DETROIT, Mich. — Because I don’t get to New York nearly often enough, it took a more worldly friend to educate me about the Broadway sensation that is Avenue Q. She claims to have wanted to see the play for years, and was delighted to be my plus-one.

It opened Off-Broadway in March 2003, and quickly moved to Broadway in July 2003 where it won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Detroit is lucky to have The Theatre Company at University of Detroit Mercy staging the hysterical production, directed by Greg Grobis with Dan Greig as musical director. It should be noted that several performances are sold out, so check before you go. And dress accordingly, because a full theatre is a warm theatre. The auditorium was a good 15 degrees warmer than the lobby.

As for the production, don’t think because this play has puppets that it’s intended for children. Quite the contrary, it is full of naughtiness including puppets who engage in all sorts of sexual antics. The program has a disclaimer that states “Avenue Q had not been authorized or approved by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Street Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.” Besides the sexual antics, there’s racism, sexism and some R-rated language. But it’s all in good fun.

The musical’s characters — Princeton, Kate Monster, Trekkie Monster, Lucy, Nicky, Rod, Gary Coleman, Brian and Christmas Eve — are neighbors on Avenue Q in New York. They struggle to survive in the city as they try to discover their purpose in life.

Despite the constant comedy (the two-act play doesn’t go for more than five minutes without a joke) there are some serious moments. In the poignant finale “For Now,” the cast reflects on how nothing lasts. Lyrics include: “Only for now, sex is only for now, your hair is only for now.” The Detroit rendition takes a cue from the Broadway production, which added the lyric “Donald Trump is only for now” resulting in a spontaneous burst of applause from the audience.

The song titles give a good sampling of the tongue-in-cheek, very un-PC nature of the show. They include: “What Do You Do With a B.A. In English,” “If You Were Gay,” “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet is for Porn” and “I’m Not Wearing Any Underwear Today.”

The cast is truly strong across the board, there is no weak link in either acting or singing. Particularly notable are the leads, Ashlee Armstrong as Kate Monster and Joel Frazee as Princeton. Armstrong has a sweet and heartfelt singing voice. Christian Plonka also shines as Trekkie Monster, who has some of the most hilarious lines of the show. He even manages to sing in Trekkie’s goofy puppet voice.

There are a few characters without puppets, including Gary Coleman — yes, that Gary Coleman — played by Michael Adams who looks disturbingly like the now-deceased actor, except taller. Cat Dacpano Menzies plays Christmas Eve, a Japanese-American therapist (who has no clients) and also delivers some of the play’s funniest lines with great comedic timing.

The orchestra — which includes keyboards, drums, bass and flute — adds a nice touch to the musical numbers. The glass barrier in front of the drum set is a bit distracting due to the glare of the lights on the glass. The set is simple, showing the facade of a set of buildings with multiple apartments in each one. There is a second story with windows which the characters sometime pop out of and also a fence, that lends itself to characters popping their heads over it.

With all of the tension and depressing news in the world, this play is like a breath of fresh air, delivering much needed laughs and also a very important reminder of what is important in life: friends, love and finding one’s purpose. Get yourself a ticket while you still can.

Click here for show days, times and details.