Review: Urinetown

Review of the Sunday, February 9, 2025 matinee performance at New York City Center in New York City. Starring Jordan Fisher, Riann Wilson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Greg Hildreth, Tiffany Mann, Stephanie Styles, Kevin Cahoon and Pearl Scarlett Gold. Book by Greg Kotis. Music by Mark Hollmann. Lyrics by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann. Scenic design by Clint Ramos. Costume design by Sophia Choi. Lighting design by Justin Townsend. Projection design by Peter Nigrini. Sound design by Nevin Steinberg. Music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Choreography by Mayte Natalio. Direction by Teddy Bergman. 2 hours, 30 minutes with one intermission. Closes Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Urinetown is that odd experience that is both powerfully relevant to our times, and somehow out of place at the same time. Given the lightning quick turnaround time of an Encores production, a certain amount of leeway could be granted, I guess, but if recent productions are any indication, new insights and big ambitions are not out of reach. 

Maybe my feelings about this production would be much stronger if my memories of the original production weren't still so vivid in my mind. Mayte Natalio's choreography, for example, rarely rises above the mundane, where as the original's was as sharp and witty as the rest of the show, full of clever sight gags and tributes to the various musicals Kotis and Hollman reference throughout their score. But by and large, director Teddy Bergman has contributed little to this show's legacy beyond simply doing it again in New York. That's not to say it is a waste of time; no, the show is still entertaining and a decent metaphor for the rule of the oligarchy. We are closer to that than ever it would seem.

Dominated by a wall of port-a-potty doors and a few pieces that roll on and off, Clint Ramos' set design is efficiently dystopian, as are Sophia Choi's Goodwill-esque hodgepodge of costumes. (Capitalist pig Cladwell looks positively Musk-like in his black suit and turtleneck combination.) Justin Townsend's lighting is serviceable, but one wishes Nevin Steinberg's sound design was better balanced between the orchestra and the cast.

Speaking of the actors, we once again reap the benefits of the short production schedule that allows top-notch casting for the Encores! series. The small ensemble is game for anything thrown at them, be it campy Brechtian characters, hyperbolic snootiness, dancing, singing and acting multiple roles. And the smaller bit roles are handled hysterically by pros Christopher Fitzgerald (Officer Barrel) and Jeff Hiller (Mr. McQueen); the former plays a cuddly shlub, the latter a second banana yes man, with all the affectations his character name implies. As Little Sally, Pearl Scarlet Gold is refreshing as an actual child playing the role, perfecting a tightrope act between blind innocence and world-weary sage, and the endlessly versatile Kevin Cahoon is a riot in a pair of over-the-top comic roles the fit perfectly in his wheelhouse. Greg Hildreth is ultra meta as the narrator and head cop, Officer Lockstock, and turns in the best for the piece performance of them all.

Through no fault of her own, really, understudy Tiffany Mann gives a decent, but uneven performance as Pennywise, gatekeeper to the public toilets. Her readings fall flat and she occasionally struggles with some of the more extreme demands of her songs. Still, it's hard not to root for her and be thankful that she was there to take on the role. Arguably the marquee name here is Rainn Wilson, and he is very funny as the villain, Cladwell B. Cladwell, though he comes off as a bit stiff. Finally, as the ingenue pair, Bobby and Hope, Jordan Fisher and Stephanie Styles are a hilarious duo, playing their roles as hero and heroine with the perfect blend of silliness and earnestness. When Fisher launches into the showstopper "Run Freedom, Run" everyone seems to relax and musical comedy bliss is achieved.

While this isn't my favorite offering from this series, and it is a shadow of its original self, it is still a privilege to see Urinetown,

📸: J. Marcus