The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre opens its 2011-2012 season next week with a bawdy musical comedy staring puppets and live actors. “Avenue Q”—a Tony-winning Broadway musical originally created by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, a University of Michigan grad—may remind the audience of "Sesame Street." But this is far from a kid-friendly show. This one is just for the grown-ups.

Director Wendy Sielaff says you should leave the kids at home and come ready to hear puppets “drop the F-bomb a lot,” she says. Although the play is in no way connected to "Sesame Street," the puppets’ aesthetic is surely inspired by it.

“There are loosely veiled versions of 'Sesame Street' characters in the musical. For example, Trekkie Monster (Erik Wright-Olsen), who is a little like Cookie Monster, is addicted to Internet porn. Nicky (Andrew Szykula) and Rod (Bob Cox) are loosely veiled versions of Bert and Ernie. You have to figure out if they are gay,” and so on, Sielaff explains.

“You giggle because the puppets look so cute and sweet, but you can’t believe what they are doing!” Sielaff laughs. She has seen the Tony Award-winning musical on Broadway several time, and thinks “it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It’s quick witted, it’s brilliantly written, and the lyrics to the songs are hilarious,” she says.

“People are going to find it offensive, but they are supposed to,” Sielaff says.

The story centers on young, poor Princeton (Nick Bringardner), who moves to Avenue Q because “it’s the cheapest place to live,” Sielaff explains. However, “there really isn’t a typical story line,” she says. She thinks of the production as “a series of vignettes” capturing different moments in the lives of all of the colorful characters living on Avenue Q.

“The story line is Princeton trying to find his purpose, but you get lost in all of the other things going on around him. Every character is dealing with issues, from sexual orientation, to self-esteem, to racism, to falling in love,” she says.

Appearing as real people in the musical; Keshia Oliver plays a Gary Coleman character, and Jeff Foust and Lisa Lee play couple Brian and Christmas Eve. Then most of the actors appear on stage holding puppets. Kate Monster is played by Kelly Fandrey, and Lucy the Slut is played by Marci Rosenberg. Catherine Cypert and Connor Rhodes play Bad Idea Bears, as well as other characters.