, comedy and music. The Trust’s additional community programming includes the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, Critical View (a student reviewer program), the Starbucks Ticket Access Program and Kids’ Night on Broadway. Over 500,000 patrons visit the Trust’s State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres annually.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA

Broadway Across America presents first-rate touring Broadway shows, family productions and other live theatrical events throughout a network of over 40 North American cities. A leader in subscription series programs and group ticketing, Broadway Across America is dedicated to creating memorable and accessible experiences for all guests, selling over five million tickets to over 3,000 performances each year. As a producer, current and recent Broadway productions include: Hairspray, Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalot and The Producers. It also manages, operates or consults in the operation of 13 theatres across North America. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.