Rockville Musical Theatre

The next time you pass by a toilet, remember…

It’s a privilege to pee.

In Rockville Musical Theatre’s latest production of “Urinetown: the Musical” the larger-than-life cast fought tirelessly for their rights to urinate. With stirring musical numbers, toe-tapping choreography, and a giant waving red flag, who wouldn’t be moved to join the revolution? Plus--if the company’s sheer spirit doesn’t do the trick, their expertly-timed comedic punches certainly will.

Hope you’ve got enough pennies; let’s take a trip to Public Amenity Number 9!

Urinetown: the Musical

If you’re reading this review right now, you’re witnessing a first in That Teen on the Scene history… A REPEAT REVIEW! Which, I might call an RR, for short.

Basically, I’ve already reviewed a production of Urinetown, in which I discussed the show’s background in much more detail. I’ll link it here if you’d like to study up before diving into the rest of Rockville’s production.

As for the background of this review, I’ll leave you with the words of a wise fellow audience member:

“It’s Newsies, but with pee!”

Bobby Strong is our revolution-organizing Jack Kelly, Caldwell B. Cladwell is akin to greedy monopolizing CEO Pulitzer, and Hope Cladwell is our Katherine Plummer: the daughter of said CEO, and love interest to our hero.

While the endings to these two musicals (spoiler alert) aren’t quite the same, the stories are similar in that the people come together to revolt against the greedy corporations above them.

Only, in this case, it’s for pee instead of papes.

This Production

There’s nothing I love more than a good-looking set, and Rockville’s production absolutely checked this box thanks to designer Noah Beye, master builder Bill Dunbar, and lead painter Bridget Egan. The stage was washed in a muddy shade of yellow, and a massive concrete wall filled the back of the space. Perhaps my favorite part of the set was its graffiti messages, with some stand-outs being “soup wants to poop,” “go piss, girl,” and, of course, “no toilet kings.”

It’s always a treat when the set allows a peek at the show’s hardworking instrumentalists, so I was excited that Rockville let their orchestra shine. Led by music director Sam Weich, the pit did an excellent job breathing life into the vibrant score of “Urinetown;” from high-energy anthems to sweet duets.

Warning: this score is already catchy, but Rockville’s orchestra turned it into an actual earworm. I’ve been singing “Run, Freedom, Run!” on a constant loop since I drove home last night. My family offers their thanks.

Personal grievances aside, this infectious cast had the audience ready to riot for their cause. The ensemble held incredible energy throughout; not only did they work together as a unit, but each actor created their own distinct character. Julianna Cooper transformed into the back-breakingly hilarious Little Becky Two-Shoes; Ava Silberman became the wide-eyed, eccentric Soupy Sue; Tim Lewis was the manic Hot Blades Harry; and Justin Harmon played the comically-deadpan Tiny Tom. Paired with Kristina Friedgen and Darren Badley’s animated choreography, the kooky characters got a chance to shine in roaring numbers like “Snuff That Girl” and “We’re Not Sorry.”

At the head of every march for freedom was Charlie Williams in the role of Bobby Strong. Williams brought heartfelt optimism to Bobby, and exhibited remarkable spirit as he rallied the people in times of crisis. For a climactic finale to “Run, Freedom, Run!,” Williams stood on a box and riffed his heart out as the ensemble circled around him with newfound vivacity.

Have I mentioned “Run, Freedom, Run!” yet? I feel like I still need to mention how good “Run, Freedom, Run!” was. It’s been a little too subtle so far.

Brimming with naiveté, Alexandra Lagos stepped into the high-heeled shoes of Hope Cladwell. Her sing-songy tone and cheery grin perfectly portrayed the doe-eyed ingenue, while also leaving room for quirky comedic spin. Lagos’s rendition of “Follow Your Heart,” for example, was both sugary sweet and slightly bizarre: a perfect balance.

My favorite part of “Follow Your Heart” is the harmony right near the end on the word “gladness.” If you know the show… you know exactly which part I’m talking about. If you don’t know the show, I BEG you to watch this clip from the Encores! production starring Jordan Fisher (starting at the 0:52 mark).

Long story short, if you take anything away from this review, let it be that the glorious harmony in Rockville’s production gave me so many goosebumps I actually gasped.

Just as chilling was Iris DeWitt in the role of Penelope Pennywise. Her harrowing stare struck fear into the hearts of The Poor, and her “tough love” demeanor shone through with every purse of her lips. Speaking of goosebump-inducing vocals… DeWitt did “It’s a Privilege to Pee” absolute justice, effortlessly soaring to a C6 (or, for non-music people, a very high glass-shattering note) at the song’s end. Scott Napier’s Caldwell B. Cladwell, the slimy executive of Urine Good Company, was also frightening--but in a perfectly-polished wax figure sort of way. His plastered grin and fixed stare were uncanny, and delivered a spotless rendition of disturbing numbers like “Don’t Be the Bunny.”

Lastly, but certainly not least, Thomas Stratton and Faith Wang played the roles of Officer Lockstock and Little Sally. Stratton immediately drew the audience in with a bold introduction to “Urinetown: The Musical,” and navigated the story with clear-cut narration. Wang, meanwhile, did an excellent job bringing the ambiguities of the stories to the surface with a scrunched nose and a cocked head. The two brilliantly played off of one another, and made every fourth-wall break one of my favorite moments of the show.

Who is it For?

While seemingly a musical based around surface-level potty humor, “Urinetown” explores messages far deeper than a dookie joke. As Kristina Friedgen writes in her director’s note, the show dives into themes of “late stage capitalism,” “policing,” and “corporatocracy;” and yet, she reminds us that “Urinetown” is still a musical comedy. That’s what makes the musical so brilliant, palatable, and perfect for local theaters (despite the title).

Plus, as Friedgen mentions, the show’s themes ring ever true in the world of today.

Considering the fact that--while not explicitly shown--Urinetown has heavy depictions of death and violence, I’d recommend it for audiences ages 13 and up. Plus, the plot contains a lot of deeper, intertwined messages about the political state of the community, best understood by audiences who’ve gone through a few history classes in their time.

Actually, scratch that; let Urinetown be all the history lesson you need. Lockstock and Little Sally would make great AP Gov and Theatre History teachers.

So, run (freedom, run) to this production before it closes!

Rockville Musical Theatre’s “Urinetown” performs until November 16th.

Visit r-m-t.org for tickets and more information.

Urinetown