Like my opinion matters... Avenue Q (musical review)

So you have to know that when you get a postcard sent to season ticket holders advising that a musical may not be appropriate for children under 15, then there is probably some stuff in it that won't thrill me either.  We knew what we were getting into, but decided to go anyway-- partly to see how many people come and how many people leave partway through because they didn't know what they were getting into.  And because we skipped the last play and didn't want to waste all of the money that we spent on season tickets...  The theater definitely wasn't as crowded as usual (which is a plus in my book--but I don't own the theater...) and there were a few people that gathered up their belongings and left at different points during the show looking a little indignant.  And, there were others that seemed to really enjoy it.

Here's what I thought...  The overall theme and message of the play-- watching a group of 20-30 somethings struggle with adjusting to life after college and finding a purpose in life-- was good.  Learning to live independently, pay your own bills, find love, get started in a job or career (and probably make a lot less money than you thought you would when you graduated from college) are all difficult transitions.  A lot of the technical parts  of the production were also good.  I liked watching the people interact with the puppets and thought whoever dreamed that up was pretty inspired-  creatively inspired, definitely not divinely inspired. 

What I don't get is why playwrights start off with a good idea and then have to trash it down thru language, crudeness, graphic sexual content, and offensive jokes.  Maybe outside of Utah all of this is entertaining-- I don't know...  It is a hit play that has won awards.  I had downloaded the music several years go to find out if it was something that I wanted to take my parents to for my mom's birthday a few years ago and decided to do something else instead. And that was outside of Utah.  Actually, I didn't hate it..  I thought some parts were funny and some parts portrayed some truth about that age period.  I just think the same points could have been made in a different way, a more fun way, and a way that might have appealed to a larger audience (even kids).