Puppeteer enjoys stint on ‘Avenue Q’

The show’s not for kids.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Upstaged by a puppet.

That’s something stage actress-singer Kelli Sawyer never thought she’d have to deal with on a nightly basis. Then again, she never expected to be cast as a puppeteer in the three-time Tony Award-winning smash musical “Avenue Q,” which makes its Cleveland debut during its run Tuesday through Jan. 27 at the Palace Theatre at Playhouse Square Center.

“It’s interesting but there is a lot more art involved in the puppetry than just standing on stage and singing the song,” said Sawyer, calling from Minneapolis. “The actor actually wants the audience to watch the puppet, which is an extremely unique and selfless thing for an actor to do.”

“It’s incredibly unusual in that way, and our goal is to have the audience pay attention to the puppet. I have people come up to me and say, ‘I feel bad, I didn’t watch you most of the time, I was watching the puppet.’ And I have to say that’s really the best compliment you can give me, which is really unusual.”

Unusual, extraordinary and hilarious are just a few of the adjectives used to describe “Avenue Q,” which tells the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad 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, which is filled with people and puppets all looking to get ahead in a dead-end world. 

Inspired by “Sesame Street” but with an adult flair, including full-puppet nudity (somewhere, the “South Park” gang is smirking), the show includes various memorable characters. This includes kindergarten teaching assistant Kate Monster, easygoing Nicky, Republican investment banker Rod, comedian Brian, therapist Christmas Eve and Internet addict Trekkie Monster.

Since it debuted off-Broadway in 2002, the show has been a hit wherever it plays. Not only is it still on Broadway, but it also had a successful run in Las Vegas and now is a national tour. As a matter of fact, Sawyer has been a cast member in all three production entities. She’s seen firsthand audiences’ insatiable reaction to “Avenue Q.”

“I think it’s the fact that it’s incredibly unique and something that everybody can relate to in a nostalgic way,” said Sawyer, who controls and provides the voice for Kate Monster, as well as Lucy the Slut. “We all relate to the children’s television factor of ‘Avenue Q.’

“It’s something we all grew up watching or grew up watching our children watching, and we relate to puppets in a nostalgic way that we don’t know if we’re even cognizant of it in a lot of ways.”

While so many Broadways shows boast of reinventing the musical, “Avenue Q” seemingly succeeds as a breakthrough production.