‘Urinetown’ a strong start for The Arts Hub

In Lafayette, theatre kicks off adult programming with a winning musical

Urinetown, The Musical, is a raucous two-hour parody poking fun at aspects of daily life that we have come to appreciate and mostly expect. Currently on stage at The Arts Hub, in Lafayette, the musical comes to life with strong performances and music that attacks the issues head-on. As directed by Jason Lindsay, along with musical director Brandon Warren, Urinetown, The Musical is a satisfying treat despite its somewhat bizarre, but very appropriate, title.

Set some time and somewhere in the future, Urinetown takes place in a bleak society where a water shortage has created a situation of dire circumstances. As introduced and recounted by Officer Lockstock (Josh Quitmeyer) and Little Sally (Natalie Behunin), no topic is left untouched, including hilarious aspects of contemporary musical theatre.

The story is steered by the hard-hearted Cladwell B. Cladwell (Mark Lewis), the owner of the public restrooms called Urine Good Company (UGC), where residents must pay for public toilet privileges instead of using their own private facilities. And, if someone breaks the law or tries to pee for free, they are immediately sent to Urinetown, considered a fate worse than death.

As run by Penelope Pennywise (Shauna Marble) the public toilets are often the scene of discord and unrest. Bobby Strong (Bennet Forsyth), the hero of our story, decides to fight UGC after his father (Sarah Hartland) is arrested for urinating in public. No total fabrication would be complete without a love story, and indeed Bobby falls for Cladwell’s daughter Hope Cladwell (Hailey Ewing), thus complicating his attempt to destroy her father’s grip on the public facilities.

Hope is kidnapped by rebels who are demanding the return to free peeing, and violence ensues.  Bobby plays the martyr and sacrifices himself for the love of Hope, who is released and becomes the head of UGC, thus abolishing all fees for peeing. Unfortunately, the inevitable happens and they do run out of water and the city crumbles further into chaos.

The Arts Hub has mounted an enthusiastic production filled with excellent voices and energetic performances. The entire company is first-rate with standouts including Forsyth as Bobby Strong, who fills the theatre with strong vocals that serve the lyrics exceptionally well. He is a true hero and one can easily understand his motivation driven by his love for Hope. As Hope, Ewing is the perfect ingenue, with a gorgeous voice and emotional presence throughout. It is a real treat to watch Marble as Penelope Pennywise with her commanding and over-the-top performance that shakes the production to its core. Rounding out the cast are Quitmeyer as Officer Lockstock, Behunin as Little Sally and Lewis as Cladwell, all delivering spot-on performances that fully enhance the storyline.

As directed by Lindsay, the production rocks the rafters attributable to the excellent performances and a straight-on interpretation of the script. There are relatively few asides to the audience thus rendering a true-to-life tale that is both realistic and mostly believable.

Musically, Warren has the cast in top form delivering searing lyrics that advance the storyline and expose the characters for who they really are. It’s no wonder that Urinetown, The Musical won Best Original Score at the 2002 Tony Awards.

The Arts Hub has just begun to stage full-scale adult productions and has already announced its 2024 season including Newsies, Sweeney Todd and Rent. If this production of Urinetown, The Musical, is any indication, we can all look forward to more wonderful performances coming out of Lafayette in the next year.