Photo Flash: Sneak Peek at CATCO-Phoenix's AVENUE Q

CATCO-Phoenix present Avenue Q, which is rated R for mature audiences, Aug. 1-19, 2012, at the Vern Riffe Center, Studio One Theatre, 77 S. High St. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the actors and puppets below.

Its clever score includes “If You Were Gay,” “It Sucks to be Me,” and “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.” Highlights are the funny, cynical, witty and irreverent puppets, Trekkie Monster, Kate Monster, The Bad Idea Bears, Princeton, Newcomer, Rod, Lucy, Nicky, Mrs. Thistletwat and Ricky, created by puppet master, Beth Kattelman, assistant curator of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute and professor in the theatre department at The Ohio State University.

Performing in Avenue Q are Bender, who is making his CATCO debut and has appeared in the following central Ohio productions: Chess in Concert (Molokov), A New Brain (Mr. Bungee), Evita in Concert (Company), Into the Woods (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Corpus Christi (James the Less), Pageant (Miss Texas), Six Degrees of Separation (Flan), and The Rocky Horror Show; Carmen Keels (Kate Monster/Lucy), a Columbus native, who now resides in New York City and made her Broadway debut in In My Life and toured Australia and New Zealand in Porgy and Bess (Clara); and Don Knoblauch (Nicky/Trekkie Monster/BadIdea Bear), who sings in The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus and lists his favorite roles as Eddie/Dr. Scott in The Rocky Horror Show, Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, Sheriff Reynolds in Bat Boy, and a Whickersham Brother in Seussical the Musical.

They are joined by Nicolette Montana (Christmas Eve), who performed in CATCO’s Evil Dead: The Musical last season and has appeared in A Piece of My Heart (Leeann), Hedwig (Yitzhak), Putting It Together (Woman II), Spelling Bee (Marcy), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), and Annie (Grace); Shope, who performed in CATCO is Kids’ production The House at Pooh Corner last season and was most recently seen in SRO’s production of Chess; Patricia Wallace-Winbush (Gary Coleman), who has been seen on CATCO’s stage in numerous productions: Crowns, Sisters, A … My Name Is Alice, The Colored Museum, Marvin’s Room,The Shorts Festival 2004 and The Club; and Patrick Walters (Brian), whose local credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), RENT (Mark), Assassins (Lee Harvey Oswald), The Music Man (Harold Hill), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere/LeFou), Annie (Rooster), Noises Off (Tim), Lonestar (Roy) and The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow/Hunk).

Anderson’s directing credits include The 39 Steps, The Rubenstein Kiss and Souvenir last season and the highly acclaimed production of Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife during the 2010-11 season. He has also directed Candide and Hair at the Ohio State University Theatre Department; Love! Valour! Compassion! and The Taste of Sunrise at CATCO; Big River and Pippin at Actors Theatre; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at New Harmony Theatre; and Greater Tuna; Little Shop of Horrors; and Assassins at the former Players Theatre Columbus where he served as Associate Producing Director.

The CATCO-Phoenix 2012-13 season is sponsored by Limited Brands. In addition, the Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. CATCO-Phoenix also appreciates the support of the Janet Leonard Reading, Lewis K. Osborne and Nina B. Pohlman Funds of the Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all of its citizens, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, supporting the city’s artists and arts organizations since 1973.

There are two previews for Avenue Q, Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 11:00 a.m., and Thursday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11.50 for the 11 a.m. performance, and $33.50 for the 7:30 p.m. show. The opening performance is Friday, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45.

For Avenue Q, there will be three $11@11 performances: Wednesday, Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15. CATCO-Phoenix’s $11@11 is an offering for theatregoers who want to see a play mid-week (Wednesday) and mid-day (11 a.m.) at a great price ($11 plus a 50-cent restoration fee).

For a deeper understanding of each play, CATCO presents talkback sessions for audiences. For Avenue Q, talkbacks will follow the Sunday, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12, matinees.

For tickets and more information, visit: http://catco.org/shows/2012-2013/avenue-q

Photo credit: Meloney Buehl, LightSwitch Creative