Preview: ‘Avenue Q’ Marks a One-Year Homecoming for Wisteria Theater

When Avenue Q returns to the Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood for a limited engagement beginning Friday, January 16th, it won’t simply be a revival but rather a homecoming. The irreverent, big-hearted musical didn’t just open Wisteria’s last season; it opened the company itself. Now, after a first year that can fairly be described as one of the most consistently and enthusiastically received debut seasons by any local theater company in recent memory, Wisteria is circling back to where it all began — celebrating both a signature production and a remarkable first chapter.

Over the past 365-plus days, Wisteria has quickly built a reputation for energetic, audience-friendly productions — from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to The Wedding Singer to Xanadu, and much more — each of them warmly received and helping establish an identity that has been fervently curated by co-founders Renée Wylder and Lexi Collins. That makes the decision to bring back Avenue Q not just sentimental, but a statement of confidence about the path it’s now on.

For those who somehow missed its initial run, Avenue Q is a cheeky, R-rated cousin to Sesame Street that uses puppets, pop pastiche, and disarming truths to explore the messiness of one’s formative years. Beneath the adult-tailored jokes — some of them deliciously outrageous — it tells a story about trying to find purpose, pay rent, and figure out who you’re supposed to be.

Set on a not-quite-glamorous New York block, the musical — written by Jeff Whitty with exuberant music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx — follows Princeton, a recent college graduate armed with little more than his degree as he moves into a rundown apartment populated with a colorful mix of humans and puppets who are all, in their own ways, stuck between who they thought they’d be and who they’ve become. There’s Kate Monster, an earnest kindergarten assistant with big dreams; Brian, a struggling comedian; Christmas Eve, a therapist with a blunt edge; and a pair of neighbors whose relationship is both complicated and oddly sweet. Over the course of the show, their lives tangle together in a series of comic misadventures and surprisingly tender moments.

What has always set Avenue Q apart is its ability to balance satire with sincerity. The songs are catchy and often hilarious, but they’re also built around feelings that are invariably recognizable, such as the envy of friends who seem to be doing better, anxiety about money, confusion about love, and the nagging suspicion that everyone else got an instruction manual you somehow missed. It’s a show that makes you laugh first — and then, almost without warning, asks you to look inwardly.

Wisteria Theater’s original 2025 production earned strong word of mouth precisely because it captured the original spirit of the show while at the same time being presented alongside Wisteria’s trademark immersive 4K backdrops (largely rendered by director and screen designer Brayden Hade) and astute storytelling. Not to mention, the coziness of the venue is ideal for a production such as this, allowing the actors and their puppets to be presented up close and personal insofar as every expression, no matter how grand or minor, can be registered.

The production will retain the vision that proved so popular last year, which was set apart by a nimble blend of puppetry and tightly choreographed stagecraft. The cast members are also returning (Connor Bullock, Lexi Collins, Cameron James Parker, Amber France, Marcha Kiatrungrit, Drew Maidment, Taylor Renee Castle) along with virtually the same creative crew, led by Hade, alongside choreographer Anasha Milton, music director Nolan Monsibay, lighting/sound designer Josh Collins, puppet costume designer Tanya Cyr, human costume designers Lexi Collins and Renee Wylder, and scenic designer Syndi Sawyer.

For returning 16-and-over attendees, this engagement offers a true encore in revisiting an artfully realized show that just might resonate more than it did the first time around. For newcomers, it’s a chance to experience a modern musical that has earned its place in the repertory not by being polite, but by being forthright in the most mischievous way possible. Best of all, this rendition of Avenue Q is an invitation for audiences to celebrate Wisteria’s first anniversary.

Cover image caption: Lexi Collins and Cameron James Parker in Wisteria Theater’s 2025 production of Avenue Q. Photo courtesy of Wisteria Theater.

Wisteria Theater’s 2026 production of Avenue Q runs for a limited time on select dates from Friday, January 16th through Saturday, February 7th. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit wisteriatheater.com.