Urinetown. The title is revolting, the story line is absurd, the lines are cheesy to the power of 10, the acting and singing range from adequate to exceptional... and everyone within a hundred miles of The Dairy Center in Boulder should make it to this play sometime between now and July 27! Yes, it’s that good.
There’s no way to prepare for the trip you’ll be taken on through this more than slightly demented musical account of a community struggling to survive in a devestated post-draught world where the almost-penniless populous must line up soup kitchen style and pay high fees for the privilege of peeing as part of the government’s effort to save water.
There’s no way to prepare for the trip you’ll be taken on through this more than slightly demented musical account of a community struggling to survive in a devestated post-draught world where the almost-penniless populous must line up soup kitchen style and pay high fees for the privilege of peeing as part of the government’s effort to save water.
With almost every modern musical theatre hit being spoofed in the process, each obviously borrowed "big production number", formula song, generic choreographed dance style, and over-used corny line from Broadway is reworked, warped, wrapped in more corny dialog, and served up with very appropriate over-the-top delivery.
Don’t let the title dissuade you. For all its references to certain necessary bodily functions, nary a line actually offends even the most offendable. The expected off-color innuendos, gross references, or cheap, disgusting jokes that one might expect to draw mass groans are happily absent. It’s hard to explain, but in the most bizarre, silly, stupid, implausible way, the whole thing actually makes sense! And, it’s really, really funny!
As in any community theatre effort, some of the acting and singing is 'Wow!' quality, and some is not. In this particular show (June 20, Cast B), the 'Wow‘s' are offered in strong vocal performances by Lexi Strickland (Hope Cladwell) and Devyn Cordes (Penelope Pennywise). Danny Irwin (Bobby Strong), Keira Mountain (Little Sally), and Michael Ciaglo (Caldwell B Cladwell) keep the show rolling with believable characterizations of profoundly unbelievable characters. John Balch (Officer Lockstock) and his worthy assistant Lena Antman (Officer Barrel) provide ‘meanwhile, back at the sewer” summaries to keep everything tied together for the audience.
Urinetown is a CenterStage Production. Ileane Olson is the producer. Jeanie Balch directs and does a splendid job of pulling off such a nonsensical show with obvious polish. Daniel Graeber, local pianist extraordinaire, is the Music Director. Louisa Balch’s choreography brings the show to life with very well executed, perfectly over-done dance numbers.
The band (Daniel Graeber, Paul Farus, Colin Spear, and Max Ripple) creates one of the show’s most entertaining ‘characters’- the quirky music, but unfortunately, at times it is loud enough to cover important dialog which struggles some to reach the audience through less-than-crisp michrophones. The Dairy Center provides a charming ‘black box’ theatre environment for shows like Urinetown. Maybe someday someone will generously donate them a better sound system.
Go see Urinetown if you haven’t. See it again, if you have. It’s a hoot- and proves for once and for all that any subject can be turned into a main stage, over-the-top, no holes barred (pardon the pun), laugh-out-very-loud, rollicking musical!
The show is double-cast, which means that different casts perform on different nights. The schedule for the rest of the performances is:
Cast A:
7:00 PM Shows
July 23, 25, 26
Cast B:
7:00 PM Shows
July 24
1:00 PM Shows
July 26, 27
The Dairy Center For The Arts is located at:
Don’t let the title dissuade you. For all its references to certain necessary bodily functions, nary a line actually offends even the most offendable. The expected off-color innuendos, gross references, or cheap, disgusting jokes that one might expect to draw mass groans are happily absent. It’s hard to explain, but in the most bizarre, silly, stupid, implausible way, the whole thing actually makes sense! And, it’s really, really funny!
As in any community theatre effort, some of the acting and singing is 'Wow!' quality, and some is not. In this particular show (June 20, Cast B), the 'Wow‘s' are offered in strong vocal performances by Lexi Strickland (Hope Cladwell) and Devyn Cordes (Penelope Pennywise). Danny Irwin (Bobby Strong), Keira Mountain (Little Sally), and Michael Ciaglo (Caldwell B Cladwell) keep the show rolling with believable characterizations of profoundly unbelievable characters. John Balch (Officer Lockstock) and his worthy assistant Lena Antman (Officer Barrel) provide ‘meanwhile, back at the sewer” summaries to keep everything tied together for the audience.
Urinetown is a CenterStage Production. Ileane Olson is the producer. Jeanie Balch directs and does a splendid job of pulling off such a nonsensical show with obvious polish. Daniel Graeber, local pianist extraordinaire, is the Music Director. Louisa Balch’s choreography brings the show to life with very well executed, perfectly over-done dance numbers.
The band (Daniel Graeber, Paul Farus, Colin Spear, and Max Ripple) creates one of the show’s most entertaining ‘characters’- the quirky music, but unfortunately, at times it is loud enough to cover important dialog which struggles some to reach the audience through less-than-crisp michrophones. The Dairy Center provides a charming ‘black box’ theatre environment for shows like Urinetown. Maybe someday someone will generously donate them a better sound system.
Go see Urinetown if you haven’t. See it again, if you have. It’s a hoot- and proves for once and for all that any subject can be turned into a main stage, over-the-top, no holes barred (pardon the pun), laugh-out-very-loud, rollicking musical!
The show is double-cast, which means that different casts perform on different nights. The schedule for the rest of the performances is:
Cast A:
7:00 PM Shows
July 23, 25, 26
Cast B:
7:00 PM Shows
July 24
1:00 PM Shows
July 26, 27
The Dairy Center For The Arts is located at:
2950 Walnut St., Boulder, CO
Tickets are $10 and $14.
For reservations by phone, call FrontGate Tickets at 888-512-7469.
To purchase online, go to:
Tickets are $10 and $14.
For reservations by phone, call FrontGate Tickets at 888-512-7469.
To purchase online, go to:
http://www.thedairy.org/ or http://www.centerstagetheatrecompany.org/
Warning: “Go before you go.” Or, if you need to ‘go’ during the intermission, be sure to take your ‘good for one free pee' coupon with you when you head toward the facilities. One complimentary coupon is found in each program. Characters of the show will actually be collecting the 'pee coupons' at the restroom door- and rumor has it that Officer Lockstock is more than willing to arrest anyone to tries to gain unauthorized entry to the restrooms. In other words, even during the intermission, the show keeps going… and going… and going…
Warning: “Go before you go.” Or, if you need to ‘go’ during the intermission, be sure to take your ‘good for one free pee' coupon with you when you head toward the facilities. One complimentary coupon is found in each program. Characters of the show will actually be collecting the 'pee coupons' at the restroom door- and rumor has it that Officer Lockstock is more than willing to arrest anyone to tries to gain unauthorized entry to the restrooms. In other words, even during the intermission, the show keeps going… and going… and going…
By Elaine Nash
