Despite its off-putting title and unrelenting silliness, there are things an audience can find appealing in Urinetown. Certainly, this does not include the plot, which is about a fictional town afflicted by such a severe drought, people are forced to pay to pee. This fact is reiterated again and again (ad nauseum, actually), to the point where the words "urine" or "pee" are uttered at least 100 times in the first act alone. (If you don't believe this reviewer, just check out the women's restroom line at intermission. The rush to the stalls suggests a bison stampede.) The entire show is designed as a self-aware send up of theatrical forms, which is fun -- to a point. In fact, the gimmick becomes tiresome long before the finale. For instance, when Caldwell B. Cladwell, the chairman of a corrupt water-regulating corporation is outraged at his adult daughter's behavior, he remarks, "Did I send you to the most expensive university in the world to teach you how to feel conflicted or to learn how to manipulate great masses of people?" She instantly (and cheerily) replies, "to manipulate great masses of people, daddy!" The exchange elicits a chuckle, but not a true guffaw -- and that's true of most of the show. There are frequent titters, but not real laughs.
This undeniably goofy piece is supported by a top-notch cast, led by veteran actor John Cullum as the heinous Cladwell. Cullum is worth the price of admission himself, as he wheedles, minces, bellows and sings his heart out. Although the show's other "star" was absent at the performance seen by this reviewer (Jeff McCarthy, as Officer Lockstock), the understudy (Peter Reardon) proved an admirable substitute. He sings well and moves beautifully. Unfortunately, he has the unenviable role of constantly reminding the audience that they're seeing a musical. His "sidekick" is one of the townsfolk, a filthy young girl named Little Sally (brilliantly played by Spencer Kayden, who's already won a top theater award for this performance). If you're thinking that it's her language that's filthy, it's not. As with the rest of the populace, it's her body and clothing that are filthy. There's a water shortage, remember? Sally is forced to utter ridiculous lines that would put poor Collette (her counterpart in Les Miserables) to shame. During Sally's frequent bouts of begging, she wanders aimlessly through town. "Penny for a pee?," she asks a stranger.
The rest of the cast is equally good, including Jennifer Laura Thompson as the feisty Hope Caldwell, and Hunter Foster as her wrong-side-of-the-tracks love interest, Bobby Strong. A number of the tunes by newcomers Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann are promising, and the musical staging by John Carrafa is also on the mark. One expects to see good things from them in the years ahead. For now, one is left with the musical mishmash that is Urinetown. Upon exiting the theater, this reviewer overheard a patron say, "This was the dumbest show I ever saw." To which this reviewer gives a silent, "Amen."
