Urinetown, The Musical

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

A memo floated from the balcony reading in part, “Are you an Assistant Custodian to a Urinal? Are you angry about the new fee hikes implemented by the UGC? … Join us tonight for the Rebellion … at the Secret Hiding Place … Rabble Rouse with your friends. Dried milk and cookie crumbs could be served.”

Kathleen Traylor as Penelope Pennywise, Jenna Bainbridge as Little Sally and Leonard Barrett as Officer Lockstock in PHAMALy’s production of Urinetown, The Musical. Photo by Michael Ensminger

A riot was in progress and the audience went wild.

Urinetown, the Musical opened last Friday at the Space Theatre in the Bonfils Complex at the Denver Center for Performing Arts under the auspice of PHAMALY (The Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League) and Steve Wilson’s mouth-dropping direction.

Quite frankly, to miss this show is to not only miss an awesome theatrical experience, a production where the actors grab their characters by the throat turning them into their own creation, but to also miss one of the most positive inspirational determined talented theatre groups to hit the boards creating powerful emotion to sweep across the audience in explosive applause that just did not want to quit.

There is nothing more thrilling, for me personally, then to watch an actor, or director for that matter, grow wings in confident creativity, ability, and power.

In its 18th year of performing, Urinetown is the 14th PHAMALY production I have experienced. Something there is about Urinetown, The Musical that lends itself to mesh into PHAMALY’S talent pool of some 30 actors allowing them to fly high, wide, and handsome. Cohesiveness between Urinetown and the actors, actors and characters sends PHAMALY into a brand new production category. You can hear it in their voices. You can see it on their faces. They move more, dance more, laugh at themselves, with themselves, with the audience, enjoy their inside-outside jokes more all within the context of Urinetown, the Musical.

Even when the stage is filled with a “Chorus of The Poor” or a “Chorus of the Rich” hampered by the greed of Caldwell B. Cladwell, C.E.O. of the Urine Good Company played richly by Don Mauck who gleefully makes the Poor “pay to pee”, the actors allow their individual characters to shine with distinct personalities.

A serious draught engulfs a town divided by The Poor and The Rich. Water, “cool, clear water” refrains from running freely. Money burns a hole in Cladwell’s pockets and dollar signs replace his eyeballs.

Urinetown is not a place. It’s a Musical as Leonard Barrett Jr. reminds the audience several times when he steps into the shoes of the Narrator. The rest of the time, putting the Narrator’s shoes aside, he wears the police uniform of Officer Lockstock. Barrett’s ease on stage and powerful voice lends themselves well to the dual role. Frolicking humor plays delightfully with the audience as Narrator. Hard-nosed Lockstock needs to keep those poor Urinetown peons in line. Woe be to the poor sucker who pees in the bushes because he doesn’t have the money to pay Penelope “Penny” Pennywise, proprietor of Public Amenity #9, stunningly portrayed by Kathleen Traylor. Something there is about the songs Penny sings: It’s A Privilege To Pee, Don’t Be The Bunny, Why Did I Listen To That Man that gives Traylor’s voice a range, a startling beauty, and fullness never before reached. Penny isn’t “the wicked stepmother”. She’s only doing her job making the Poor pay to pee.

Bobby Strong works for Penny. Strong comes alive “strongly” with the talented assistance of Andrew Caldwell (absolutely no relation to Caldwell B. Cladwell). Trying hard to break through to Penny, Bobby champions the poor, especially his father, Joseph “Old Man” Strong” wonderfully played by Chaz Jacobson. With not enough money, and in total desperation, Joseph gives in to a street lamp paying the price to Lockstock with his life. Bobby can only stand by and watch. This isn’t right, and he knows it. There is nothing he can do.

Until late at night he meets a lovely girl sending his heart melting into his shoes. (He knows well it is his heart, and not his pee).

The lovely girl is Hope Cladwell, daughter to The Caldwell, having been educated at the finest schools has just been hired at UGC for the most menial of tasks copying and faxing.

Bobby and Hope meet on a dim lighted street late at night. He doesn’t know who she is and, at the moment, he doesn’t care. Through the magnificent voice of Juliet Villa, Hope teaches Bobby to Follow Your Heart. He’s a ‘gonner’ and she’s not far behind. When he discovers who she really is, disillusioned anger grabs him. The rebellion comes into play and Hope becomes a hostage for the Poor.

Josephine Strong, Bobby’s mother grandly played by PHAMALY veteran and a long-time favorite, Lucy Roucis feeds on Roucis’ own determined courage to rally the Rebellion.

Wilson who has director’s eyes, to see possibilities, not only utilizes the full stage and its entrances, but the balcony as well. With PHAMALY, you’d think he’d stop there. When Bobby Is finally captured, Lockstock and his henchmen Officer Barrel (Matt MacCarthy) and Lockstock and Barrel’s side-kick (Donna Gunnison) take him up into the catwalk where the Space Theatre maintains its lighting system, dropping him to his death into the sewer system below the stage. It’s Bobby all right. It just isn’t Caldwell, Andrew that is. It’s a Dummy. Andrew is alive and well and performing brilliantly. Honest.

Under the co-direction of Choreographers Debbie Stark and Cindy Bray, the cast danced freely with a spring in their step and a tango in their hearts, and it shows. It shows through the lively definitive lyrics of It’s A Privilege To Pee, Mr. Caldwell, Look At The Sky, the indescribable giggle and a half Don’t Be The Bunny, What Is Urinetown?. We’re Not Sorry, and I See A River.

Speaking of music, the incredible, flamboyant, magical Musical Director, Donna Debreceni leads her musicians Harry Grainger, Woodwinds, Reeds, and EWI; Austin Hein, Bass; and Larry Ziehl, Percussion with her Keyboard, creating its own exciting dance of Urinetown’s score filling the spaces between every human, and non-human molecule in the theatre. Their entrance into the theatre is nearly worth the price of the ticket.

In between Barrett’s humor-radical laughing Narrator, and Lockstock’s stick-to-the-rules-of-the-game demeanor, a softer more human side appears when he is in the presence of Little Sally, “a poor but sensible orphan girl” who shows wisdom beyond her years while clutching a teddy bear. So rich is Jenna Bainbridge’s performance as Sally, you want to wrap her up and take her home to give her a bathroom all to herself.

Aside from taking the breath away as accomplished performers, to act with PHAMALY, there is another requirement that frequently gets attention especially from first timers to a PHAMALY production: the disabilities. Disabilities that stop many stone cold in their tracks from thinking they can accomplish anything worthwhile. Not these folks who not only know they have talent but carry the heart and soul of determination demonstrating they own artistic expertise, which they do over and over and over again. Behind the costumes, the characters, the dances, the voices, the artists themselves represent individuals who are blind, hard of hearing, live with heart problems, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifada, Cerebral Palsy, Arthritis, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Spinal Cord Injuries, Syringomyelia, Brain Injuries, Fanconi Anemia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alport Syndrome. When I crow about their talent, their spirit, their determination, their courage, their strength, and their glory, I have reason to crow. They knock me out. This year with Urinetown, on their own, they raised the bar on themselves higher than it has ever been before, leaving this critic nearly speechless.

So many outstanding performances including Little Becky Two Shoes (Regan Linton), Hot Blades Harry (Mark Dissette), Tiny Tom (Daniel Traylor), Senator Fipp, (Jason Dorwart), Mr. McQueen (Troy Willis), and Molly Munchkin-Dribble (Molly Nash), and more, so many more that deserve a spotlight engulfing their soul.

You can give it to them by going supporting and allowing yourself to be awestruck. They want you to laugh with them whether they are taking pot shots in the dark or dancing with long fuzzy ears in Don’t Be The Bunny, defying explanation, a song that has to be experienced flowing from PHAMALY’S unique humor zone.

The unsung heroes of PHAMALY’S production lie with the backstage crew and volunteers. Without their loyal assistance, PHAMALY would be hard pressed to produce anything. When you see, thank them. They deserve garlands of red roses.

Go. Even if you don’t like Urinetown the Musical, or think you don’t like it. What PHAMALY does to it, with it, and for it turns it into a PHAMALY-owned musical extravaganza of incredible depth, wisdom, humor, slung with gratitude one does not have to pay to pee.