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CNN Live Today

Interview With "Cast" of "Avenue Q"

Aired August 01, 2003 - 11:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Warning full puppet nudity might be possible.
All right, now that we have your attention, it is safe to say we are not talking about "Sesame Street" anymore, we're talking about a show called "Avenue Q." It opened on Broadway last night. The show is a send-up of popular kids television programs, but this is definitely grown-up stuff.

"Avenue Q" is populated by such characters as the chesty Lucy T. Slut. And then there's the memorable song "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today."

OK, well with that in mind the actors behind the not so politically correct puppets spent years working on the show, so the show is all in good fun. Rick Lyon and John Tartagila are two of the four puppeteers -- ta da!

"ROD", PUPPET: Hello.

JOHN TARTAGILA, "AVENUE Q" CREATOR & ACTOR: Hi, how you doing?

KAGAN: And they're joining us from New York this morning with two of their puppets. Let me get this right. John, you're with "Rod."

"ROD": Yes.

KAGAN: And, Rick, you are with Nicky.

"NICKY", PUPPETS: No, NICKY!

KAGAN: NICKY! Nicky, OK.

All four gentlemen, good morning.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: And this is after you had your Broadway opening last night. That's huge. Congratulations.

RICK LYON, "AVENUE Q" CREATOR & ACTOR: Thank you very much.

TARTAGILA: Very quick.

KAGAN: Very quick. How did it go last night?

TARTAGILA: Oh, it was amazing.

LYON: It was terrific. It was a really wonder audience and -- not that all of our audiences haven't been wonderful. They all have been terrific. But last night was great fun.

KAGAN: It was extra special. For folks not familiar with "Avenue Q" this is described as neighborhood where you live when you can't live afford to live anywhere else. And anybody who has tried to live in New York City certainly knows what that is about.

TARTAGILA: Oh, yes. I think anyone can compare.

KAGAN: So It's an integrated neighborhood because people and puppets live in this neighborhood together.

TARTAGILA: That's right.

KAGAN: And let's look at some of the topics. We have been saying all morning long how this is not exactly a P.C. show. Some of the acts in it are called "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

"ROD": Yes.

"NICKY": That's one of our signature songs.

KAGAN: "Nicky" you like that one.

"NICKY": I'm not in it. I like every number I'm not in.

"ROD": Yes, I'm not it either. We just watch it.

KAGAN: OK. How about "The Internet is For Porn"?

"NICKY": Oh, yes. That's a very popular song.

"ROD": We know nothing about that however.

KAGAN: Of course not.

"ROD": No experience there.

KAGAN: Do either one of you participate in the act "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today"?

"NICKY": Well we don't sing the song on the show but it's true that we don't wear underwear on the show because we don't have any lower body.

"ROD": Yes, there's no need for underwear.

KAGAN: Well how convenient about that.

Now I do understand you two are actually involved in the show. Now, "Rod", you are a gay puppet, is that right?

"ROD": Well, yes. KAGAN: I'm not trying to bring out anything...

"ROD": On national Television, yes!

KAGAN: OK, I'm outing a puppet on national television. That's a first.

"ROD": Thank you, I feel so much better.

KAGAN: But as I understand it, "Rod," you and "Nicky" are roommates in this play. "Nicky," you're a straight puppet, but "Rod" has a crush on "Nicky" and that leads to the act called "If You Were Gay." So let's listen in, let's get a little clip and show folks.

"ROD": Ooh, I always wanted to do this. Go to the film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"NICKY"" If you were gay that'd be OK. I mean to say I'd like you anyway. Because you see, if this were me, I would feel free to say that I was gay -- but I'm not gay. I'm happy...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: All right. A lot of fun. The reviews have been huge. "The New York Times" loves you, "The New York Post." It seems like everyone who has seen you. I'm just a little concerned. Are your puppet heads going to get a little too big to get through the door?

"ROD": Oh, heck no.

"NICKY": That's the nice thing about foam, it never grows.

"ROD": Yes, we don't expand at all. We can't say anything about them but, you know, we don't expand.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, you're the hottest ticket on Broadway, even on your first night out. Congratulations.

TARTAGILA: Thank you.

LYON: Thanks.

"NICKY": Thanks for having us here.

KAGAN: Good luck. We knew you'd win.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: It's called "Avenue Q." Don't bring the kids,but adults will be clamoring for tickets. We'll see you soon. Thanks so much.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: John Tartagila, Rick Lyon, "Nicky" and "Rod." Appreciate it. "ROD": Thanks, Daryn.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 1, 2003 - 11:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Warning full puppet nudity might be possible.
All right, now that we have your attention, it is safe to say we are not talking about "Sesame Street" anymore, we're talking about a show called "Avenue Q." It opened on Broadway last night. The show is a send-up of popular kids television programs, but this is definitely grown-up stuff.

"Avenue Q" is populated by such characters as the chesty Lucy T. Slut. And then there's the memorable song "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today."

OK, well with that in mind the actors behind the not so politically correct puppets spent years working on the show, so the show is all in good fun. Rick Lyon and John Tartagila are two of the four puppeteers -- ta da!

"ROD", PUPPET: Hello.

JOHN TARTAGILA, "AVENUE Q" CREATOR & ACTOR: Hi, how you doing?

KAGAN: And they're joining us from New York this morning with two of their puppets. Let me get this right. John, you're with "Rod."

"ROD": Yes.

KAGAN: And, Rick, you are with Nicky.

"NICKY", PUPPETS: No, NICKY!

KAGAN: NICKY! Nicky, OK.

All four gentlemen, good morning.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: And this is after you had your Broadway opening last night. That's huge. Congratulations.

RICK LYON, "AVENUE Q" CREATOR & ACTOR: Thank you very much.

TARTAGILA: Very quick.

KAGAN: Very quick. How did it go last night?

TARTAGILA: Oh, it was amazing.

LYON: It was terrific. It was a really wonder audience and -- not that all of our audiences haven't been wonderful. They all have been terrific. But last night was great fun.

KAGAN: It was extra special. For folks not familiar with "Avenue Q" this is described as neighborhood where you live when you can't live afford to live anywhere else. And anybody who has tried to live in New York City certainly knows what that is about.

TARTAGILA: Oh, yes. I think anyone can compare.

KAGAN: So It's an integrated neighborhood because people and puppets live in this neighborhood together.

TARTAGILA: That's right.

KAGAN: And let's look at some of the topics. We have been saying all morning long how this is not exactly a P.C. show. Some of the acts in it are called "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

"ROD": Yes.

"NICKY": That's one of our signature songs.

KAGAN: "Nicky" you like that one.

"NICKY": I'm not in it. I like every number I'm not in.

"ROD": Yes, I'm not it either. We just watch it.

KAGAN: OK. How about "The Internet is For Porn"?

"NICKY": Oh, yes. That's a very popular song.

"ROD": We know nothing about that however.

KAGAN: Of course not.

"ROD": No experience there.

KAGAN: Do either one of you participate in the act "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today"?

"NICKY": Well we don't sing the song on the show but it's true that we don't wear underwear on the show because we don't have any lower body.

"ROD": Yes, there's no need for underwear.

KAGAN: Well how convenient about that.

Now I do understand you two are actually involved in the show. Now, "Rod", you are a gay puppet, is that right?

"ROD": Well, yes. KAGAN: I'm not trying to bring out anything...

"ROD": On national Television, yes!

KAGAN: OK, I'm outing a puppet on national television. That's a first.

"ROD": Thank you, I feel so much better.

KAGAN: But as I understand it, "Rod," you and "Nicky" are roommates in this play. "Nicky," you're a straight puppet, but "Rod" has a crush on "Nicky" and that leads to the act called "If You Were Gay." So let's listen in, let's get a little clip and show folks.

"ROD": Ooh, I always wanted to do this. Go to the film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

"NICKY"" If you were gay that'd be OK. I mean to say I'd like you anyway. Because you see, if this were me, I would feel free to say that I was gay -- but I'm not gay. I'm happy...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: All right. A lot of fun. The reviews have been huge. "The New York Times" loves you, "The New York Post." It seems like everyone who has seen you. I'm just a little concerned. Are your puppet heads going to get a little too big to get through the door?

"ROD": Oh, heck no.

"NICKY": That's the nice thing about foam, it never grows.

"ROD": Yes, we don't expand at all. We can't say anything about them but, you know, we don't expand.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, you're the hottest ticket on Broadway, even on your first night out. Congratulations.

TARTAGILA: Thank you.

LYON: Thanks.

"NICKY": Thanks for having us here.

KAGAN: Good luck. We knew you'd win.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: It's called "Avenue Q." Don't bring the kids,but adults will be clamoring for tickets. We'll see you soon. Thanks so much.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: John Tartagila, Rick Lyon, "Nicky" and "Rod." Appreciate it. "ROD": Thanks, Daryn.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com