ITJA Critics' Workshop Urinetown First Draft Reviews
This is where you can post your first draft reviews of the production of Urinetown.
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ITJA Critics' Workshop 
What if you had to pay to pee? That’s how the poor people in the musical “Urine Town” have to live. On January 28th at the KCACFT festival Urine town was preformed, and aside being moved to a completely different location that expected, the musical was a hit with the crowd. Walking in you saw students lining the floors, sitting cross legged, taking pictures with their neighbors, like they were back at summer camp orientation; Kicking off their shoes getting comfortable while waiting for the show to begin. It was a warm sense of community. Urine town breaks the fourth wall and speaks to its audiences, leading to much of the humor. I don’t believe the audience went more than 20 minutes without laughing. This play is not for serious people as the humor is very old fashioned, sprinkled with some sexual innuendos, and plenty of “they went there” moments. The actors were all wonderful singers and dancers, but at times those without microphones would get lost among the constant applause and laughter, (and sometimes even those with). The actors brought their own individual sass to every character, even those not in the spotlight. The lighting occasionally hit front stage actors in a way that made them look like criminals in a film noir movie, but as expected when they are unexpectedly moved to a new set, that is 1/4th the size of the whole room. You can tell the cast put time into their props, when there was two blow up portraits of the main actors for show. Aside some sound problems, voices clipping and popping, the crowd stood for almost a full 5 minutes applauding, before starting to die down. And the cast definitely earned the applause. Despite the awful name, “Urine town” is a play to see.
The rich versus the poor. The ruling class pitted against those they oppress. Popular culture is filled with stories like these, from “The Hunger Games” all the way back to “Les Misérables”, and their truth and power remain strong even today. The only problem is that those stories can get somewhat overplayed, even stale. Thankfully “Urinetown” is around to mix things up a little, giving a timeless narrative an irreverent musical spin that has helped it remain fresh and vibrant more than a decade since the play’s initial debut.
This production in particular was put on brilliantly by Dean College. A last-minute change of venue couldn’t diminish their bold energy, and may have even made it more memorable. Instead of theater seats, the majority of the audience sat on the floor in front of the stage. Aside from the occasional leg cramps, this arrangement only emphasized the unique, subversive nature of the play for the audience.
It’s difficult to single out any of the performers in particular as exemplary, because the whole ensemble was a joy to watch. Even the background dancers in the big song numbers exuded personality and humor, frolicking across the stage and reveling in the winking exaggeration of the spectacle. The relatively simple set and lighting design proved versatile as well, and the costumes, especially those of the downtrodden poor strike just the right balance between drabness and personality. Even the sound mix, ever-crucial for a musical, made it easy to hear both the singers and the superb live band accompanying them.
The satirical concoction of “Urinetown”, equal parts crass parody and traditional show-tune extravaganza, might not be for everyone. For anyone who thinks the show might fit their tastes, however, it would be hard to beat Dean College’s production. They brought with them a show that was fun and romantic and wickedly subversive, often all at once, and did the material justice with their sharp technical presentation.