From Broadway to Vegas: The triumphs and tribulations of Avenue Q

Avenue Q represents an important case study in contemporary theatre economics. A hit in New York, Avenue Q proved that the musical was far from a ‘dying genre’ and could be successful with younger audiences. The musical’s popularity in New York was in part the result of a new marketing model that combined novel trends of Internet marketing with standard branding techniques, and served as an example of how to compete in the changing entertainment market. However, Avenue Q’s status as a financial failure when it was transplanted to Las Vegas complicates its reception. A study of the New York and Las Vegas productions isolates specific elements, both economic and cultural, of their respective markets that resonate with broader trends in contemporary musical theatre production. The case of Avenue Q demonstrates that the reception of musicals during this age of global reproduction can nonetheless be specific to geographical region.