Rod, you'd think that since I have my hand up your ass on a nightly basis, we wouldn't have to keep going over this.

My name is Barrett Foa, and I am lucky enough to play, well, you, Rod, a conservative investment banker with a secret, and Princeton, a naïve, green (well, actually orange) young man, who has just graduated college and moved to New York City.

Oh, Rod, where do I begin?!  When you do a show for an extended period of time, the whole show - even the non-musicalized parts - becomes a kind of a song, so when any little thing happens to cause a blip in the familiar 2 hour and 15 minute soundtrack that is AVENUE Q, it can be incredibly hilarious (or downright terrifying).  This stray-from-the-norm can range from a puppet malfunction (Princeton 's eye falling off onstage), to a mysteriously forgotten and quickly improvised line (usually accompanied by a blank/frightened look on an actor's face), to a missed entrance, to a crazy musical mishap in the pit.  Our eyes and ears are so attuned to what happens 8 times a week, that when something pulls us out of that, it usually makes us giggle (hopefully on the inside.)

..I guess that was more of an "Onstage" story. now for a quick backstage story: Every time there is a birthday at work, we sing the traditional birthday song, but then follow it up with a special AVENUE Q song written by our own musical director, Gary Adler.  It's my favorite part of celebrating a birthday (who am I kidding, it's the cake!... but this comes in a close second.) It goes a little something like this:

(Rod, we'll pretend it's your birthday)

Da da da da da da!
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.

He's a whore on stage,
He's a whore on film,
He's a whore on TV, too.
He'll sing, and dance, and smile, and flirt,
And do most anything for you,

Cuz,
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.
Rod is a big fat whore.
We really mean it!
Rod iiiis a biiiig faaaaaaat whoooooooooore!
(Solo (Natalie Belcon): Shamon!)

Rod, let me tell ya, so many people assume that just because you are on Broadway that you are rich and successful, and that it all goes to your head, but I am here to tell you: that is completely not true.  I mean, I still thank my cook for my eggs benedict every morning, and I still say thank you to my bodyguard when he beats up an unruly fan that has gotten too close (9 feet distance at all times, please).

So, no, my life has not changed at all!

Seriously, The first thing that pops in to my head is the fact that I am now a puppeteer.  Before AVENUE Q, I had never picked up a puppet before, and never thought I would, and suddenly here I am making a living out of it.

Since I joined the company almost 2 years ago, I have gotten to know and learn from some pretty incredible people (from the cast to the creatives), my eyes (and hands) have been opened to the wonderful world of puppetry, and I am more in tune with my body and how to gauge my voice and my energy levels while performing in a long-run.

When I first saw AVENUE Q in previews on Broadway, I remember sitting in the audience, and for the first time ever, thinking to myself, "I know the characters on that stage.  That character is saying the exact words that my best friend said to me just yesterday.  For once, a story about me and my friends and what we are dealing with RIGHT NOW.  It's so current, so real, so young, so clever, so New York."  I walked out of the Golden Theatre knowing that AVENUE Q would run as long as young, artsy, New Yorkers were in the seats.  What has really surprised me, though, is the universality of this show.  Soon, I was hearing similar responses from people of my parents' generation, from people working desk jobs, from non-New Yorkers. This show's appeal transcends all cultural divides.

AVENUE Q stirs up issues that are rarely addressed, and that few people ever want to talk about.. difficult subjects like homelessness, sexuality, racism, commitment, unemployment, regret, loyalty, friendship, charity.  But by tackling these issues with puppets and with humor, they become lighter and less heavy-handed.  Suddenly, the show goes from preachy and dogmatic to refreshing and insightful.  Young or old, rich or poor, gay or straight, CEO or office temp, Democrat or Republican - everyone can relate to each storyline in a multitude of ways...

.plus it's mad funny, yo!  Those puppets have SEX!

I attended The Dalton School in NYC for 14 years from pre-K all the way through 12 th grade.  I know, I know, it sounds like a snooty private school for boys, but it's not, it's actually a snooty private school for girls AND boys.  Seriously, Dalton is one of the best schools in the country with an amazing philosophy and strong academics.  It also happens to have a fantastic modern dance and choreography program, which became a big influence on the way I move today.

I spent my high school summers at Interlochen Arts Camp in upstate Michigan, which I credit for my appreciation and passion for theatre and opening my eyes to other types of art (classical music, opera, Shakespeare, fine art, etc.)  What a magical place.  I hope to return next summer and talk to the kids and maybe even teach a master class.

As for college, I grew up in New York, and knowing I was going to return, I sought education far from NYC.  I chose The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and graduated with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre.  Many musical theatre schools are conservatory programs, which focus solely on one discipline, but it was the mix of great musical theatre, strong liberal arts, and that quintessential Midwestern college vibe that really made U of M the perfect program for me.  I also studied acting and Shakespeare for a semester in London at Marymount College (in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.)  I think having a well-rounded college experience is an important factor in creating actors and not just performers.  

(P.S. Other U of M grads in the AVENUE Q family include our producer, Jeffery Seller, our musical director, Gary Adler, our co-composer/lyricist Jeff Marx, and the Kate/Lucy in Las Vegas company, Brynn O'Malley. Go Blue!)

I would safely say that eating is one of my favorite things in the world.  I love good food.  I just wish I had more time to enjoy it.  Doing a show every night at 8pm pretty much means I have to eat dinner at 5:30 - I mean, who eats at 5:30?  If there was a Denny's in Midtown, I could buy a house with the money I would save on the Early Bird Special.

Besides being a clandestine foodie, I also enjoy practicing Jivamukti Yoga (not as scary as it sounds), and going to amusement parks and riding the fastest and scariest rolley-coasters (I just went to Island of Adventure in Orlando - amazing!)  Admittedly, I am one of those actors that actually enjoys seeing theatre on his one day off.  I try to go to as much theatre as possible here in the city (DOUBT is next on my list).  I also love going on road trips to support my actor friends in regional theatre productions.

For being such a foodie, you'd think I would be able to cook, but I don't know the first thing about cooking - I don't have the patience!

I just took my second trapeze class at Trapeze School New York, where I completed a knee-hang catch and a planche catch!  It was awesome! Their motto says it all: "Forget Fear.  Worry about the addiction."  I can't recommend it enough. (www.trapezeschool.com)

Like many others in the Broadway community, I'm a big supporter of both Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Actors' Fund.  I have donated my time, money, and talent to events and benefits like the Easter Bonnet Competition, Gypsy of the Year, Broadway Bares, Broadway's Leading Men Concert, Flea Market and Grand Auction, Carols for a Cure, Auction of 1000 stars, CHESS: In Concert, etc.  Both these organizations help our community out in so many different ways.  I'm proud to give them my support.   (www.broadwaycares.org and www.actorsfund.org)

In the near future, I will be performing in a few benefit concerts that support America 's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network, and Quilts for Kids, two charitable organizations working directly with the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

www.secondharvest.org  www.quiltsforkids.org

I really try to support the institutions that have shaped me into what I am today, so a lot of my support goes to Dalton, Interlochen and Michigan 's Musical Theatre Department. 

I also love helping out my friends who have taken their own initiative, and started their own theatre companies here in New York :  Any Minute Now Productions, Ergo Theatre Company, Prospect Theater Company, Monday Nights New Voices, Our Time Theatre Company.  These theatres are creating opportunities for us to see new plays and musicals starring fresh actors and featuring the work of now-unknown writers.  It is important to help cultivate the emerging talent of a new generation.

www.anyminutenow.org, www.ergotheatre.org, www.prospecttheater.org, www.scottalan.net/mondaynights.html,  www.ourtimetheatre.org.

If they pay me enough money, I'll do anything. Seriously, I speak a smidge of Spanish.hmm. I wonder if I could be happy performing AVENUE Q in Tegucigalpa, Honduras .?

Does it have to be three?: London, England; Sydney and/or Melbourne, Australia; London, England; I hear great things about Stockholm, Sweden; Cape Town, South Africa is one of the coolest cities on Earth. did I mention London, England?