Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane

Sammy J is a human tax lawyer and Randy is a purple puppet. This musical show tells a story of the unlikely-seeming best friends who share a house at 30 Ricketts Lane. Sammy J’s work leads to him turning up some financial skeletons in Randy’s closet, which makes home life increasingly difficult.

After hearing so much hype and so many good reports from the show, I actually left feeling a bit disappointed. The puppetry is very good, and there are genuinely funny (and frequently foul-mouthed) songs about drifting off to sleep, keeping secrets, and the difficulties that arise when friendship and work boundaries become blurred. Barrack Obama’s oratory skills are showcased in an unusual manner, there are some clever and very funny touches in the staging, and the performers are undoubtedly talented.

As a whole, though, the show didn’t quite have the expected impact. Perhaps, given the concept similarlity, I was unfairly comparing it to Avenue Q, but it just didn’t fully succeed in hitting my funnybone. Both the professional and audience reviews, however, suggest that this is a minority opinion.

– Emma Watkins