JTP's  Urinetown:  The  Musical  Is  a  Joyful
Ride Through a Bizarre, Dystopian Future

Dystopian futures have become a popular genre over the years, especially since it's easy to feel like we're all living in one every day. As such, dire futuristic scenarios are everywhere; and after a while, they all seem to blur together.

Which is what makes Urinetown: The Musical such an entertaining phenomena. This offbeat, quirky musical, created by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis, was ahead of its time, premiering in New York in 2001 and garnering dozens of award nominations, including three Tony® wins. So, one expects this show to deliver big; and, thanks to Nancy Gardner Rich's strong and creative direction, The Justice Theater Project's production certainly does just that.

Rob Steinburg and Sarah Preston star as Officer Lockstock and Little Sally in Urinetown (photo by Nancy Gardner Rich)

The show opens with a live orchestra in Overture as Officer Lockstock (played with disarming charisma by Rob Steinberg) strides onto the stage, acting as narrator. Together with Little Sally (overflowing with youthful exuberance by Sarah Preston) and loads of self-referential humor and sardonic Fourth Wall-breaking, they quickly catch audiences up to speed.

"Urinetown" is the dreaded destination of anyone who breaks the law, which in this case can be as easy as doing a "number 1" anywhere but state-approved restrooms that charge exorbitant fees for basic human functions. (And before you dismiss that premise as absurd, recall that it was not too long ago that certain rights were reserved only for those who wore masks.)

An early trauma compels protagonist Bobby Strong (the youthfully exuberant Nicky Taylor) to buck the system and rebel against injustice. Along the way, he finds his true love Hope Cladwell (played with effervescent purity by a charming Krystin Bailey) and discovers that raising a rebellion is still a far cry from actually changing the world.

The Justice Theater Project's June 9-25 presentation of Urinetown stars (from left) Tony Hefner, Susan Jordan Shank,
Steve Pysnik, Ann Forsthoefel, Dylan Bailey, Madison Steiner, and Meagan Solloway (photo by Nancy Gardner Rich)

Tony Hefner embodies the cool and soulless CEO Caldwell B Cladwell, father to Hope, whose company holds an iron grip on the masses. Surrounded by his army of sycophants (led by an appropriately slimy Steve Pysnik as Mr. McQueen) and skeevy politicians (Ted Willis' delightfully sharp comedic timing as Senator Fipp), Cladwell enjoys totalitarian control and will keep it at any cost. The villains are not all in the top 1%, however.

Susan Jordan Shank plays Penelope Pennywise, a tough-as-nails businesswoman who unscrupulously runs the most ill-reputable public toilet facility in town. Seemingly as heartless as the CEOs, Pennywise is driven by reasons revealed in Act 2 that invite the audience to question which faction is actually operating in the best interest of public good.

Urinetown stars (from left) Nathan Hamilton, Susan Jordan Shank, and Cassie Ford (photo by Nancy Gardner Rich)

The ensemble is worthy of note, as this talented group of actors handles multiples roles brought to life by Dylan Bailey, Meagan Solloway, Rhonda Lemon, Madison Steiner, and Jackson Morgan. Standouts include Matthew Emig (Joseph "Old Man" Strong/Hot Blades Harry) and Devin Lackey (Tiny Tom), who steal scenes in a hilarious series of flashbacks; Ryan Madanick (Officer Barrel), who has some killer punch lines as Lockstock's trusty sidekick); Debbie Litwak-Kring as Josephine "Ma" Strong; Cassie Ford as Billie Boy Bill; Nathan Hamilton as Roby the Stockfish; Ann Forsthoefel as Mrs. Millenium; and Clare Vestal as Soupy Sue. (Vestal also shines as dance captain, and has provided choreography worthy of a Broadway run.)

Sally Beale's costume design clearly differentiates between the corporate antagonists and the downtrodden city dwellers. Set design by Jeffrey Nugent is an evocative and effective use of space and design, allowing for seamless scene transitions. Cory Arnold's lighting design is also very emotive and connects well with the mood changes throughout the show.

Urinetown: The Musical stars (from left) Cassie Ford, Clare Vestal, Sarah Preston, Nathan Hamilton, Devin
Lackey, Riki R. Dows, and Susan Jordan Shank as "Miss Pennywise" (photo by Nancy Gardner Rich)

Musical director Katherine Anderson does a masterful job, working not only with the talented actors on song delivery, but also leading an impressively talented four-piece orchestra (Charles Tinling, Rebecca Farlow, and Miles Griffiths, with Anderson on keyboard) that handles the complex score with seeming ease.

Urinetown: The Musical is a bizarre and joyful ride into a future that grows ever more probable with each worldwide pandemic. With one more weekend to catch performances, grab this chance to support JTP and their high-quality stage production among other worthy social causes.

"Don't Be the Bunny" features Dylan Bailey (top left) and Tony Hefner (top center) (photo by Nancy Gardner Rich)

Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis' URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23-25), directed by Nancy Gardner Rich, with musical director Katherine Anderson, and starring Rob Steinberg as Officer Lockstock, Susan Jordan Shank as Penelope Pennywise, Nicky Taylor as Bobby Strong, Sarah Preston as Little Sally, Krystin Bailey as Hope Cladwell, Tony Hefner as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Steve Pysnik as Mr. McQueen, Ted Willis as Senator Fipp, Matthew Emig as Hot Blades Harry/Joseph "Old Man" Strong, Riki R. Dows as Little Becky Two Shoes, Debbie Litwak-Kring as Josephine "Ma" Strong, Ryan Madanick as Officer Barrel, Ann Forsthoefel as Mrs. Millenium, Devin Lackey as Tiny Tom, Clare Vestal as Soupy Sue, Nathan Hamilton as Robby the Stockfish, and Cassie Ford as Billie Boy Bill, plus featured ensemble performers, including Dylan Bailey, Meagan Solloway, Rhonda Lemon, Madison Steiner, and Jackson Morgan (The Justice Theater Project at the Umstead Park United Church of Christ in Raleigh). RELATED EVENTS: Click here and scroll down. DIGITAL PROGRAM: Click here. 2022-23 SEASON: http://www.thejusticetheaterproject.org/2223-season-rising-like-a-phoenix. THE PRESENTER: https://www.thejusticetheaterproject.org/, https://www.facebook.com/Justicetheater, https://www.instagram.com/justicetheaterproject/, https://twitter.com/justicetproject, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNGoYepGz-n99gOyTAj7QTg/videos?view=0&sort=p. 2022-23 SEASON: http://www.thejusticetheaterproject.org/2223-season-rising-like-a-phoenix. VENUE: https://www.upucc.org/, https://www.facebook.com/UmsteadParkUCC, https://www.instagram.com/umsteadparkucc/, https://twitter.com/UPUCC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/upucc/featured. DIRECTIONS/MAP: https://www.upucc.org/contact. UPUCC COVID-19 POLICY (scroll down): https://www.upucc.org/. URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL (2001 Off-Broadway, 2001 Broadway, and 2014 West End Musical): https://www.mtishows.com/urinetown, http://www.iobdb.com/Production/67, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/urinetown-10611, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2470752/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinetown. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. MARK HOLLMAN (Manhattan-based composer and lyricist): https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/mark-hollmann-2/, https://www.mtishows.com/people/mark-hollmann, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/1115, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mark-hollmann-84814, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2540911/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hollmann. GREG KOTIS (New York City-based playwright and lyricist): https://www.gregkotis.com/, https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/greg-kotis/, https://www.mtishows.com/people/greg-kotis, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/1114, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/greg-kotis-84815, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0467708/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Kotis. TICKETS: $30 ($25 students, educators, and seniors), except $25 per person for groups of 10 or more. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-264-7089 or thejusticetheaterproject@gmail.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: The Justice Theater Project.

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