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Musical by Greg Kotis (book
and lyrics) and Mark Hollmann
(music and lyrics)
Directed by: Spiro Veloudos. Set, Janie E. Howland. Costumes, Rafael Jaen.
Lights, Karen Perlow. Musical
direction, Jonathan Goldberg.
Choreography, Ilyse Robbins.
At: Lyric Stage Company of Boston, through Oct. 15. 617-437-7172
It is normally not a good idea to base a musical on functions of the bladder. But the Lyric Stage Company in Boston makes the grimly comic "Urinetown" into a strong season opener that would offend only the most priggish sensibilities. There are some questionable calls along the way, but director Spiro Veloudos once again shows his ability to get at the heart of a musical, particularly when there's a touch of darkness in its heart.
This is the third version of the show I've seen, and each plays differently. The excellent Broadway production was a sharp satire of the musical form, shooting down everything from "The Threepenny Opera" to "Annie." The touring version that came here later played more like empty parody.
Veloudos, who's also the Lyric's artistic director, makes "Urinetown: The Musical" into an homage, particularly of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's "Threepenny." And he does so without losing any of the humor in Greg Kotis's story about a drought-stricken society in which poor people have to stand in line and pay to use public urinals.
If you're not laughing yet, you probably will be after the first number in which Officer Lockstock and Little Sally, a waiflike figure, sing about how "Too Much Exposition" can kill a show. The self-referential lyrics, co-written by Kotis and Mark Hollmann, whose equally clever music never flags, propel us into a world where the poor are oppressed to an unbelievable degree.
Unbelievable, at least, until Hurricane Katrina hit, and we saw the laggardly response to the suffering in Louisiana. Suddenly, lines like these have real resonance: "Rich folks get the good life/ poor folks get the woe./ In the end, it's nothing you don't know."
Perhaps it's that overlay that makes "Urinetown" seem as sharp as it is funny, though credit also has to go to Janie E. Howland's Depression-esque set and Karen Perlow's mean-streets lighting, along with Veloudos's conception.
Every line in the book and lyrics screams "comedy," but the straighter the faces the cast can keep, the better the production.
First, the good news: The women in the cast are a joy to watch, particularly Jennifer Ellis as Hope Cladwell, the naive daughter of Caldwell B. Cladwell, head of the public works department that he has bribed his way into privatizing. This is really Ellis's coming-out party as a Boston professional, and given her voice, looks, and stage presence, she's going to be a very in-demand leading lady hereabouts.
Veronica J. Kuehn as Little Sally begins the season where she left off last year with her witty and well-sung Little Red Riding Hood at the New Repertory Theatre. Ellis and Kuehn are superb from beginning to end.
Maryann Zschau starts off too exaggerated in her early solo as Penelope Pennywise, but rights herself after that.
The problem is with the men. Christopher Chew as Officer Lockstock and Sean McGuirk as Cladwell use exclamation points to drive home the comedy - surprising given Chew's fine, understated performance in SpeakEasy Stage Company's "Johnny Guitar" last season. Rob Morrison, a recent Emerson graduate, could also keep a straighter face as Bobby Strong, the hero.
While he shows potential, he doesn't yet have a strong enough presence to carry such an important role.
Fortunately, he doesn't have to. Besides the female leads, the ensemble work is crackerjack, both the five-piece band led by Jonathan Goldberg and the poor urban denizens led by choreographer Ilyse Robbins (Peter A. Carey and Michele A. DeLuca in particular). Usually there isn't enough room in chamber productions at such theaters as the Lyric for choreographers to show their stuff, but Robbins (no relation to Jerome) makes the room work here. Her homages to "West Side Story" and "Fiddler on the Roof" are spot on.
The livin' is never easy in "Urinetown," but this season opener certainly makes the Lyric Stage Company of Boston a nice place to visit.
Ed Siegel can be reached at siegelglobe.com.
c.2005 The Boston Globe
