Today's post is brought to you by the letter "Q"

Sadly, all things must come to an end and this is no exception for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q. After 2,534 performances and 22 previews the show will play its last performance on Broadway Sept. 13. Even though Avenue Q will be sadly missed, we all have learned many valuable lessons...

We now know what the Internet is for.

We're working on finding our purpose.

We've learned that the mix tape isn't dead.

There is life outside our apartment.

and...

Everyone's a little bit racist, sometimes.

Too much free stuff!

There is still time to win the Avenue Q hand puppet eyeballs and Original Broadway Cast Recording. Text AVEQ to TBPAC (82722) NOW for your chance to win!

We also have a pair of Chris Rock tickets being given away - send the text ROCK to TBPAC (82722) for your chance to score those.

Between this blog, our SMS service and our eCenter newsletter - we hope to be making you happy with free swag at least once a week! Free! Woo hoo!

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Avenue Q on Studio 10

If you missed it yesterday morning, check out Studio 10’s website for video of our Avenue Q appearance. There’s a link to an interview with the actors and a separate link to an interview with “Rod” and “Nicky.”

- Tara Mc.

Tara interviews Kate Monster!

The Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q is running here at TBPAC through Sunday, and I would definitely encourage everyone to check it out. It’s so much fun, you can’t help but laugh the whole time. Leave the kids at home though; it’s definitely not for them.

I recently had the chance to catch up with one of Avenue Q’s furriest residents, Kate Monster, for a little Q&A:

What is a typical day like for you?

I like to wake up really early and read the newspaper; it's important to keep up with current events. I walk to my school for monsters and greet the students at the door. After our lessons, and nap-time, I release the monster-kids to their parents and have an afternoon of conferences and paper-grading. Then I go home and see my friends on "Avenue Q"--we usually have dinner or meet at the local bar for a drink before winding down for the evening. I have a great life.

I don’t want to get too personal, but do you have a significant other?

Well, I don't want to give too much away about the show, but let's just say I'm spending a lot of time with a certain someone right now and we're taking it one day at a time.

Do you ever feel like you’re treated differently because you’re a monster?

I certainly experience discrimination due to my race. I find that people make assumptions and judgments about my personality and my work-ethic. They expect me to be lazy with a quick-temper--how absurd!!! Well, the quick-tempered part is true on occasion, but I am anything but lazy...and I'll have words with anyone who says otherwise!

Do you have any advice for young monsters out there who may be reading this?

Stay strong and work hard! We are the next generation of monsters who can change the stereotypes that hold us back in the global community! Do not let anyone tell you that fur makes you a lesser being in the evolutionary chain! Fight for fur!!

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

I see myself married with a couple of monster kids. I will definitely still be teaching monsters, but I hope to see my class-sizes triple by then. It's a lofty goal, but I'm up for it...after all, I'm not a lazy monster.

- Tara Mc

Avenue Q on "Ace of Cakes"

Did you miss Avenue Q on the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" last night? If so, no worries. There are several more chances to catch the neighbors from Avenue Q interacting with the sometimes confused cake designers and of course to see the AMAZING cake creation. It's a cake made to look like their set... front AND backstage. You have to see it to believe it!

Show your love for Broadway!

Love Spring Awakening? What about Avenue Q?

Well, now you can show your love on your desktop, website or whatever social networking application that you use but swear you don't have a problem with!

Check out Avenue Q's downloads page here (hurry up, the show will be here in just a few weeks!) and then head over to the Spring Awakening's download page and nab some goodies from over there!

Show love for the fuzz, and then for ... umm ... the peach fuzz?

Photo op! Here's an Avenue Q tip for you!

TBPAC wants you to come down to see how we look after 20 years – then take a picture of it! The winner will get a pair of tickets to the opening night of Avenue Q.

Bring your gear down to TBPAC anytime between Dec. 10 and March 7 and take photos of the whole building, a detail or anything in between and submit it to our photography contest. We’re hoping to find a variety of entries – from the classical to the avant-garde. Want inside access to a backstage area? Check our website for scheduled backstage tours. As long as you stay with your group in the designated areas, you can take pictures of the inside of the halls or the backstage areas. Keep in mind – as always we do not allow anyone to take photographs inside the theater during any performance.

Photos should be high resolution (300 dpi) and submitted to us on CD mailed to:

TBPAC Photo Contest
1010 NWC MacInnes Pl.
Tampa, FL 33602

One winner will be chosen by a panel of three impartial judges and will receive a pair of opening night tickets (April 1, 2008) to the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Avenue Q in Carol Morsani Hall (Intended for mature audiences).

TBPAC retains the right to use any entered photographs for, but not excluded to, publicity releases, marketing materials and web site displays. Every attempt will be made to credit the original photographer, but it is not guaranteed. All entered photographs will be made available in an online gallery accessible through the TBPAC website and blog after the contest has concluded. None of the photos will be returned.

The fine print:

Prize to be redeemed at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center at 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602. No purchase necessary. Participants and winner(s) must be legal U.S. residents, at least 18 years old and residents of Florida. Employees of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, their subsidiaries and affiliated companies, participating sponsors and their advertising agencies and members of their immediate family are not eligible to participate. Not valid where prohibited by law. Contest begins on or around Dec. 10, 2007, at noon. Deadline for submissions is noon on or around March 7, 2008. Winner will be chosen by a panel of three impartial professional judges on or around 48 hours from the deadline. Prize will be awarded on or around March 14, 2008. Decision of the judges is final. The winner will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail. Odds of winning vary greatly depending on number of entrants. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center assumes no liability or responsibility for any prize once it is awarded, or any damage, loss or liability arising from the award, acceptance or use of the prize, and Contest winner agrees to release and hold harmless the Released Parties against any and all claims of liability arising directly or indirectly from the Contest or the prizes and the use of such Contest winner's name, voice and photo. The Released Parties assume no liability for lost, illegible, incomplete, misdirected or late entries or prize claims, or for typographical or other errors in the offer or administration of this Contest including, without limitation, errors in the printing of the offer and official rules, selection, notification and announcement of the winner, or distribution of prizes. The Contest is subject to applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, and is void where prohibited or otherwise restricted. The prizes offered in this contest have no cash value and may not be returned for cash. Seats are good for the opening night show of Avenue Q only, and may not be renewed or exchanged. By entering a photograph into the contest, participants give TBPAC full authorization to use, reprint or distribute the work at TBPAC’s discretion with or without proper credit to the photographer.

TBPAC launces SMS/texting service (win tickets to Avenue Q!)

We're officially launching an SMS/text-messaging service as one more way patrons can stay up to date with what's going on at TBPAC.

We've officially nabbed up the short code TBPAC (82722) and have entered a partnership with Agile Communications, who are providing the texting software and system.

We hope to primarily offer this on an in-bound basis, meaning we want people to text us when they want information.

The first two commands we've created are INFO and EVENTS. If you text INFO to TBPAC (82722) you will be sent back a text message that has all of TBPAC's critical phone numbers: the ticket office, admin, catering, group sales. You'll also get the street address for the building, the exit information from the interstate, hours of ticket office windows. All that good stuff. It's a handy reference to keep in your phone, and a very convenient way to get it if you're out and about.

If you text EVENTS to TBPAC (82722), you will be sent back a message giving you all the shows that are playing that week at TBPAC. This message updates weekly. Again, we think that's pretty handy.

The command HELP gives you a list of commands, and STOP of course removes you from getting future messages from us.

For the time being we're not planning on sending unsolicited advertisements. We'd rather just get people what they want, not what we want them to get. There's a lot of potentially exciting things we can do with a system like this including discounts, offering meet and greet contests at a show in the lobby, sending out urgent traffic advisories or closures etc.

So, we get started officially today. For every time that you text either INFO or EVENTS to TBPAC (82722) between now and Dec. 28, you will be entered to win the pair of opening night tickets to see Avenue Q here at TBPAC. Winners will be drawn at random. No purchase necessary. Your fee structure from your wireless provider may vary, but if you are charged to send or receive texts, this would be no different.

Get your Q on

If you just can't wait til Avenue Q hits the Big Guava, you can head over to their website and download all manner of widgets - including wallpaper, screEn savers and banners to show your love for the furry ones.

Who says the internet is just for porn?

-dj

The real business of Broadway

A new film documentary called Show Business: The Road to Broadway has finished up the film festival circuit and is hitting the theaters. From casting to rehearsals, opening nights and Tony Awards, the film shows what really goes into making a show a success on Broadway. And for the Wicked and Avenue Q fans out there, both shows are prominently featured. Here's the downside … you're probably going to have to wait for it to come out on DVD since it's not showing Florida. But keep an eye out for it. Definitely looks interesting!

- Angela L.

Avenue Q counts to 1,500

Can you believe that Avenue Q, the quirky adult musical featuring puppets who sing about porn and schadenfreude, has hit 1,500 performances in New York? Well, it has.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this one when it comes through next season. I'm almost looking more forward to the letters coming back in from those folks who don't take the concept of caveat emptor too seriously. :)

-dj