The Unbearable Banishment: <i>The internet is for porn!</i>

Sunday, January 30, 2011

The internet is for porn!

Avenue Q is the lively send-up of Sesame Street that includes doppelgangers of familiar characters. There's an internet/porn-addicted Cookie Monster, a closeted Republican Bert, a slacker layabout Ernie and two adorable Bad Idea Bears who encourage you to drink to excess, have drunken, unprotected sex and sleep late enough to miss important meetings at work. By all means, go, but do NOT bring the kiddies.

The internet is for porn.
The internet is for porn.
Why you think the net was born?
Porn! Porn! Porn!

I, along with a gaggle of other bloggers, was invited to see the Tony Award winning musical. Ask anyone who has see it here in New York, in Las Vegas, or any of the touring companies, it's two solid hours of fun.

The internet is for porn.
The internet is for porn.
All these guys unzip their flies
for
Porn! Porn! Porn!

Initially I was concerned that the show might have gotten a little long in the tooth. It won the Tony for Best Musical way back in 2004. That's a long time ago and sometimes, productions are allowed to go on a lot longer than they should. I remember seeing Cats well beyond its freshness date and it was tired, tired, tired.

The internet is for porn.
The internet is for porn.
Me up all night honking me horn to
Porn! Porn! Porn!

I am relieved to report that the current production, which was relocated to Off-Broadway in 2009, still smells fresh as a flower. And that's not just because they plied me with free drink coupons. I took CB with me. He hadn't seen it before (I don't know how he avoided it all these years) and he loved it.


The cast is enthusiastic and more than capable. The material is so strong that I think it'd be hard to drive this boat onto the rocks. After the show, the house lights went up and we were treated to a actor/puppet meet-and-greet. There was a lively and informative Q and A that I wish had gone on a lot longer than it did, but after two hours of simultaneously singing, delivering dialog, and playing multiple characters, all while hoisting puppets, the cast was, understandably, exhausted.


I did have time to meet with Rod who, despite claiming to have a girlfriend in Canada, likes to relax by reading his favorite book, Broadway Musicals of 1940.


I also met with one of the Bad Idea Bears. Don't let the pink bow fool you. This show has my all-time favorite character name; a bossy, matronly kindergarten teacher named Mrs. Fizzletwat.


If you're in town or live here and haven't seen it yet, you should treat yourself. It's a sure thing. If you order tickets at the box office or at boradwayoffers.com and use the code AQBLOG12, you can get discounted tickets as low as $55. (Valid through 5/26/11)

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23 Comments:

Anonymous daisyfae said...

oh, what joy! backstage? with the puppets? couldn't happen to a nicer blogger...

"The internet is for porn! The internet is for porn! Just grab your dick and double click for porn, porn, porn!"

And the Bad Idea Bears have been my muses since our mutual friend directed me to go see this show a month after it opened in 2004!

January 30, 2011 at 10:37 AM  
Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

Hahaha! That sounds like a great show! If I plan on being in NYC sometime soon, I will definitely take that in. :-)

Have you dug out of the latest snowstorm yet? You've got photos, right? You said you did... We got 6" of snow Friday morning, to add to the over 20" that's still sitting around. My sidewalk through the yard is looking more like a tunnel every day. *sigh* We are now back into the severe deep freeze with temps at -45C (yes that is below -40F) with the wind. If you happen to be sheltered from the wind, it is only -34C...

January 30, 2011 at 11:05 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Daisy: How do you remember those lyrics from so many years ago?! It's a great show, right?! Tell everyone!

Ponita: Aren't you coming here to deliver my Shakespeare folio after you win the lottery? We can see it then. [I laugh at your 6" of snow. Ha. We won't dig out until late May.]

January 30, 2011 at 11:18 AM  
Anonymous Tim Hall said...

I was lucky enough to see this shortly after it opened and LOVED IT. Definitely a must-see. Great article, Mark--I'm so glad you got to see it under such nice circumstances. Very psyched the poobahs of Ave Q recognize your passion for theater and brilliant writing.

January 30, 2011 at 2:33 PM  
Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

You laugh at the 6" that is piled on top of the more than 20" sitting around... ha! But I bet you won't laugh at the -45C we had this morning. Yours will melt long before ours will. And I didn't win the $50 mill lotto so no folio yet. But I keep buying tickets so all is not yet lost. Unless someone else buys it first, that is. ;-)

January 30, 2011 at 2:52 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Tim: Thanks very much for all those compliments. And I didn't even pay you to say them! I'm eagerly awaiting my email invitation from Julie Taymor to see Spider-Man.

Ponita: You can't imagine my disappointment. I had cleared space on my bookshelf. Oh, well. I'll throw another signed Bukowski in its place.

January 30, 2011 at 3:18 PM  
Blogger SY said...

I watched a documentary following Broadway acts that were up for the tony awards a while back. That was my first introduction to ave Q... I think I love them

January 30, 2011 at 3:42 PM  
Blogger Eryl said...

Another thing I have to pray comes this way. And you got to meet the puppets!

January 30, 2011 at 4:05 PM  
Blogger Madame DeFarge said...

It's still on in London, so maybe I should make the effort and go after this endorsement.

January 30, 2011 at 5:11 PM  
Anonymous daisyfae said...

oh, honey, i hang with theater people. we listen to the soundtrack in our cars. and the power ballad that sneaks up on you in the middle? (Fine, Fine Line) i learned to play that one, and do it as a little ditty on the guitar when i'm feeling particularly blue... it's an amazing show...

January 30, 2011 at 11:28 PM  
Blogger Ms Scarlet said...

Looks like I will have to make a date with Madame D!
Then we can go on somewhere else for pudding porn.
Sx

January 31, 2011 at 8:27 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

SY: The behind the scenes stuff is pretty interesting for me. It's part of the reason I dated actresses when I was younger. I like that world.

Eryl: I feel very, very lucky. Who would have thought this idiot blog would amount to anything? Not I!

MDeF: It depends on your sensibilities. If you are easily offended they keep your distance. If you have a somewhat liberal bent to your humor, then by all means.

Daisy: Fine, Fine Line is a nice one. Well-placed in the story for maximum emotional impact. It's unexpected.

SB: That would be so fun! How much do I wish I could join you guys?

January 31, 2011 at 8:58 AM  
Blogger Leah said...

That sounds amazing and just like something I would love. In my younger life I was very involved in puppetry and so have a special appreciation for dirty puppet shows. Glad you got to go!

January 31, 2011 at 11:32 AM  
Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

Hey, UB, how's the head?

January 31, 2011 at 11:39 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Leah: I'm going to have to insist that you go. I think it's something that you'd, particularly, would love. Not many people have puppets in their background.

Poinita: Thanks for asking! I just got the stitches out this morning. An ugly process. There'll be a white line forever in my forehead but no serious scaring. I was hoping for a nice scar.

January 31, 2011 at 11:44 AM  
Anonymous Dolce said...

Im jealous on so many levels, I don't know where to start.

So I'll just grab my dick, and start to click.

January 31, 2011 at 12:46 PM  
Blogger Sausage said...

Damn You got me with the title, I even locked the office door.
Nice post, I guess one more benefit to living in Gotham
Cheers, Sausage...

January 31, 2011 at 2:59 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Dolce: You can certainly grab "a" dick and start to click but I don't think you're qualified on your own.

SF: Fooled you! You can't believe the number of search hits I'm getting just because I have that stupid word in the title.

January 31, 2011 at 3:10 PM  
Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

Geez, there you go again... mis-spelling my name. *sigh* Take that extra "i" out, would ya? Thanks.

January 31, 2011 at 4:07 PM  
Blogger Pat said...

Sounds like fun. And looks like you're healing nicely.

January 31, 2011 at 6:38 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Ponita: It's a slip of the middle finger. What's to be done? My posts are chocked full of errors. Mea culpa.

Pat: It IS funny! And those pics were taken BEFORE my head was cut open. But I had the stitches out this morning and it's much better, thanks.

January 31, 2011 at 9:27 PM  
Blogger Pat said...

Oh dear! My eyes aren't what they were:)

February 1, 2011 at 10:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, it could be metaphorical.

February 1, 2011 at 1:49 PM  

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