Avenue Q is a certified hit. Bravo!

You know you are about to have an insanely wonderful evening when a furry lovable monster who is pretty much Cookie Monster’s alter ego sings The Internet is for porn. And that’s exactly what Atlantis Productions’ recent staging of the Tony Award winning musical Avenue Q was — an unforgettable evening of quality entertainment.

Directed with razor sharp precision and a huge heart by Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga, Avenue Q has become that rare species in the Philippine Entertainment Scene — a must see musical hit!

And rightfully so. It is performed by a cast that solidly delivers the goods. Rachel Alejandro, as the lovable Kate Monster and the vixen Lucy T. Slut, delivers a career-defining performance. She is, simply put, fantastic! And from the huge smile on her face at the curtain call, it appears she has found her home.

In a role that seems to have been written specifically for her, Aiza Seguerra is cleverly cast as former child star Gary Coleman and she impresses over and over again in each scene. Felix Rivera’s performance as Princeton and Rod can only be defined as a breakthrough. Both funny and moving, without a doubt he will soon become a major force in the Philippine theater scene and perhaps even the mainstream entertainment industry. Star in a Million champion Frenchie Dy is a revelation as the Japanese therapist Christmas Eve. Complete with entangled Rs and Ls, one would have thought that she could be this dynamic and naturally funny on the legitimate stage. Frenchie appears to be a winner on any stage you put her on.

The talented and skillful Rycharde Everley, Joel Trinidad (delightful as Nicky and hysterical as the porn obsessed Trekkie Monster), and Teenee Chan all provide the show with the fierce ensemble commitment it needs to spellbind the audience.

And what an audience it was. The performers on stage were not the only stars at the RCBC Theater that night. The audience was filled with many of Manila’s finest such as Lizzie Zobel, KitKat Zobel, Claudia and Miguel Tambunting, Jon Santos (who will be appearing in Atlantis’ next production Dogeaters), Zsa Zsa Padilla who came with her daughters, Karylle and Zia.

Who would have thought that puppets could be as moving as they were in Avenue Q (both to tears and to laughter)? Lizzie said at the intermission that she was almost in tears because of how devastated Kate Monster was when her boyfriend, the confused puppet Princeton, broke up with her. And that is what is so special about Avenue Q — it reminds you of the simple trials and tribulations we go through everyday and tells us that all of this is only “For Now.” It tells the many stories of the neighborhood in cleverly written scenes and songs by Tony Award winners Jeff Marx, Robert Lopez (who is part Pinoy) and Jeff Whitty. And the sight of two puppets having all-out noisy sex is something you really have to see to believe. Yes, Avenue Q is definitely not for children!

Judging from the many people who were not able to get tickets to the recent sold-out run and the many more who want to see the show again and again, people can’t get enough of Avenue Q . The good news is that Avenue Q will return to Manila for a holiday repeat performance from Dec. 14 to 23, also at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Get your tickets now as this will probably be the last run in Manila before a possible Singapore run.

For show buying and tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.

MANILA, Philippines –There was a time, before the onslaught of the TV-manufactured “Champions,” when singer Rachel Alejandro’s beautifully burnished alto dominated pop radio with hits like “Nakapagtataka” and “Paalam Na.”

These days, the dominant sound of the airwaves is much higher in both decibel and pitch—the aural fingerprint of a crop of younger singers who’ve been taught that belting, curlicue and melisma, no matter how undisciplined or superfluous to their talent, are the turbo trains to popular acclaim.

Singing as a blood sport can howl non-belters like Alejandro out of the fickle spotlight, as it has of late.

But there is one venue where Alejandro should feel most welcome any time: the stage. Her few forays into musical theater so far (“Alikabok,” “Larawan,” “Rent”) suggest that her gifts acquire greater luster when used in service to a musical character, as opposed to a conventional 32-bar pop ditty.

Her recent turn as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in Atlantis Productions’ “Avenue Q,” directed by Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga, supports this thought.

In this winsome staging of the 2004 Tony winner for Best Musical, which closed a weekend ago at the RCBC Theater but will be back in the same venue on December 14-23, Alejandro delivered a performance of remarkable control and versatility. Her pipes spun glittering sass one moment (in “Special”), precise heartbreak the next (in “There’s a Fine, Fine Line”).

Alejandro’s assured presence in this genial, tuneful, sharply mischievous musical—featuring puppets that cussed and boinked each other, for starters—was all of a piece with her co-stars’ joyously entertaining work.

Happy surprise

There’s Felix Rivera, showing himself off as a newly minted leading man with his good looks, limber frame and strong, expressive voice (already evident when he strutted as an alternate Chuck Cranston in Stages’ “Footloose” in 2005). If he keeps at it, Rivera should be in the big leagues by tomorrow.

Joel Trinidad juggled his multiple ventriloquist duties expertly, and was especially funny as Trekkie Monster. Aiza Seguerra, though you could quibble with her unsteady attempt at a black accent, was perfectly cast as Gary Coleman, if only for the resonant punch she brought to the line, “Try being a has-been at 15 years old!” And in small parts, Rycharde Everly and Teenee Chan gave deft support.

It would be an oversight not to devote a paragraph or two to Frenchie Dy, who was a happy surprise as Christmas Eve. The erstwhile “Star in a Million” champion aced her musical theater debut with much charm and confidence, plus the best voice in the ensemble next to Alejandro’s.

She represents hope—the bona fide product of gladiatorial vocal combat on TV transcending her birit beginnings to become an effective storyteller in song. Can she dance? How about “Hairspray” for her next time?

(“Avenue Q” returns Dec. 14-23 at the RCBC Theater. Call 8927078 or e-mail atlantis.productions@gmail.com)