Look at the stream! Full of Hope and Bobby! What a wonder you’ll see— how you’ll laugh— maybe pee— when you look at the stream! AT THE STREEEEAM! STAR ltd., streaming live from the Black Box Theatre of the Chesapeake Arts Center (who is operating under limited capacity restriction and allowing performers only into the space at this present time), is bringing you the much-needed laugh of 2021 with their uproarious and hilarious production of Urinetown. Co-Directed by Jenna Buzard and Lauren J. Lowell, with Musical Direction by Andrew Stewart, and Co-Choreographed by Lauren J. Lowell and Claire O’Donnell, this zany, satirical musical is the laugh-of-the-year and not to be missed. Filled with extremely talented performers, this STAR ltd. production is just what the doctor ordered to cure your bout of blues.
Co-Directors Jenna Buzard and Lauren J. Lowell have approached the production from a Saturday Night Live viewpoint, treating the musical numbers and scenes like sketches that are unfolding in front of a “live studio audience.” There’s a simple set, spearheaded by Technical Director Kevin Bochinski, which rotates around to change Public Amenity #9 into the Urine-Good-Company (UGC) Headquarters building (and vice versa.) Buzard and Lowell conveniently cover scene changes for those streaming at home with little pre-recorded ‘commercials’ featuring the characters from the production. The two unique and laughable features of this set include the “World’s Last Bottled Water” preserved in gold on Caldwell B. Cladwell’s desk like some sort of artifact trophy and the “Contraband Containment Receptacle” (featured outside Public Amenity #9), which holds various bottles, cans, and other vessels into which nefarious individuals might attempt to sneak-a-pee! As the song states— faces, clothes, and bladders are distressed! And Costumer Cami Neary puts out the filthiest of filthy couture for the rabble-rousing poor when it comes to those not currently employed by UGC. Smudges of goodness only knows what (use your imagination, folks, it’s a show about having to pay money to use the bathroom!) covers all the outfits of the underprivileged and the underserved, while sparkling crisps suits, lab coats, and whaaa— even dresses for Hope— are reserved for those in the good company of Urine-Good-Company. Technical praises go out in spades for lighting, set painting and decoration, and that really kick-ass ‘toilet flag of revolution’ featured during “Act One Finale” to the entirety of the technical crew (headed up by Bochinski), featuring Connor Smith, Claire Stump, Abby Morris, Anna Waldstein-Torres, Leo Worthington, Lauren Marsh, and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick.
Lauren J. Lowell and co-choreographer Claire O’Donnell (who doubles up as Soupy Sue in the performative ensemble) have come up with some clever and entertaining routines for the various musical numbers throughout the performance, appropriately situating moves to the varying musical styles that are orchestrated throughout the show. Little bops and hops and showy jazz-hand rings are seen during “Mr. Cladwell”, the show’s kitschy bounce number, while numbers like “Snuff the Girl” showcase a larger variety of swing and jazz routines. The choreography is enthusiastic and energetic; Lowell and O’Donnell have a handle on how to accurately reflect the feeling of a song, particularly the more ominous ones— like “Don’t Be The Bunny” and “Cop Song”— and infuse that sensation into the moves they create for their various dance routines.
Musical Director Andrew Stewart is bringing his A-Game to the production, really focusing the sounds for the intimate spacing of the Black Box Theatre at Chesapeake Arts Center (and taking into consideration the microphone feed necessary for the live-stream cameras.) Stewart gets harmonious blends, full-room sound from a modest cast, and provides live instrumental features (which are great for covering those unexpected, joyous moments of ‘live theatre’ that we’ve all missed so much!) making his role well worth of praise in the production.
Co-directors Jenna Buzard and Lauren J. Lowell are taking you to camp all summer long with their cheesy, over-the-top, twisted-sense-of-humor approach to the production. (If you’re not familiar with Urinetown the musical, it was written as a dark satirical send-up and Buzard & Lowell are doing it great justice in that vein!) Without wanting to give away all of the disastrous secrets, for those that aren’t familiar with the show— and let’s be honest, nobody likes spoilers— it can be said that the audience might laugh themselves silly with what they see on their live-stream-feeds at the end of “Why Did I Listen to that Man?” and during Bobby’s solo features of “Tell Her I Love Her.” (Both of these moments are an excellent use of the Black Box’s unique lipped-railing overhanging space as well!) From the comic timing, the extra little mile with exercising the campy nature of the show’s book, and the overall sense of hilarity, Buzard and Lowell are guaranteeing a good time.
The talented ensemble— which features Ethan Albo, Bentley Cech, Sean Davis, Shea Gardner, Sarah Gonder, Thomas Greenslit, Madelyn Kier, Grace La Count, Kate Lawrence, Ari Mitchell, Lukas O’Boyle, Rose Ocone, Claire O’Donnell, Zach Polignone, Monica Slattery, Gabe Viets, (every character has a name and a line or two and a sung solo line or two; you’ll have to watch to see them all at their best!)— pulls together great moves and vocals for numbers like “Run, Freedom, Run!” and “Act One Finale.” They sing, they dance, they commit to their characters, making the overall quality of the production excellent! Outrageous standouts among them include Ethan Albo as the slippery Senator Fipp and Bentley Cech as Old Man Strong. Albo, who gets a moment to showcase his robust, baritone-bass sound in his solo segment of “Why Did I Listen to that Man?” brings an operatic quality to the number, which quite the thing to hear. Cech, as the doddering old man ready to do whatever it takes to relieve his straining bladder, is a scream in his first scene (which becomes a sendup of a callback joke recurring throughout the performance.)
Wham! Bam! Here I am— if you want to talk about blowing the roof off of a number, you see it clear as day in the second act during “Snuff that Girl” when Hot Blades Harry (Robert Dunham) hops on the scene-stealing train and rolls that song straight off the tracks into a razzle-dazzle performance that will get your heart jumping and thumping. With his gorgeously gruff Tom Waits’ vocals and overall sketchy charisma that has him scooting, sifting, shuffling, and sliding all around the stage in this song, you can’t take your eyes off of Dunham. There’s something electric about the way he throws himself around in this number, joined by the ensemble in the most swing-savvy routine of the performance!
Laying down the law of Public Amenity #9 is Ms. Pennywise (Grace Marsh.) Gritty and gruff and not putting up with anybody’s stuff, Grace Marsh really puts a bold foot forward while embodying the head janitorial/custodial figure in this production. Her solo feature, “It’s A Privilege to Pee” is peppered with potent vocal blasts and shrieks of how she’s going to enforce the law come hell or— well, not high-water since the whole show is in a dire water-shortage, but you get the picture. You get more of Marsh’s solid sound during her featured verses of “Why Did I Listen to that Man?”
Ruthless, smarmy, and frighteningly charming, Enzo Leone is the epitome of a maniacal cartoon villain as he undertakes the role of Caldwell B. Cladwell. There’s something indescribable about his comedic pauses, almost William Shatneresque in his delivery, which only adds to the hilarity of the production as a whole. With exceptionally expressive facial animations and a rigid posture that just oozes ‘big corrupt corporate tycoon’ it’s impossible not to enjoy Leone in this role. Both of his numbers, “Mr. Cladwell” and “Don’t Be the Bunny” are exquisite examples of Leone’s natural talents, both his intense acting skills and his well-rounded vocals. When he faces off with Bobby Strong in the “Act One Finale” you get another delicious taste of his vocal prowess and you just love loathing the incredible character that Leone puts forward for this performance.
Precocious, full of pluck, and particularly spunky, Lil Sally (Sophie Quirk) is the gate-keeper to reality alongside the narrative figure of Officer Lockstock. Quirk’s character serves as an intermediary character, who exists both in the show, singing the most woefully mournful song, “Tell Her I Love Her” (which is an excellent example of Quirk’s brilliant vocals), and outside of it, providing commentary directed at the audience through the vehicle of her conversations with Officer Lockstock. Too cute for words in some of those ridiculous little comic one-liners, Quirk is the epitome of all the humor this character is meant to carry and delivers each of her moments with panache and punch, giving everyone watching a great many reasons to giggle and snicker.
The aforementioned Officer Lockstock (James MacLellan) is a hoot. With vivacious animated facial expressions nothing shy of a cartoon character and hyper-animated body language to match, MacLellan is a show-stopping scream every moment he’s on stage. There’s something bombastic and explosive about the way he delivers his lines in this cartoony-caricature fashion that just screams ‘on-point’ with the overall campy nature of the show. He’s so over the top you can’t help but laugh, particularly when he’s got those slightly delayed ‘panic-born’ reactions to things Lil Sally says. With a rich, hearty sound for singing, MacLellan owns “Too Much Exposition” and other verses that he sings in various songs throughout the performance. But he steals all the show thunder with his patter-roll-rap during “Cop Song” strutting and crazy-cake-walking all over the stage (with partner-in-crime Officer Barrel played by Zach Polignone.) MacLellan is his own personal riot in this production and you won’t want to miss any of his antics.
Hope Cladwell (Eleanor Parks) is written as a dippy, gooey-eyed, winsome ingenue who’s got the world’s longest wind-tunnel between her ears. And Eleanor Parks does not disappoint with her portrayal of this character, giving us everything you could hope for in the shallow, simplistic simp of a character. Parks has a pristine voice, which is perfectly displayed during “Follow Your Heart” and “I See A River” but she never loses sight of what a ridiculous comic shenanigan this character is supposed to be. Parks’ sense of comic timing and understanding of comedic delivery is second only to Bobby Strong in this production and she will have you laughing your head off every time she delivers one of the syrupy-stupid things crafted in the book. When she’s in duet with Bobby, the vocals are sublime and it’s the most dissonant thing you’ll experience— perfect pitch and harmony sounding gorgeous with lyrics that make you want to bust a gut in giggles.
Liam Bierley is too much for words in the best way possible. Mere mortal words can’t do this king of comedy any sort of justice and as if he wasn’t a superb comedian with exacting comic timing and delivery, he’s got perfect vocals for miles and a body that moves the music around him. A true trifecta triple threat, Bierley is everything you could ‘hope’ for and dream of when it comes to the role of Bobby Strong. Playing the camp effect to its fullest, Bierley brings humor to the most unexpected of moments; he blows you clear out of the back of the Black Box Theatre, into the Parking Lot and out across Hammonds Lane with those powerful, purposeful, perfect vocals— particularly when belting his face off at the end of “Run, Freedom, Run!” And maybe just bring some extra underwear because Bierley’s dance moves (again, “Run, Freedom, Run!” seems to be the sing where it’s all happening) will have you laughing so hard you just might pee. Bierley is a singing sensations, a dynamite dancer, and king of comedy in this production; you will not be disappointed as he leads the company to roaring success.
Better hope your pennies add up to the fee! (They can’t have you streaming for free!) Seriously, it’s worth every penny because there is some insane talent, unimaginable hysterics, and utter heart-exploding joy happening on this stage and you’ll be sorry if you miss out on STAR ltd’s. production of Urinetown.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission
Urinetown streams live through August 1, 2021 with STAR ltd. Streaming options for individuals and households can be purchased here.
