Reviewed by Judd Hollander
True believers, no matter where they may be on the political, social or economic spectrum, always believe they are doing the right thing. Even if there are those who refuse to see it that way, due to so-called sacrifices that must be made for the greater good. This is the message at the heart of the deliciously satiric musical, Urinetown. Created by Mark Hollmann (music and lyrics) and Greg Kotis (book and lyrics), the show’s recent run as part of the Encores! series at New York City Center marks its first major staging in the Big Apple in over two decades.
the Encores! production of Urinetown at New York City Center (photo by Joan Marcus)
Bobby Strong (Jordan Fisher) and the company of Urinetown (Photo by Joan Marcus)
Rainn Wilson (standing on table) as Cladwell B. Cladwell and the company of Urinetown (Photo by Joan Marcus)
For the last twenty years, the country has been plagued by drought so severe that every bit of moisture is precious. In the wake of this catastrophe, a corporation has arisen - with the tacit approval of the government - that has created a gigantic network designed to collect people’s bodily fluids to be repurposed for later use. The project supported by a tax that people must pay before they can use the Amenity Stations constructed specifically for this function. As Penelope Pennywise (Keala Settle), who runs Amenity #9, “the poorest, filthiest urinal in town,” explains more than once “It’s a Privilege to Pee.” Those who can’t afford the fee and instead use an unsanctioned area to relieve themselves are immediately rounded up by authorities and taken to Urinetown, a place whose name strikes fear in the general public and from which no one has ever returned.
Penelope Pennywise (Keale Seattle) admonishes Old Man Strong (Kevin Cahoon) in the Encores! Production of Urinetown at New York City Center (Photo by Joan Marcus)
The imposition of the latest pee tax turns out to be the match that threatens to explode the angry powder keg the less-fortunate citizenry has become. All they need is a leader, who appears in the persona of Bobby Strong (Jordan Fisher), a young man who works for Pennywise and who recently saw his own father taken away to Urinetown. Bobby has long believed there is nothing he can do to stop the injustice he sees – where those in power get richer and those without get nothing – but his outlook changes after an encounter with the good hearted, if somewhat naive Hope Cladwell (Stephanie Styles), daughter of Cladwell B. Cladwell (Rainn Wilson), the man who created the imposing Urine Good Company and all that has since followed.
With a newly emboldened Bobby opening Amenity #9 for all to pee at no cost, and Cladwell determined to stamp out any source of rebellion before it spreads, he having no desire to return to the chaos of what came before, it is only a matter of time before these two men come into conflict, with Hope caught right in the middle.
Urinetown’s strength comes from its biting dialogue and absolutely brilliant score - the latter perfectly delivered by the Encores! Orchestra. Each line or lyric capable of provoking one telling realization after another, depending on how deep one cares to look beneath what is being presented on stage. These sentiments include the tenacious grasp one can have on their own personal freedom, questions of culpability, how under the right circumstances most everybody is capable of doing something they would normally consider unthinkable, the dangers of refusing to see the big picture when making a decision, and the understanding that every choice made comes with consequences.
For a show of this type to work, the satire it offers needs to be perfectly delivered, which sadly, is not always what happens here. The dialogue at times delivered with an extra pause, or sort of wink to the audience to allow them to be in on the joke. The different characters also need to be played with total seriousness and when they’re not, it destroys the believability of their scenes. Among those with this problem are Greg Hildreth as Officer Lockstock, a character who also serves as the show’s narrator, and whose delivery feels just off enough to made him seem part of the joke, rather than the situation he’s describing. Another person who has this issue is ensemble member John Yi. There are also moments when the show feels a bit rushed and lacking in tension, such as when Bobby and his fellow rebels are regrouping in their secret hideout after their initial clash with Cladwell.
Wilson does a superb job as Cladwell, whose scenery-chewing rendition of “Don’t Be the Bunny” shows him to be a black-hearted realist who has no intention of relinquishing the power and control he wields. Settle does a good turn as Pennywise, a woman seemingly all business until it turns out she has been hiding a secret of her own. Styles and Fisher do well as Bobby and Hope, though more individually than together as the two characters never feel as if they have that strong a connection. Though both have excellent singing voices, with a particular highlight for Fisher being the rousing “Run, Freedom Run!” Teddy Bergman’s directorial work, while adequate, is not strong enough to keep the show running on an even track and bring all the elements together properly. The choreographic work by Mayte Natalio has the same problem, especially when it comes to movements by a captive Hope during the song “Snuff That Girl.”
Jordan Fisher as Bobby Strong and Stephanie Styles as Hope Cladwell in the Encores! production of Urinetown at New York City Center (Photo by Joan Marcus)
There is certainly a lot of good to be found in Urinetown, with an overall message that resonates just as powerfully now than when it was first staged; even more so in some cases. Yet the various missteps throughout all combine to make this production far less than it could be.
Featuring: Jenni Barber, Josh Breckenridge, Yeman Brown, Kevin Cahoon, Jordan Fisher, Christopher Fitzgerald, Pearl Scarlett Gold, Joshua Grosso, Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Tiffany Mann, Daniel Quadrino, Geena Quintos, Graham Rowat, Keala Settle, Stephanie Styles, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Rann Wilson, John Yi.
Scenic Designer: Clint Ramos
Costume Designer: Sophia Choi
Lighting Designer: Justin Towsend
Sound Designer: Nevin Steinberg
Hair, Wig & Makeup Design: Tommy Kurzman, Suki Tsujimoto
Music Coordinator: Kimberlee Wertz
Production Stage Manager: Cynthia Cahill
Casting by: The TRC Company, Kevin Metzger-Timson CSA
Choreographer: Mayte Natalio
Featuring: The Encores! Orchestra
Music Director: Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Director: Teddy Bergman
Urinetown
Presented at New York City Center
131 West 55th Street
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes, with one intermission
Closed: February 16, 2025
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