Las Vegas Spotlight: September 2005

The arrival of Avenue Q, which has already begun previews and officially opens on September 8, is one of the most exciting happenings on the Vegas scene in recent memory. A new opening on the Strip is always a big deal since the turnover of shows here is so slow, but the reason Avenue Q‘s entry into the fold is so spectacular is because the show is so, well, unspectacular. We’re not talking about content, mind you, but about presentation. Las Vegas musicals are known more for their multi-million dollar effects than well-crafted scripts and songs. But Avenue Q is a musical that some thought was even too intimate for Broadway, nevermind Vegas.

The announcement that Avenue Q would arrive at Wynn Las Vegas Resort in 2005 came, with some controversy, right after the show won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical. The show’s songwriters, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, had campaigned hard for the win, and won it in a David-vs-Goliath like defeat against frontrunner Wicked. At that point, it was expected that Avenue Q would mount a national tour, but instead the news quickly, and unexpectedly, came out that the show would make a home for itself at its very own theater in the soon-to-be-opened Wynn.

Since that time, people have speculated how a show like this would work in the Vegas setting. Avenue Q is a satiric musical comedy that takes its inspiration from Sesame Street in telling about the lives of the financially-challenged inhabitants of an apartment building on the fringes of New York City. At the center of the story is a couple of recent college grads looking for love and meaning in their lives. Oh, and did we mention they’re puppets? There are some token human characters, too, but it’s a small cast and there’s only one set — a situation that would be considered ideal for most any theater in the country, but is sort of a challenge in Las Vegas.

Q is actually only part of a trend that began with Mamma Mia! and will continue with several other Broadway tuners taking up residence in Nevada in the next couple years. In 2007, Monty Python’s Spamalot will also be moving into the Wynn, while The Phantom of the Opera will be coming to the Venetian Hotel & Casino, and there is currently talk about the recently-closed Brooklyn and the Billy Joel-Twyla Tharp show Movin’ Out moving in. Early next year, Broadway smash Hairspray will open at the Luxor Hotel & Casino with original star Harvey Fierstein headlining. Avenue Q, too, features two talented stars from the original New York cast, John Tartaglia and Rick Lyon, who sing, dance, act, and operate puppets all at the same time!

The fact is that no matter how “small” Avenue Q is, it’s a smart, fun show, and a huge crowd pleaser that has gained a loyal following. Whether or not it has successfully transformed itself into great Las Vegas-style entertainment remains to be seen by those who begin visiting the Wynn this month. This little show may just turn the very concept of what constitutes theater in Las Vegas on its head.