The Jonathan Larson Project - Revealing A Passion That Still Burns Bright

Reviewed by Judd Hollander

Be it filled with the joy that comes with beginning a new chapter in life, political satire about truth and electability, or a somber ballad of how a musical instrument can restore one’s emotional equilibrium, every offering in the world premiere musical The Johnathan Larson Project has something deeply meaningful to say. Currently at the Orpheum Theatre in Greenwich Village, the show’s selections, some of which have never been performed publicly, help shine a light on a multi-talented artist who at age 35, left this world far too soon. 

While the show has no through storyline per se, one can quickly discern how the work is divided into specific sections. The first of which leads off with the rousing “Greene Street,” as the cast of five extolls the joys of being young and hopefully talented enough to make it in New York City. This premise of following one’s dreams continues through the next several songs as they explore the optimistic naivety youth can bring, along with the creeping realization that achieving success is not always as easy or quick as first imagined. Though there is the opportunity to unwind from such pressures via alcoholic relaxation, as shown in comedic gem “Break Out the Booze.”

(L-R) Andy Mientus, Taylor Iman Jones, Lauren Marcus, Jason Tamt in "The Jonathan Larson Project." Photo by Joan Marcus

Juxtaposed with these situations are ones that examine those who exist on the fringes of society, a place where hope has long since become a thing of the past and simply making it through the night can require the sacrifice of ones very soul. These are folks Larson himself could have seen during the years he lived in Greenwich Village.

The final third of the show assumes a more political bent, with offers that run the gamut from over-the-top satire, such as a skit focusing on the creation of the perfect candidate, to something far more grounded in reality, as when two women compare notes about what it takes to make it in a “White Male World.” Also explored is the fragility of our environment, via the almost dirge-like “Iron Mike,” about the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, along with the ultimate question of who you can trust, especially when everyone seems to have their own personal version of the truth. It also helps that the show’s program contains background information on each of the numbers presented, which help to provide an extra layer of depth and understanding as to their origins.

(L-R) Lauren Marcus, Andy Mientus, Jason Tam, Taylor Iman Jones, Adam Chanler-Berat in "The Jonathan Larson Project." Photo by Joan Marcus

Conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper, directed by John Simpkins and presented with the support of the Larson family and estate, many of the songs have an almost poetical feel to them as they pull the audience into the stories being told and the characters who inhibit them. Highlights, in addition to those already mentioned, include the ironically named “Valentine’s Day,” which shows how a desperate need for love can lead to a path from which there may be no escape.

                              Adam Chanler-Berat in "The Jonathan Larson Project." Photo by Joan Marcus

The cast is excellent, with each member of the company getting their own individual moment to shine. Also deserving of mention is the choreography by Bryon Easley, and Charlie Rosen’s work on the musical arrangements and orchestrations. 

The show also contains an overall air of poignancy as it recalls, via video clips, the circumstances surrounding Larson’s passing. He died in 1996 of an aortic dissection on the early morning of the first scheduled preview performance for the Off-Broadway run of his musical “Rent,” for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics. “Rent” would earn Larson, among other honors the Pulitzer Prize, and when the show moved to Broadway, three Tony Awards.

 (L-R) Andy Mientus, Adam Chanler-Berat, Taylor Iman Jones, Lauren Marcus, Jason Tam in "The Jonathan Larson Project." Photo by Joan Marcus

Previously staged as a concert in 2018, the show pays its subject the ultimate compliment when it notes how not a word of what Larson has written was changed for this production. 

With songs that runs a gamut of styles and emotions, The Jonathan Larson Project proves to be a wonderfully entertaining, totally infectious and extremely thought-provoking experience.

Featuring: Adam Chanler-Berat, Taylor Iman Jones, Lauren Marcus, Andy Mientus, Jason Tam

The Jonathan Larson Project

Conceived by Jennifer Ashley Tepper

Scenic Designer: Michael Schweikardot

Costume Designer: Tracy Christensen

Lighting Designers: Adam Honoré, Shannon Clarke

Video Designer: Alex Basco Koch

Sound Designer: Justin Stasiw

Wig and Hair Designer: J. Jared Janas

Music Director: Cynthia Mend

Music Supervision/Orchestration/Co-Arranger: Charle Rosen

Choreographer: Bryon Easley

Director: John Simpkins

Orpheum Theatre

126 Second Avenue

Tickets: https://thejonathanlarsonproject.com/

Running time 1 hour 35 minutes, no intermission

Closes: March 30, 2025

Urinetown – Still Mostly Sharp After All These Years

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.

                 (L-R) Greg Hildreth as Officer Lockstock and Christopher Fitzgerald as Officer Barrel in 

             the Encores! production of Urinetown at New York City Center (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.

                     Bobby Strong (Jordan Fisher) and the company of Urinetown (Photo by Joan Marcus)

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.

Rainn Wilson (standing on table) as Cladwell B. Cladwell and the company of Urinetown (Photo by Joan Marcus)

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