Urinetown: The Musical
Kalaish Mital Theatre
March 20, 2010
4.5 stars
Urinetown: The Musicalis not a happy musical. In fact, it has all the makings of a good, old-fashioned tragedy – star-crossed lovers, poverty, murder, rebellion. No, Urinetown is definitely not a happy musical, but it will definitely make you laugh.
As the opening strains of the overture sound, Officer Lockstock, who doubles as the narrator, strolls onto the stage and welcomes the audience to Urinetown – not the place, the musical. He’s joined by Little Sally, and together, they provide us with some very important background information.
According to Lockstock and Sally, a 20-year drought has caused a water shortage, and private toilets have become a thing of the past. To control water consumption, people have to pay a pretty penny to do their business in public toilets operated by the Urine Good Company.
To make life even more difficult, laws have been created to prevent people from relieving themselves in alleys or bushes. Anyone who gets caught doing such a thing is sent to Urinetown – the place, not the musical.
This makes life a trifle difficult for the poor, who can barely scrape together enough coins to take a pee in a public toilet. To make things worse, the Urine Good Company is planning on hiking fees. It’s a classic tale of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. At least, that’s what it seems like.
Urinetown is an insightful commentary on society’s attempts to deal with prominent social and environmental problems. It pokes fun at both capitalism and socialism, and the pros and cons of each. And although the subject matter is often grim, it’s enjoyable for two reasons.
First, the musical numbers flow seamlessly out of the dialogue. The music itself is fun and the band is consistent throughout the performance. Don’t be surprised if you start tapping your feet in time with the beat.
Second, the script has been brought to life by an incredibly animated cast. The characters are like caricatures of people in society, from the downtrodden poor people to the corrupt corporate bigwigs. The cast has great chemistry and everyone plays their part, big or small, very convincingly.
Of course, the music and the cast probably wouldn’t stand out if it weren’t for the excellent script, and the detailed set.
If you decide to go see Urinetown, sit back, relax and be prepared to laugh so hard, well, you just might pee yourself. Just make sure Officer Lockstock doesn’t catch you . . . or else.