“Peace, joy and plenty of water”; this is the wish of the characters in “Urinetown,” a musical about people forced to have bathroom regulations because of a citywide water deficit.
The national tour of “Urinetown, The Musical” opened in Columbus Tuesday night at the Ohio Theatre and will run through Sunday.
The Tony award winning Broadway musical begins at a regulated public bathroom station called Public Amenity #9 where the people must pay to use the bathroom, a major problem as the town’s residents are very poor. If caught going to the bathroom anywhere else in town, they will be taken to the feared “Urinetown” where unspeakable things will happen for violating the law.
“Urinetown” is a successful, funny spoof of political musicals by famous playwrights such as Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. Both the music and story of “Urinetown” parody these more seriously minded political expositions, which first appeared with the expressionist movement in the early 1900s.
Tom Hewitt, as Officer Lockstock, plays the narrator of the musical. He is the highlight of the show with his hilarious lines and Gumby-like motions. Every time he appears I couldn’t help but go into hysterics at his antics.
Meghan Strange also shone as Little Sally. The partnership between Strange and Hewitt’s characters is reminiscent of a stereotypical 1950s-esque parental relationship. Little Sally asks Lockstock questions that often prove him to be not as intelligent as the child, which is a successful comedic tactic.
The two strongest musical numbers in the first act came right at the beginning. Lockstock and company sang “Urinetown” to open the show and Miss Pennywise, the militant woman who monitors Public Amenity #9, played convincingly by Beth McVey, sang the farcical “It’s a Privilege to Pee.” These two were great numbers, but the rest of the act lacked humor and energy.
The second act, however, included many singable and showy tunes that drew the audience back into the show after the intermission. Different musical styles were also mixed into the second act making it unpredictable and exciting.
“Snuff that Girl,” is a crazy ensemble dance number featuring a steady swing beat. In contrast, “Run Freedom Run” is a gospel-like tune with choreography that goes as far to resemble a gospel choir. The hero of the story, Bobby Strong, played by Charlie Pollock, leads the number. Pollock is actually a former member of the Broadway cast of “Urinetown.”
The musical ends with the very pretty and stereotypical heroine of the story, Hope Caldwell (played by the sweet Christiane Noll), breaking into the down and dirty gospel song “I See a River,” which received a hearty laugh from the audience, as her character is quite lyrical throughout the rest of the musical.
“Urinetown,” was not quite as good as anticipated but should be appreciated for its many funny parts and its extreme originality. It would make a great musical to see for someone who is not necessarily into the mainstream musical scene, but can enjoy an offbeat laugh.
