Review: 'Avenue Q' at Playhouse on Park

Pictured: Weston Chandler Long as Rod, Peej Mele & Colleen Welsh as Nicky All photos courtesy Curt Henderson, Imagine It Framed.

West Hartford, CT - Playhouse on Park opened their ninth season on Friday with a very professional production of the Broadway musical ‘Avenue Q.’ While only two of the cast members and the director Kyle Brand are members of Actor’s Equity Association, the finely tuned cast worked magic with the demanding premise of acting beside their puppet counterparts accompanied by a fine group of offstage musicians.

In ‘Avenue Q,’ with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx based upon an original concept of the two and a book by Jeff Whitty, only three human actors are able to play just one human. James Fairchild made his Playhouse on Park debut in what he calls one of his favorite shows and did well as comic wannabe Brian who marries Christmas Eve. EJ Zimmerman made her Playhouse on Park debut in the role of the Asian-American therapist. Ms. Zimmerman did the national tour of ‘Avenue Q’ as a swing; the Equity actress was very strong in the role that is intentionally a caricature. Abena Mensah-Bonsu also made her memorable debut with this theatre as former child star Gary Coleman, a fun role traditionally played by a woman.

Weston Chandler Long was a standout in the roles of Princeton and Rod. The handsome Mr. Long was part of the national tour of ‘John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean’ and he has had puppetry training with Sesame Workshop. He easily handled the puppeteering requirements of the two leading roles, often voicing the other character while waiting the lines of the puppet on his hand just as Mr. Tartaglia had done on Broadway, and gracefully danced the significant choreography. Add to this his wonderful singing voice and impressive acting skills and the result was a performance to remember.

Ashley Brooke, who in fact holds a BA in English from Queens College, took on the equally challenging roles of Kate Monster and Lucy. I wished that I had seen Ms. Brooke when she appeared as Susan in Playhouse on Park’s [title of show.] She was equal parts charming as the kindergarten teaching assistant Katherine and trashy as Lucy the Slut and sang wonderfully for both. Peej Mele showed his puppet versatility as the live hand puppets Nicky and the naughty Trekkie Monster, as well as the hand rod puppet for the blue Bad Idea Bear. Mr. Mele appeared as Hunter in [title of show.]

Colleen Welsh played the roles of the ancient kindergarten teacher Mrs. T and the yellow Bad Idea Bear, but as the only ensemble member, she also often worked in tandem with a puppeteer performing a live hand puppet, working only the left hand of that puppet. Ms. Welsh originally hails from Windsor, CT and is a graduate of the Hartt School. With her free hand on the back of the other human actor, she had to stay close and anticipate where her partner is headed, all while matching the feelings of the puppet character. She nailed it.

The director, a New York actor and a Hartt School graduate, clearly knew how the show should work and his choreography was charming. Robert James Tomasulo served as music director and played keyboard with his four musicians. Emily Nichols designed the outer borough set that fit snugly into the space that was nicely lit by Christopher Bell. Patrons seated on the sides could not really see the actors popping their heads out of the small apartment windows for quick lines; it was better for the puppets using them. Kate Bunce designed the black costumes for the puppeteer/actors and full ensembles for the human characters. I noticed the unique take on the wedding dress for Ms. Eve and there were four other “brides” that appeared as a vision for the commitment-questioning Princeton. There was a bit of an issue with sound for one actor, but the size of the space made it less noticeable.

Playhouse on Park, a new venue for me, is located on the busy Park Road in West Hartford. The theatre is surrounded by a wide variety of eating establishments within walking distance and plenty of free parking on the residential side streets nearby. The low-ceilinged performance space is a three-sided stage with highly banked comfortable seating that makes for a relatively intimate space. ‘Avenue Q’ runs through Oct. 8. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 860-523-5900 x10 or visit www.playhouseonpark.org. Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues and she posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became an associate of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theater Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417