A Broadway musical benefit for victims of Tohoku disaster

The students of Ryukoku University in Kyoto present "Avenue Q," a Broadway musical in English, to raise money for the victims of the Tohoku disaster.

The musical will be held on Jan 13 (from 6 p.m.), Jan 14 (6 p.m.) and Jan 15 (noon and 5 p.m.).

A Broadway musical from 2003, "Avenue Q" beat out the "Wicked" for the 2004 Tony Awards for: Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book (story).

"Avenue Q" is a parody of "Sesame Street." It tells the tale of a 22-year-old just out of college, who moves to New York and learns some of the realities of life: unemployment, racism, homelessness, tales of the heart, (the Internet is for porn), etc. (There are some adult themes, dealt with comically, which are not suitable for kids.)

Seats are limited. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Admission is free. There will be a box in front of the theater to collect donations for the victims of the Tohoku disaster. A short presentation will be given before the show by www.idrojapan.org, who will put the donations to work.

The musical will be held at Ryukoku University, Gakuyuu Kaikan 3rd Floor, 67 Tsukamoto-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8577.

The performance lasts about two hours and there will be a 15-minute intermission.