Student Blog: I saw Urinetown The Musical for the first time

I didn't know anything about Urinetown, just that it was a musical and that it had something to do with pee and society. So I was really surprised when I got into the theater and right after the third call, I saw these talented people telling a really funny story that was terrifying at the same time.

This musical was on Broadway in the year 2001, I was literally one year old so it's not that I knew about it. A few years ago, when I started looking for plays or musicals that were near me, I have heard about Urinetown The Musical, even this production won some Metro Awards (That here in Mexico are like the Tony Awards) and ACPT Awards (Awards that are given by the Group of critics and theater journalists), in 2017 for Musical of the Year, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Musical and Best Costume Design of a Musical. So I needed to see this wonderful musical everyone was talking about, now that it had a reopening here in the city.

Not every play or musical needs to teach you something, but I'm almost sure that if at the end of Urinetown, you haven't changed your mind about anything, you didn't understand it. To make sure we're all on the same page, this musical it's about a future where there's not enough water, so there's a company that is in charge of the administration of it. People with money have power and people with no money have to pay if they want to pee, so there's this guy named Bobby Strong that listens to his heart and starts a revolution to make a change in the world.

The story of this musical is of course fictional, but the fact that also is so close to our reality just blows your mind if you pay attention to all the metaphors and lyrics. For example, the song "Don't Be The Bunny" which clearly is telling that if you're kind, vulnerable and poor, you're gonna get stepped on in life, which is horrible in many ways. But I think it also has great messages about hope and how young people are the ones that can make a better future; songs like "Look At The Sky" or the "Act One Finale" scream that idea.

The mexican production of Urinetown The Musical is in charge of the Ícaro Teatro company, directed by Miguel Septién. They made an amazing job putting together everything that is needed to tell this story, from the great job of translation, to the casting process to find the perfect actresses and actors to play these characters. I want to give a shoutout to Eduardo Siqueiros, María José Bernal and Memo Sánchez, who play Officer Lockstock, Little Sally and Bobby Strong; they were my favorite characters and the way they do their jobs with heart and soul, is somethings you can really see on stage.

When you're at the theater as an audience, you are aware that you're about to have a new experience, in my case it was my first time seeing this musical, so of course I was excited. But then, as the story progressed, I was having a lot of emotions; the scene where Hope and Bobby sang "Follow Your Heart" or where the rebels present "Run, Freedom,Run!" I felt joyful and happy but when it's time to listen to "Why Did I Listen To That Man?" or "I See A River", I was shocked and almost cried because it went places we weren't expecting this comedy to go.

When the show ended and I left the theater, I had so many thoughts in my head. It was a wonderful experience and if I had to say a final reflection it will be that I hope more people were like Bobby or Little Sally, that believe that there's a chance we could live in a better place. I really saw myself in Bobby, because he's a dreamer, but also is scared to take that step, and for me it's theater, cinema and every story I read, see or every experience that I have in my life that inspires me to take action and makes me keep going.