Current Obsession: Howie Michael Smith

Howie with Princeton

Last Saturday I went to see Avenue Q for my first time. To be honest, I was worried I would be the stick in the mud of the audience who didn’t think it was that funny and lamented the absence of what my elitist self calls “musical sustenance”– which I had thought could only be provided by megamusicals like Phantom, Les Mis, Rent, and so on.

Boy, was I wrong.

In fact, from the moment that the Avenue Q theme snuck up and surprised the audience booming through the theatre to the last bittersweet note sung in “For Now”, the musical had me smiling like a child watching Sesame Street the whole way through. The entire show is composed of a dynamic of ridiculous humor and overwhelming cuteness, which it executes perfectly.

The show is about several problems faced by the residents of a NYC borough “Avenue Q” (located far outside Alphabet City I assume). Princeton, the show’s lead, is a fresh move-in from college who’s realizing life isn’t easy just because your done college. He also has relationship problems with Kate Monster, his sexy furry friend. Rod, a republican/investment banker, deals with his closeted homosexuality in the worst (most self destructive) ways. The whole gang is hilarious and I encourage everyone to get a piece of this Broadway gold.

Two performances really stuck with me at my showing of Avenue Q. The first was the asian actress, who played the money troubled Christmas Eve. Her parts were hilarious and she would spring out a surprisingly beautiful voice here and there in between her shrill asian-lady parts. The second was the extremely drool-worthy Howie Michael Smith: who played the principal roles of Princeton and also Rod.

I didn’t realize it was a developing crush at first, but all my attention was on him while he was on the stage. He brought SO much energy to his parts, and truly gave Princeton and Rod the exact character persona they deserved. His talented acting and superb voice have actually reignited my deep, starry eyed children’s dream to become a Broadway actor. (Hopefully that urge will subside quickly enough)

After leaving the theatre, Smith’s role still stuck out in my head. His bulging arms and pectoral muscles did, as well. So I looked him up online. As one would expect, I’m not the first person to become obsessed with the man. I read and listened to his multiple interviews and found whatever media about him I could find.

Howie Michael Smith

He’s truly one of Broadway’s biggest talents at the time and I hope I can amount to a fraction of his accomplishment!