WHERE THERE’S A WILL,
THERE’S A PAY TOILET

This irreverent musical entertains
while refusing to let its audience off the hook

James Mayogoitia, Sadat Hossain, Gabrielle Goodman, and Amy Meyers (photo by Tiffany Davis)

After more than 25 years of producing fun, hip musicals all over San Francisco, Ray of Light Theatre is still in its honeymoon phase of finally having its own theater, The Barbary Stage, downtown off Jackson Street. Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis’ 2001 Urinetown: The Musical, directed and choreographed by Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd, is a perfect production to show off its bigger, wider stage.

Sadat Hossain (Tiffany Davis)

The musical spoofs a dystopian future in which a town’s water supply has dried up. A rich corporation has taken over the public bathrooms and makes a huge profit by charging for the privilege of using them. The poor and indigent, of course, suffer the most, as few can afford the daily fees. More than two decades after its premiere, the show’s satire feels especially timely, as widening economic inequality continues to dominate public debate.

Anne Warren (Tiffany Davis)

The head villain in this story is the handsome yet tyrannical owner of “Urine Good Company,” Caldwell B. Cladwell (William Giammona). He has surrounded himself with sycophants and politicians whom he has bought off. The bottom line for him is making a profit, and, of course, it comes from the people who can least afford it. Songs like “It’s a Privilege to Pee” and “We’re Not Sorry” certainly evoke the apocryphal ‘Let them eat cake’ attitude often attributed to Marie Antoinette. The villagers continue to suffer as the fees to use the toilets go up. (Tariffs, anyone?) Their handsome and charismatic leader, Bobby Strong (Sadat Hossain), insists that the toilets should be free and encourages the people to rise up and protest. Dressed all in black, Officer Lockstock (Sidney Matthew Román), with his ever-present billy club, roams the streets, keeping order and enforcing the laws. (Peeing in the street is a punishable offense.) He also serves as the narrator of the story.

(center) Gabrielle Goodman (Tiffany Davis)

One wise young girl, Little Sally (Angela Busgano), is the voice of reason, acting as the Greek chorus of the people. Many of the funniest moments come from her verbal sparring with Lockstock. Their mutual respect, though, is the one authentic relationship in the show.

Sidney Matthew Román (photo by Jon Bauer)

Cladwell’s daughter, Hope (Gabrielle Goodman), is a recent college graduate from a school for young ladies of privileged backgrounds. In her Chanel suit and perfectly coiffed hair, Hope joins her father’s staff, where she naively expects to carry out his mission. On the streets, though, she encounters Bobby Strong, and the two of them are immediately smitten with each other.

William Giammona (Jon Bauer)

Ray of Light has assembled another cast of formidable triple threats. Goodman and Hossain, though, are among the strongest singers in the ensemble. Their first-act duet, “Follow Your Heart,” is one of the production’s musical highlights. Another standout in the cast is Ray of Light regular Anne Warren, who plays Cladwell’s chief henchwoman, Penelope Pennywise, assigned to keep the street people in line. With her bright white hair and tight black leather catsuit, she’s a commanding presence with a booming, powerful voice. Eventually, the people, led by Bobby, rebel and chaos ensues. Officers Lockstock and Barrel (Milo Mee) struggle to maintain order, often comically, with forced macho bravado.

Angela Busgano (Jon Bauer)

Matt Owen‘s graffiti-stained multi-level set creates the perfect backdrop. Ashley Renee‘s costumes, from the three-piece suits of the executives to the dirty jeans and rags worn by the riffraff, create a strong contrast among the characters. Boyd’s choreography makes especially effective use of the larger stage, filling it with more than 20 performers who leap and tumble with remarkable precision. The live band, conducted by Ben Prince and accompanied by Amanda Wu Chroust (bass), Hal Richards (reeds), Brendan Lai-Tong (trombone), and Ben Visini (drums), keeps the energy high. Unfortunately, they are relegated to being hidden behind the scenery.

Ralph Shehayed, Gabrielle Goodman, and Amie Shapiro (Jon Bauer)

The Barbary Stage provides a dramatic improvement in acoustics and sound quality. Urinetown offers a fun night of musical theater while addressing issues that remain relevant in today’s political climate. To its credit, the show offers no easy or comfortable resolutions, allowing its central questions to linger long after the final flush.

The cast of Urinetown (Jon Bauer)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Tiffany Davis and Jon Bauer

Urinetown: The Musical
Ray of Light Theatre
The Barbary Stage, 215 Jackson Street in San Francisco
Fri.–Sat. 8; Sun. 3
2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission
ends Aug 29, 2026
for tickets ($20–$75), visit Ray of Light

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦