The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Satire-soaked play soars

    From the moment the cowering band conductor is sternly led to his position on the side of the stage, it's clear that this show is something different.

    It becomes even clearer when Officer Lockstock (whose partner is aptly named Officer Barrel) steps out of the narrative to talk to Little Sally about the musical's structure.

    And when a stagehand steps out of the curtains to spray Bobby Strong's dead father with fog while Bobby has a flashback about their final moments together, those viewers who haven't realized yet just how different "Urinetown" is from its peers should finally understand that this a show that stands out from the pack.

    The musical, which opened Tuesday at the Milwaukee Theatre, traveled to Cream City as part of the theater's Broadway Series. Directed by John Rando, who won a Tony award for his work on the show when it was on Broadway, "Urinetown" does for the musical theater what "Scream" did for horror flicks.

    The show takes place in a time when the world is in dire need of water conservation, and that need is being filled by a big-business tycoon named Caldwell B. Cladwell. Cladwell's company — Urine Good Company — has become the sole provider of water for his town, and his greedy nature is preying on the community.

    It's difficult to say anything further about the show's plot without giving away too much of the fun — but suffice it to say that you'll be grateful your home has its own toilet when you leave the Milwaukee Theatre.

    The musical — which was written by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis — takes aim at every musical convention in the book, from the sappy "West Side Story"-ish love song to the Bob Fosse-like dance number to the hush-hush gangster-type song that looks like it was lifted straight from "42nd Street."

    However, although "Urinetown" has a plethora of nods toward such staples of Broadway, it's got such wonderful music and entertaining characters that even the most musically naive will find it entertaining.

    The actors do an excellent job of playing roles that melodramatically mock the prototypical musical characters. Charlie Pollack is dumb — but not too dumb — as Bobby Strong, the renegade bathroom worker who starts a revolution; Christiane Noll is idealistic — but still somewhat disillusioned — as Hope Cladwell, the evil tycoon's daughter. As the two fall in love — both with each other and with the idea of being in love — the audience is easily taken along for the ride. However, as soon as it starts to seem that the show is taking itself seriously, it turns the script upside down on itself and returns to the satiric gem as which it began.

    It's clear that the three Tony awards won by "Urinetown" were much deserved. With its success, the musical will hopefully inspire other writers to venture into new territory and produce an atypical show that will give theater-goers something other than another revival to see on Broadway.

    Grade: A

    "Urinetown" runs through Sunday at the Milwaukee Theatre, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave. Ticket prices vary. Call 276-4545 for more information

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