This past weekend was packed with many activities. When we went to see Stepz at Brooklyn College, I figured it would be similar to the kind of tap dancing I’ve seen done by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. And I was glad to see that I was right. I enjoyed all of the show, especially the scene where the dancers tapped to “Bugle Call Rag.” The part when the dancers started dancing on the steps in the back reminded me of a scene I saw in the film “Stormy Weather” from 1943. In that scene, a dancing duo called the Nicholas Brothers did a tap dance on a series of steps and so seeing these modern dancers dancing reminded me of this classic film. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the performance.

The next day, when we went to see Avenue Q, I was more surprised, and I did not know what to expect. While I have seen a couple of Broadway shows in the past (infact, I’m seeing “After Midnight” this Sunday,) I have never seen something quite like Avenue Q before. To start, I was completely surprised by the use of puppets. I was not expecting the play’s entire story to revolve around the puppets. And speaking of the story, I was completely shocked by it as well. I never expected the storyline of a Broadway play to be so vulgar. However, even though it was filled with innuendo and vulgarity, I still found the play highly enjoyable and even comical. I can see how it’s ingenuity was revolutionary when it first premiered on Broadway a decade ago. The fact that the writers took a child friendly concept such as Sesame Street and The Muppets, and turned it into an adult themed musical parody is nothing short of genius in my opinion. And so, while it was completely different to the kind of plays I am accustomed to, I found Avenue Q very entertaining as it opened up my views to different genres of plays and musicals and on what could be considered art.