It's the Intermission
A Creative Coffee Break

Since first hearing about Avenue Q, I derided it as "cute and cynical" theatre. Couldn’t be talked into seeing it, no-way, no-how, and cursed the puppets who made endless appearances outside the musical show. When the show flew off to Las Vegas for a sit-down, leaving regional theatres in the lurch, I hoped for its failure and quick demise.

Vegas, being Vegas, required adjustments to the show, and a half hour was cut from its original runtime. For those of you who hope to combine your theatre with a little gambling,* you should know that you’ll see Phantom of the Opera Lite, and Spamalot minus a couple of original songs. Shows are cut down to 90 minutes in length, the attention span of gamblers.

On the other hand, even Shakespeare knew to accommodate a variety of attention spans.

Avenue Q, after not doing so well in Vegas, has finally begun it’s national tour. The Devil, I’ve discovered, sometimes comes with free tickets in his hands. Well, not the Devil. A good friend in the loop. As I was in San Francisco last week, tickets were offered for opening night at the Orpheum. I took a breath, and thought, "My Dear Friend, letting me sleep in her dining room, might really like to see the show." Tickets taken, show seen, and I have to now apologize to all my friends I chided as superficial, and bent on being angry just because they wanna hang on to angry.

I’m sorry, my dears. Forgive me.

What a great show.

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*A little theatre with your gambling, is more accurate. I can say it. I am the daughter of poor, white-trash, gamblers.