It Sucks To Be Me

Watched Avenue Q last night--its first rerun schedule since it first came out in Manila on September--at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in RCBC Plaza.

There's been a lot of fuss, apparently, but I've never really gotten bitten by the bug. (Wasn't I the last soul to ever get on the Harry Potter bandwagon?!) My officemate Yayie was raving about it almost two years ago, and even gave me a copy of the soundtrack. In between balancing work and life, I never really got to listening to it...not even Internet Is For Porn. ;-)

An acquaintance I made a few months back (his name's Arthur) was likewise raving about it--like he was naman with most musicals...and was feeling downhearted when he missed the September run. He vowed to get a ticket for the December rerun (which, at the time, was still a hush-hush). He didn't get to get tickets to the show, by the way (bummer, eh?!).

So when my friend Randy texted me a month back and asked if I was interested in watching Avenue Q, I gave a tentative, not-too-enthusiastic yes...but watched it anyway...as long as it wasn't too expensive (December's for spending on gifts, ya know...). We got the upper balcony for 500 bucks.

Got to our seats 10 minutes early. I told Randy we were lucky the theater wasn't as steep as when I watched Chicago in Houston, Texas. At 200 dollars, the performers were about an inch tall. For just 500 pesos and about four inches tall, I wouldn't be one to complain.

Show started just in time...some of life's little blessings. No major overture/opening kind of shit that you normally see on stage. It actually starts with a plug-type of music streaming from a corner TV set. How very innovative...it gives you a general idea this early that it will be, uhm, different.

The set is so much better than the Broadway--or at least in terms of color. Avenue Q Broadway was a tad bleak, almost devoid of life. Atlantis Productions' was--how do you say it--in living color. (Gotta get those pastels onto my walls now) The lighting was right, and spots were appropriate and almost synched with the main characters performing at the time.

The music. Ah. Where do I start? "It Sucks To Be Me" is just way too close to home. At a certain age, you just can't help but think this way--you're unemployed, you're single, you're a has-been, you've wasted your college degree, the works. I am yet to meet that person who cannot relate to this song. Now, "The Internet is for Porn" takes the cake in laugh-out-loud lyrics. And seeing Trekkie Monster mime his "horn-whacking" and spilling out his "porn porn porn" lyrics was more than enough to make me roll on the floor...or what's left of where we were seated. There was a touchy-feely poignantish song, "Fine, Fine Line", where Kate Monster was feeling downhearted after being dumped by Princeton (oh, yes, puppets do that, too!). It sank in on me that I was being a little bit of a Princeton to somebody...but that it was really how it was for me/us. So, imagine me empathizing with the two damned puppets and twiddling my fingers and looking down at my feet as I felt somehow awkward. The final song, "For Now" was a truly apt way to close the show...and give everyone in the audience something good to feel about. It goes, "Don't stress, relax, let life roll off your backs. Except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now!...". (And, oh, that part about "Only for now! (Sex!) Is only for now! (Your hair!) Is only for now! (George Bush!) Is only for now!"...I really wish they changed "George Bush" to "GMA". That would have brought the house down!) Oh, Oh, the Manila casts' singing of "Give Love on Christmas Day" was just...beautiful.

The cast. Hmmmmm....I'd say these people are NOT--I repeat--not humans. With their exceptional talent in multitasking, voice-changing/masking, dancing and pretending to be real Americans (ehehehehehehehe), how could they possibly be normal human beings? Felix Rivera was very refreshing. He is, after all, more than just beautiful chest and biceps (LOL). So to that bitchy fag I overheard outside the toilet complaining (and comparing Rivera to Broadway's Tartaglia) about Manila's Princeton, I say to him--in my most puppety voice, "Felix was perfect for the role...so, Fuck you!". I never liked Rachel Alejandro. But last night was a time I threw that dislike rag out the window and embraced her--voice, boobs, hips and all. Her Lucy the Slut performance was simply fantastic. Aiza Seguerra was perfect for the Gary Coleman role. Nooooo...not because she's a has-been! Or, OK, OK...at the very least, Gary and Aiza shared some lost-childhood moments due to showbiz...so I believe they couldn't have gotten a better Coleman than her. (Unless it's Matet? LOL) Joel Trinidad was likewise astonishing. He really brought Trekkie Monster to life. And although the Broadway Trekkie had more funky dance moves, Trinidad gave such justice to the Manila Trekkie. (Did I say the whacking was such a turn on for most peeps? LOL) Rycharde Everley was, uhm, aiiiight. It wasn't a stellar performance, but being a legit white guy, he couldn't have given Brian's role more justice. Frenchie Dy and Teenee Chan were, in my opinion, so underutilized in the show, moreso Chan. Dy still delivers her magnificent notes and almost perfect pitch, though the rehearsed Japanese accent sort of got in the way. I would love to see more Chan singing rather than just puppeteering and speaking. All in all, the cast was great. They seemed to have bonded well prior to the show as they looked very comfortable and very, uhm, "one" with each other...whatever that means to you.

You should definitely watch it. Again, when you can. It isn't for the Manangs or pretentious holier-than-thous...Think of Sesame Street or Jim Henson Muppets having sex (ooooohhhh, yes, there IS full puppet nudity involved), cussing like truck drivers, and talking about drugs, and sex, and dumping girlfriends, and sex, and gay boys, and sex, and booze, and...oh, porn. That being said, parental discretion is totally necessary. You don't really want your 7-year olds shouting "fuck yous" at you, do you?

OK. I'm babbling. Now, where is that Avenue Q soundtrack...?

Shoo. Go now and Q for Avenue Q. (If you didn't get that, you are one stupid monster/puppet!)