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The Daily Aztec
ENTERTAINMENT
SNEAK PEAK
Monday, June 21, 2010
PASS THE POPCORN
‘Avenue Q’ puppets Rivers’ film satisfies come to San Diego SA RA H GR I E C O
MANAGING EDITOR
A L L I E D AU G H E R T Y MANAGING EDITOR
Look out: Everyone’s favorite Saturday morning puppets have grown up and moved from Sesame Street to Avenue Q — a road where knowing your ABCs isn’t enough to survive. The play “Avenue Q” focuses on the life of Princeton, a twenty-something searching for his purpose in life on the street Avenue Q in New York City. It is here he meets a colorful cast of characters including Kate Monster, Christmas Eve, Lucy the Slut and Gary Coleman, all of whom are dealing with the real world. Even though most of the puppets are based on “Sesame Street” characters, these multicolored residents are intended for a more mature audience. The cast still sings and dances, but this time it’s songs such as “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist” and “The Internet Is For Porn” that will have toes tapping. Recently, The Daily Aztec was able to interview Princeton about his life on Avenue Q.
The Daily Aztec: What’s it like living on Avenue Q? Princeton: Everyone is always singing, and we all live in harmony; living on Avenue Q is exciting because you learn something new and exciting every day. DA : Do you visit other areas of New York a lot? What is your favorite tourist attraction? P : Sometimes I have a hard time getting out of my apartment, but I have great friends
who get me out to explore the city with them. I think my favorite place in the city is the Empire State Building – just don’t ever throw anything off the top!
DA : What is playing on your iPod right now? P: The Beatles, some TV theme songs, and one of my favorites right now, “I Have to Say I Love You in a Song.” DA : What do you like to do in your free time? P: Look for jobs. I try to date and I like just spending time alone in my apartment, too. DA : Can you give some advice for anyone who is struggling right now? P: Always be yourself, don’t be afraid to take a risk or two. Remember that even if you got your BA in something as stupid as English, being you doesn’t have to suck! DA : What is your favorite quote and why? P : “Everything in life is only for now.” This quote has been very important to me in my quest to find my purpose. “Avenue Q” will be at the Civic Theatre July 6 through 11. Tickets are $18 to $76. Because of adult situations such as full-puppet nudity, foul language and adult themes, “Avenue Q” may be inappropriate for children younger than 13. For tickets or more information, visit www.broadwaysd.com.
Willingly watching a film starring Joan Rivers, a woman who sounds like she smokes two packs a day, is an accomplishment. An initial reaction to the documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” may be that the film will be a haphazardly obnoxious depiction of Rivers’ obsession with plastic surgery. But the film is surprisingly delightful and those who are fans of trashy reality television shows will especially enjoy it. The film is a perfect length at 84 minutes because the directors realized they needed to keep it short; any longer and it is doubtful viewers could take much more of Rivers’ rasping. By the time the movie is over, however, people will find themselves rooting for Rivers in her quest for stardom. In the beginning, Rivers acts exactly how one would expect her to. She is crass, overbotoxed and angry at the world for misunderstanding her atypical humor. Her desperate attempt for media approval is overwhelmingly obvious and, at times, cringe-worthy. Rivers’ frozen face displays little to no emotion whenever she speaks to the camera, but she eventually warms up to viewers with her Hollywood tales of woe. The first odd thing Rivers reveals is that she takes absolutely everything personally, regardless of being in an industry that is in the business of knocking people down. Despite her fear of being made fun of, she wants people to laugh with her, even though she is laughing at herself. Rivers demonstrates an excellent work ethic by taping shows daily across the country, which allows her to afford such luxuries as a marble telephone and an
apartment in New York City that looks as though it belongs to a French royal. She may be past her prime, but still believes she hasn’t yet hit her big break and will continue working until she does. A nice surprise appearance is made by Kathy Griffin, whom Rivers is overwhelmingly envious of because of her “youth.” Griffin shows her more serious side by commenting on how Rivers opened the door for female comedians. It is one of the more touching moments of the film as it dawns on the audience how much of an impact Rivers has made for comediennes. This realization is encouraged by the footage shown of a younger, more vibrant Rivers. For those born after 1980, it is a surprise to see Rivers’ natural face — one that was by no means ugly. She glowed in the limelight on “The Tonight Show” with host Johnny Carson, where now her plastic face merely sheens when the occasional spotlight shines down on her. It begs the question, where did that woman who was once so cheerful and witty go? If the film’s mission is for viewers to take Rivers’ side, it succeeds. It is the story of an underdog, fighting her way to the top only to be met by a bundle of obstacles. Hopefully this film will give Rivers what she needs — a boost of fame to keep her calendar busy and her appetite for fame satisfied.
Movie: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Distributed By: Break Thru Films Directed By: Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg Release Date: June 11 Grade: A