Avenue Q Launches "Only for Now" Lyric Contest

By Andrew Gans
22 Dec 2008

Now that President George W. Bush is about to leave office, the creators and producers of the Tony-winning musical Avenue Q have decided to launch a contest to replace a lyric in the musical's final song, "For Now," that states, "George Bush!" is only "for now."

Contest participants, according to a press statement, are invited to enter "their suggestion for a new person (not necessarily a political figure), place, thing, event, fad, etc. to be considered as a substitute for the soon-to-be-outdated reference to 'George Bush' in the musical's finale."

The winner will be announced Jan. 15, 2009, and the new lyric will be performed in Broadway's Avenue Q at the Golden Theatre beginning Jan. 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.

Avenue Q producer Robyn Goodman said in a statement, "We thought it would be fun to find out what people today think is as expendable as George Bush. Audiences have cheered the line since the show opened and people are curious — what's next?"

Creator Robert Lopez added, "I've gotten so many unsolicited ideas from friends and strangers over the years that it seems only fitting that we solicit a few more."

The contest begins Dec. 22, 2009, and runs through Jan. 12, 2009. To enter visit www.avenueq.com.

The winning entry will be selected by a panel that comprises Q creators Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty and the show's producers. The winner will receive a prize package including an autographed program and poster from Avenue Q, a cast recording, a copy of the Avenue Q coffee table book and an autographed copy of the revised script with the contest winner's lyric included.

Avenue Q continues to play the John Golden Theatre, 252 West 45th Street.