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FRONT PAGE CAMPUS & COMMUNITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES SPORTS OPINION BACK PAGE CONTACT US ABOUT USLove, Sacrifice, Politics and Pee: Urinetown Flows
When I went to see “Urinetown,” I didn’t really know what to expect, so as I entered the dimly lit theater, I found myself wondering, ‘What the hell could this play be about?’
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it was about social injustice, corruption, and the merciless trampling of the destitute under the iron boots of a mega corporation. It was about love, sacrifice, politics, preservation, and, of course, pee. It also explored the idea that a leader of people needs a heart. But in order to sustain the people in the face of diminishing natural resources, a leader also needs a brain.
In this play, the leader only had a heart, which meant that “Urinetown,” ultimately, was not a happy musical. In fact, it was a musical making fun of musicals, including itself. A blatantly satirical cliché mocking all components of musical theater from the unrealistic idealism of sappy feel-good fests like “Annie” to the angry street rat rebellions of “Les Misérables,” this play made me wonder why we even like musicals while simultaneously presenting an irresistibly enjoyable one.
Under the direction of Visiting Assistant Professor of Performing Arts F. Reed Brown and musical direction of Professor of Performing Arts Lisa Jablow, the performance of “Urinetown,” performed Thursday, April 24 -26, was a cocktail of awesomeness. Boasting a barrage of talented actors, imaginative and colorful costuming, spot-on instrumentals, cleverly devised lighting and ingenious set design, little room was left for anything to go awry. And little did.
Set “in a town like any town …that you might find in a musical,” “Urinetown” explored a time and a place with so little water that it wasn’t even free to pee. All bathrooms were public, and they all cost money to use, which was unfortunate for the poor who got dragged off to the ominous ‘Urinetown’ when they couldn’t scrounge up enough to pay the fee.
It is at Amenity #9, the poorest, filthiest urinal in town, that we met the humble, do-gooder, amenity-keeping everyman, Bobby Strong, played by Anthony Kaseoru, and the sweet, naïve, and somewhat daft daughter-of-evil Hope Cladwell, played by Mallory Hazen.
Kaseoru, as Strong, didn’t only act the part of a young and simplistic revolutionary. He looked the part too. But it took Hazen, as Hope Cladwell, wielding the encouraging voice of eternal optimism (and craziness), to make him realize that everyone could pee for free, and that he was the man to make it happen. While both Kaseoru and Hazen played roles that were so idealistic they bordered on disgusting, both managed to make their characters loveable. Admirably noteworthy were Hazen’s pitch changes and line delivery, and also the set of pipes that Kaseoru has apparently been hiding until now. They worked well off of each other’s energy and it really showed through their harmonic vocals, especially in “Follow Your Heart,” and in their feel-good do-good smiling faces.
At the other end of the spectrum, where it was grand to be rich even if your throne, carpet, and slippers were all made of poor people (figuratively), was Caldwell B. Cladwell, Hope’s daddy, played by Alex Noftz. As the founder of Urine Good Company (UGC), the privatized monopolistic corporation that controlled all public toilets, Noftz’s character operated around a simple proposition: “Look the other way while we run this company the way that we see fit, and we will keep the pee off the street and the water in the ground.”
Noftz played a magnificent baddie. Easygoing and laid back, especially at his desk on the rotating center stage – serious kudos to the construction crew. That was genius. I’ve never seen a villain enter with such style – Noftz depicted a casual and pretentious Cladwell, a man of broad gestures and sweeping steps. Noftz’s posture, mannerisms and overall strong body language really made Cladwell believable - a collected man of structure, order, and good living, who with the aid of his cronies – the obedient Mr. McQueen (Zach Boykins), the easily assuaged Senator Fipp (Joey Collier), and the stoic Mrs. Millennium (Katie Locke) – did what he had to do to keep things running smoothly while making ‘bad’ seem so cool. And when he embarked on his trip to Urinetown, although it was expected, I was still disappointed to see him go.
Eric Hill played the corrupt yet strangely likeable narrator, Officer Lockstock, the type of cop who wags the finger and talks about responsibility while accepting cash bribes and throwing people off buildings. Lockstock was the only scripted character to address both the audience and the cast, and by managing to transition seamlessly and believably between the two focuses, he contributed largely to the fluidity of the show.
Jess Silva, as the precociously adorable Little Sally, functioned as Lockstock’s other half during narrative sequences by challenging certain aspects of “Urinetown” with poignant observations. While every other character was onstage being dramatic, Lockstock and Little Sally stepped aside to discuss the blatant ridiculosity the show, hence bringing a lot of the humor to the audience.
Although Little Sally was 12 years old in the Broadway production, Silva’s version could have been half that age. Still, Silva performed the most convincing portrait of a girl that I have ever seen, and I laud her ability to maintain that voice for over two hours. Not to mention, the few strategically perfect times she switched it for that husky sex voice were hysterical.
Singing the praises of the mighty Mr. Cladwell
Laying down the law in Urinetown
Also highly mentionable is Edward Thurmond, who pegged his role as Officer Lockstock’s sidekick, Officer Barrel, a man completely in love with his work. Thurmond did a helluva job developing that browbeating, sneering demeanor, and that perfect bad guy guffaw. The fact that he was smaller than Lockstock made it all the better, because he wasn’t really intimidating so much as he was laughable and mean. The goofy, slapstick choreography incorporating the mop and bucket in the “Cop Song” was amazing, and of course, one can’t forget the moment toward the climax of the play when Thurmond, to the great surprise of the audience, leapt into Hill’s arms – over the threshold style – and kissed him. For three seconds.
When only five characters out of a 25 character cast had major roles, one thing that definitely stood out about this show was that every body on the stage had a personality. Under the direction of Director F. Reed Brown, those cast as the poor people were instructed to develop their characters fully from their names to their backgrounds – a directorial decision that could be seen in every movement and every facial expression, making the show significantly more engaging.
This is where a lot of the beauty of the detailed costuming came in. From Little Becky Two Shoes’ (Kate Severance) leg braces to Chump Change Charity’s (Lauren Chapman) giant black-framed eyeglasses to Nikki Nickel Hoarder’s (Rhiannon Fleckenstein) harlequin socks to Bobby the Stockfish’s (Shane Mulcahy) knotted shirt, every individual costuming touch not only said something about the characters’ personalities, but accented the personalities the actors designed for themselves.
JSC’s “Urinetown” had definite highlights. For one, the set and lighting design were incredible. The angled city buildings, the yellow stained Amenity #9 set, the faux brickwork, the rotating center set, and the ‘Secret Hideout’ sign were not only great ideas, but were also beautifully constructed. I loved the pink lighting that bathed Kaseoru and Hazen at the end of “Follow Your Heart,” the single white light focused on Hazen’s face amidst all the blackness at the end of “Snuff That Girl,” and the way the undecorated back wall was flushed with color for dramatic effect.
The rebel flags and posters used at the climax of Act One were clever and funny. But more so, it was apparent that they took time to make – especially the hand-painted Che Guevara imitation – and they made the rebellion look like a real rebellion. Also impressive were Hot Blades Harry’s (A.J. Gagliardi) and Billy Boy Bill’s (Justin Pomerville) hyperactive, acrobatic antics during the preshow to procure enough to pay the amenity fee, Mira George’s vocal range as Mrs. Pennywise in “Privilege to Pee,” and the seven-piece orchestra that somehow managed to perform music powerful enough (in combination with the singing of the cast) to give me chills, regardless of the ludicrous lyrical content.
The only problematic aspect of the show was the sound quality. Whether it be due to a lack of mics, a lack of projection on part of the actors, a tech issue, or all three, sound was inconsistent, and at some points, absent. This was especially a problem for the supporting bad guys – Collier, Locke, and Boykins – who could hardly be heard while singing and whose voices were lost in “Mr. Cladwell” and the “Act One Finale.” Gagliardi, as well, was inaudible in “Snuff That Girl.” But on the flip-side of that coin, all major characters were miked quite well throughout the show.
Although “Urinetown” was largely about getting a laugh out of people while poking fun at musicals, it also adopted a Brechtian approach to examining serious issues by provoking the audience to think, in this case, about the sustainability of society under the constant exploitation of natural resources.
I’ve seen nearly every theatrical performance to hit Dibden since fall ‘05, and this has been one of my favorites, if not my favorite. But as wonderful as it was, the songs have been stuck in my head for over a week now, and I’ve had just about enough of “Don’t Be the Bunny.”
As the closing line of the show so aptly stated, “Hail Malthus!”
High-stepping low-lifes lift their legs in a show-stopping number