Provocative puppets: New Castle native gives a two-fisted performance

whitney smith

October 08, 2008 by whitney smith

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Not every actor gets to play a monster and a tramp in the same show.

But that's Carey Anderson's job these days, as the New Castle native comes home to Indiana to perform with a Broadway touring company.

The 30-year-old actress is starring as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in "Avenue Q," as part of a 30-city North American tour that stops at Clowes Hall.

"Avenue Q" is a provocative, coming-of-age story set in a low-rent district of New York City. It tells the story of Princeton, a new college graduate whose eccentric neighbors include a closeted gay Republican investment banker, a crabby kindergarten teacher and a reclusive Internet porn addict.

Because "Avenue Q" features actors and Muppet-style puppets with lessons to learn, "Avenue Q" may seem like "Sesame Street," but it's definitely not for kids. Not only does the show deal with mature subjects, but it also brings up the lights on the shocking, once-forbidden phenomenon of puppet cleavage.

The characters sing songs including "What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?," "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" and "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist."

Anderson's characters each have distinctive voices, and are totally different from each other: Kate Monster is an idealistic kindergarten teacher's assistant with a dream of opening a school that doesn't discriminate, and Lucy is a seductive cabaret singer with a taste for men. Lots of men.

Anderson describes Lucy as "very Mae West. She's a lounge singer who pays her own bills. She's essentially homeless, and survives by hopping from one boyfriend to the next."

Anderson, who studied voice for a couple of years at Butler University before transferring to Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., said "it's very humbling, giving yourself over to a non-living, non-breathing thing that's plopped on your hand. It's a very special skill."

Avenue Q

When: Oct. 14-19. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Oct. 17, 2 and 8 p.m. Oct. 18, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19.

Location: Clowes Hall, 4600 Sunset Ave.

Tickets: $22-$65.

Info: (317) 239-1000 or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

Forum: Talk

Tags: 

theater, puppets, Tony awards, mature audiences, provocative

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