Avenue Q & the joint

My Dad's here for a night and a day. What a fun guy.

Last night we went to Avenue Q. Has anyone heard about it? It won a Tony a few years back. Well, it's puppets. Which I knew. Actors walk the puppets around--puppeteers--speaking on behalf of the puppet characters. At first it's hard to concentrate on a puppet. You end up just watching the actor. But minutes in, without your acknowledgment or any notice, your focus has already shifted to the puppet. And, in certain instances, they make sarcastic jokes, poke fun at current events, politicians. There is even a love scene.

While people doing it can be uncomfortable enough to have to view with your father at your side, puppets going at it is somehow worse. The impression being that puppets teach you how to read, play jacks, make you laugh. They exist in a child's world. In your childhood. So it's more excruciating, shocking, almost offensive to watch them engage in a little sexual healing. Right next to your Dad. Oh well. This is New York City. And anything goes.

Before the show we went to Burger Joint. This is the closest I can get you to the place. It's tucked in a tiny room in the lobby of Le Parker Meridien. We snuck in the side door to go better unnoticed. The only sign for the joint is a glowing neon burger hidden down a hallway. Once inside, you'd never know you were in a hotel. Bar stools, graffiti on the walls. I order "the works" and a beer. We perched on bar stools and ate elbow to elbow in the packed, wood-paneled room. Pretty delicious. And authentic.