Much of the show's ironic humor emerges from its contrasts with Sesame Street, including the differences between innocent childhood experiences and complex adulthood.

[6] One human character is a fictionalized version of the real-life celebrity Gary Coleman, the juvenile actor who played Arnold Jackson in the 1980s American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and later famously sued his parents and business advisers for stealing his earnings.

[7] Coleman is portrayed (by a woman in most productions) as an adult, who happens to be the building superintendent in the run-down Avenue Q neighborhood due to his dire financial situation.

[9] When Coleman died on May 28, 2010, casts of both the Off-Broadway production in New York City and the second national tour in Dallas dedicated that evening's performances to his memory.

Princeton, a recent college graduate, is anxious to discover his purpose in life; but first, he must find an apartment and a job, with no work experience and an English degree ("What Do You Do with a B.A.

His new neighbors are Kate Monster, a kindergarten assistant teacher who longs for a boyfriend; Rod, an obsessively neat Republican investment banker; Nicky, Rod's slacker roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian recently laid off from his catering job; Christmas Eve, Brian's Japanese fiancée and a therapist with no clients; Trekkie Monster, a surly recluse who surfs the Internet all day in search of pornography; and Gary Coleman, the former child actor who now serves as the apartment superintendent.

His puzzling song selections make her question his intended message, but eventually, she decides that he must like her after he invites her on a date to the Around the Clock Café ("Mixtape").

Brian opens the show with his lame stand-up act ("I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today"), before introducing skanky chanteuse Lucy the Slut, who wows the guys, especially Princeton, with a seductive cabaret number ("Special").

Kate writes a note to Princeton suggesting that they rendezvous at the Empire State Building and leaves it with Lucy, who promptly destroys it.

Then Trekkie Monster, recalling his own traumatic school experiences, donates ten million dollars and explains to the astonished cast that "in volatile market, only stable investment is porn!"

The rental version of the musical is scored for bass (acoustic and electric), drums/percussion (drum kit, bell tree, bongos, china cymbal, cowbell, egg shaker, finger cymbals, ice bell, mark tree, ratchet, siren whistle, slide whistle, tambourine, temple blocks, triangle, vibraslap, and wood block), guitars (acoustic, electric, and banjo), reeds (B♭ clarinet, alto sax, flute), and two electronic keyboards.

The Avenue Q puppets, which cost up to $10,000 each, and require up to 120 hours of hand fabrication per character,[28] were designed and built by original cast member Rick Lyon.

[31] As part of the workshop, the two decided to write songs for a speculative Muppet movie based on "Hamlet" called Kermit, Prince of Denmark.

This visible puppeteer approach became a key component of Avenue Q. Kermit, Prince of Denmark was pitched to, but was ultimately turned down by, the Henson family.

[33] Avenue Q was originally conceived as a show for television, but following a public reading presented for potential producers/investors in 2000, Broadway producers Robyn Goodman and Jeffrey Seller expressed interest in developing it into a theatrical property.

Variations from the Broadway production included a new reprise of "It Sucks to Be Me" for Princeton at the top of Act Two, some new orchestrations, a trimmed "The Money Song," and a new rock arrangement of "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment," as well as a few jokes written specifically for Las Vegas audiences.

Hotel owner Steve Wynn promoted the show heavily, at one point decorating 20 city cabs in orange fuzz and large white "Q" letters.

[47] A second national tour opened in Clemson, South Carolina in September 2009 under direction of the same creative team, and closed in Huntsville, Alabama on April 23, 2011.

[citation needed] The first UK tour began at the Theatre Royal Bath in February 2011 and closed at Northampton's Derngate in July.

[51] An Australian production opened in June 2009 at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, directed by Jonathan Biggins and featuring a local cast, including Michala Banas as Kate/Lucy.

[52] Avenue Q has had additional international productions in Australia,[53][54][55] Brazil,[56] Denmark,[57][58] France,[59] Germany,[60] Hong Kong,[61] Mexico,[62] Portugal,[63] South Africa[64] and Spain,[65] among others.

[71] In addition, Rod and John Tartaglia did "man on the street"-style interviews on the 2005 NBC broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Princeton and Shprintze return in wedding attire, and the cast raises a chuppah adorned with a furry orange Avenue Q logo.

Andrew MacDonald Smith and his puppet Maurice Tipo won, and on March 10, 2006, appeared in the evening performance in the opening song, the café scene, and the curtain call.

[citation needed] The cast and puppets took to the stage at Trafalgar Square on July 4, 2009, as part of the "London Pride 2009" celebration, performing "If You Were Gay", "Special" and "For Now", with Lucy the Slut assuring all the ladies in the audience that she is bisexual.

[citation needed] Cast members appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on August 13, 2009, to promote the last month of shows, performing "The Internet is for Porn" for the first time on national television.

[citation needed] The original cast recording was made on August 10, 2003, at Right Track Studio A in New York City, produced by Jay David Saks for RCA Victor.

The New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley called it a "...savvy, sassy and eminently likable...breakthrough musical", and compared its potential long-term influence to West Side Story and The King and I.

[80] The Times described it as "...how Friends might be if it had Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy arguing about their one-night stand, but with more angst, expletives and full-on puppet sex.

"[81] Avenue Q made Entertainment Weekly's 2010 end-of-the-decade "best-of" list: "This 2003 smash musical is Sesame Street for grown-ups, with filthy-minded puppets who teach useful lessons like 'The Internet Is for Porn.'