Review: URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL at Little Radical Theatrics

There have been a lot of interesting concepts for musicals over the history of the artform. For the most part, the shows that push the boundaries of the musical theatre format stick to the Off-Off-Broadway theatres or Fringe festivals. But sometimes one of these genre-busting musicals makes it to the mainstream. Such is the case with URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, which moved from the New York Fringe Festival to an Off-Broadway production to Broadway, securing ten Tony nominations (and three wins) back in 2002. And by producing URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL as just its fourth production since relocating to Orlando from New York, Non-Profit Community Theatre company Little Radical Theatrics delivered an audience pleasing production at the Mandell Studio Theatre at Orlando Shakes that featured a fun and creative concept, a dedicated and energetic ensemble (with some strong performances), making for a unique, but fun night at the theatre.

If you haven't ever heard of URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, you are probably scratching your head wondering what the heck kind of title for a musical is that? Don't worry - that's a very common reaction (I recall thinking the same thing during the 2002 Tony Awards performance). But URINETOWN is a satirical musical comedy set in the not-too-distant future when the world has experienced a twenty-year drought so severe that it has made it necessary to limit toilet usage to paid amenities, all controlled by a megacorporation, "Urine Good Company" or UGC for short. Like so many other things before it, this creates a disparity between the rich and the poor, resulting in long lines to use less-than-savory facilities. Add on top of this strict laws that make it illegal to relive oneself in public and you have the recipe for social disparity and conflict (and comedy?). The musical is narrated by Officer Lockstock (Travis Eaton) who regularly breaks the fourth wall and explains to the audience the concept, mostly by educating Little Sally (Beatriz Antunez) on the plot. Lockstock also is one of the antagonists of the play as the primary enforcer of the laws, carting off offenders who break the law down to "Urinetown" - a metaphor which is revealed in Act II, but is about as bad as you might imagine. Young Bobby Strong (Jacob Coldiron) works at one of the public amenities that the poorest citizens can afford (so the least desirable) run with an iron fist by Penelope Pennywise (Stephanie Viegas). He soon meets (and falls for) wide-eyed and optimistic young Hope Cladwell (Molly Jarvis), not realizing her father, Caldwell B. Cladwell (Derek Hayden) is the CEO of UGC and the main villain of the story. As is often the case, the people have enough of the oppressive laws and fees and mount a revolt, led by Bobby and a ragtag group of "poor" leading to an unexpected (for a musical) ending filled with dark commentary on the state of the world.

Greg Kotis' book for URINETOWN:THE MUSICAL is filled with musical theatre tropes from shows such as LES MISERABLES and THE CRADLE WILL ROCK and features a stylized dialogue that is so over-dramatic that it becomes comical in a 21st century context. Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis' music and lyrics are tuneful and fun, a contrast to the subject matter they cover (and the plot of the musical). In Little Radical Theatrics' production, director Carly Clark has taken the Broadway concept another level by featuring musical theatre nods throughout the production - in Travis Eaton's basic, but functional scenic design featuring modified theatre show cards (for shows like "Avenue P" and "Mary Peepins") and costumes by Stephanie Viegas that represent numerous musicals of the past, making it a fun scavenger hunt for theatre nerds like myself to determine which show each character represents. Even Sean Hancock's choreography nods to shows of the past bringing smiles and laughs to the audience. Rounding out the creatives, Nishaa Johnson has a powerful group to work with, vocally, which comes through especially well in the acapella section of "Run Freedom, Run".

The cast for Little Radical Theatrics' URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL was so much fun to watch on stage. Their energy was infectious, and they delivered the group numbers quite well. In fact, they could have benefitted from a larger stage, especially in the full production numbers. Standout individuals include Jacob Coldiron as Bobby and Molly Jarvis as Hope, both giving solid performances and showing off lovely voices in their respective songs. Travis Eaton gave a solid performance as the Narrator, Officer Lockstock - but could have been a bit more menacing in the role. As his partner, Officer Barrel, Pat Clark delivers some solid physical comedy and a perfect foil for Officer Lockstock. Derek Hayden is deliciously evil and oppressive as Mr. Cladwell, and Stephanie Viegas chews the scenery (in a very Norma Desmond-esque way) as Ms. Pennywise. Finally, as the naive, but hilarious Little Sally, Beatriz Antunez (channeling a down-on-her-luck Orphan Annie) was fantastic.

As this was my first time attending a Little Radical Theatrics production, I was pleased with the creativity and energy of the company for URINETOWN and look forward to future productions from the company. As a strong supporter and believer in community theatre, it is always a special thrill to witness the result of the hundreds of hours of work by dozens of passionate, creative and talented individuals - and LRC's URINETOWN was no exception.

For more information about Little Radical Theatrics visit https://www.littleradicaltheatricsinc.com/

Photos provided by Little Radical Theatrics and feature the cast of URINETOWN

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