URINE FOR A GOOD TIME
SO, MIND YOUR PEES AND QUEUES
It’s the perfect time for a Urinetown revival. Twenty-four years after its successful Broadway debut, City Center’s Encores! returns with a rousing production. This satirical musical takes place in a dystopian future where a severe water shortage has led to a draconian system of public toilets controlled by a corporation that charges people to pee, with harsh punishment or death for any violation, including tinkling in the bushes. Sound far-fetched? Not in today’s world. With the dehumanizing effects of corporate greed, social injustice, and the abuse of power daily, it feels surprisingly relevant. Don’t worry though, the show still delivers: there’s a hero, a villain, a love story to sweeten things up, and plenty of hysterical moments and catchy tunes to help you forget the latest headlines.
Keala Settle and the company
Created by Greg Kotis (book and lyrics) and Mark Hollmann (music and lyrics) in a style befitting Brecht and Weill, Urinetown is both a sharp satire and a prophetic comedy, offering prickly social commentary, functional and symbolic as its staging. The current revival’s set, designed by Clint Ramos, takes on a minimalist, industrial look, with a towering structure at the center. This is where the outstanding Encores! Orchestra, conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, is stationed, and where the corporate overlords mingle, all above a row of portable toilets—the filthiest urinals in town. In front of them, the impoverished sleep quietly.
Greg Hildreth, Pearl Scarlett Gold
The story begins with Officer Lockstock, a corrupt, jaded policeman played by Greg Hildreth, who introduces us to the world of Urinetown with snarky commentary on the absurdity of musical convention and the plot itself. Hildreth—alongside Lockstock’s wise-beyond-her-years sidekick Little Sally (whimsical Pearl Scarlett Gold)—guides us smoothly through the story with wryness and an undertone of darkness. When Old Man Strong (Kevin Cahoon) finds himself unable to pay for a pee, he argues with the no-nonsense manager of the public toilets Penelope Pennywise (a powerfully soulful Tiffany Mann, covering for Keala Settle). “No one gets in for free,” Penny retorts, echoing a callous bureaucrat more concerned with survival than human life. She has the old man arrested, setting the stage for a rebellion.
Jeff Hiller, Rainn Wilson, Keala Settle, Jordan Fisher
Who would be so cruel to exploit something as basic as bodily functions? Enter Caldwell B. Cladwell (Rainn Wilson), the unapologetically greedy businessman who controls the privatized water system. Wilson plays the manipulative, exaggerated symbol of unchecked corporate power so convincingly that I completely forgot he was once Dwight Schrute in The Office. Cladwell’s daughter, Hope (Stephanie Styles), falls in love with Bobby (Jordan Fisher), a young, idealistic man leading the revolt against her father. Bobby, Old Man Strong’s son, grew up underprivileged, while Hope, who enjoys a life of privilege, both fight for justice. Styles and Fisher shine, looking like a couple straight out of a theater lover’s parody, but as the play shifts from idealism to disillusionment, the stakes grow higher.
Jordan Fisher, Jenni Barber
All characters are exaggerated archetypes. Cladwell’s sycophantic assistant, Mr. McQueen (the hysterical Jeff Hiller), and the corrupt Senator Fipp (the unctuously smooth Josh Breckenridge) both seem perfectly willing to send people to their deaths, while Officer Barrel (Christopher Fitzgerald), like Penny, doesn’t even think twice—he’s a bumbling coward more concerned with self-preservation. Serving as what could be the downtrodden in Les Misérables, each member of the ensemble (The Poor) bring distinction and depth to their despair (John Yi, Geena Quintos, Jenni Barber, Daniel Quadrino, Graham Rowat, Yeman Brown, and Myra Lucretia Taylor).
Jordan Fisher, Jenni Barber
Director Teddy Bergman is responsible for the unique cast, while expertly coordinating creative elements: Justin Townsend‘s lighting enhances this grim, controlled world; Sophia Choi‘s costumes highlight societal divisions, aided by Tommy Kurzman and Suki Tsujimoto‘s wigs and makeup; and Mayte Natalio‘s choreography alternates between high-energy movements that mock traditional musicals and more anarchic formations that reflect the plutonian population.
Jeff Hiller
It bears repeating that a system which forces the poor to pay for toilet access—or die if they try to circumvent the rules—may not seem too farfetched in a world where democracy itself is eroding. This 2002 Tony-winner for Book and Score still holds up a mirror to real-world sociopolitical dynamics, including the climate crisis, but this revival reminded me that we also need to laugh because a good dose of sarcasm and optimism is, in the end, the only medicine. Bravi!
Christopher Fitzgerald and Greg Hildreth with the cast
photos by Joan Marcus
Urinetown
Encores!
New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street
ends on February 16, 2025
for tickets (from $45), call 212.581.1212 or visit NY City Center
