Urinetown scores a royal flush with audiences MCMP's musical production has crowd wetting its pants in laughter

Author: Sara Jameson

Last weekend in the Hepburn Zoo, passionate actors, shouting in protest and crying for revolution, demanded the right for their inherent privilege to pee. Directed by Maegan Mishico '08.5, the Middlebury College Musical Players' production of "Urinetown's" out-of-the-ordinary humor and talented performance was anything but mundane.

This popular Broadway musical is set in a town plagued by a 20-year drought, making water so scarce that public toilets have been banned. At the mercy of a single, dominating corporation led by Cladwell B. Cladwell (Mike Tierney '09.5), which maintains a monopoly on the single public toilet, the townspeople are forced to pay ridiculously high tariffs and taxes to carry out their basic needs. However, out of the masses of destitute citizens arises a hero, Bobby Strong (Mike West '09.5), who proceeds to lead his fellows against the tyranny of Urine Good Company, falling in love with Cladwell's daughter Hope (Kristen Faiferlick '10) along the way.

Drawing from musicals such as "West Side Story" and "Les Miserables," this comedy features a humorous satire of the corporate world as well as numerous parodies of traditional theatre conventions - even poking fun at itself. "Urinetown" was nominated in 2002 for ten Tony awards and walked away with wins for best director, best original score and best book for a musical. The actors took full advantage of this acclaimed musical's script and score. Chelsea Minton's '08.5 portrayal of Little Sally was especially potent. Playing a young child is difficult enough, but playing the role with humor is even more impressive. Minton had the audience laughing at almost every line due to her outstandingly dynamic voice and comical facial expressions. The stage chemistry between Minton and Patrick Martinez '09, who played Officer Lockstock, was also exceptional. Martinez, who excelled at the duel role of playing a cocky and witty police officer as well as the cynical narrator of the show, also worked remarkably well with the cute and loveable Little Sally. The two were obviously at ease with their roles and kept the energy going throughout the play.

In addition to the commanding leads, the chorus was also extremely strong; even cameos by Claire Graves '09.5 (Little Becky Two Shoes, Mrs. Millennium) and Felipe Sanchez (Old Man Strong, Hot Blades Harry) executed their parts with infectious enthusiasm and tremendous talent.

The flow of "Urinetown" was generally steady, with only a few awkward moments. The energy remained high from start to finish, a great feat for such a relatively small cast. The opening number, "Urinetown," kicked off the show with a bang, highlighting the powerful voices of the chorus. The pit orchestra demonstrated notable talent under the direction of Amanda Kleinman '09, especially keyboardist DaWeon Ryu '10 who surprisingly received the score only six days before the show. Overall, the music was dynamic, though sometimes the instruments drowned out the singers' voices, making the lyrics indistinguishable.

Under the direction of Ellie Molyneux '08, the show's choreography provided constant amusement and vigor to the musical numbers. In "Cop Song," the blocking was particularly effective as the officers performed their synchronized dance moves, exuding the hilarity of their debonair perception of themselves.

The show received positive audience reactions, especially in response to Mischico's direction.

Starrett Berry '09 commented, "I was very impressed with the performance of "Urinetown." Maegan did a fantastic job at directing the whole cast. She brought out each character's own little quirks, making the entire cast a pleasure to watch."

Sally Swallow '07 said, "I was so impressed by the way Director Maegan Mishico used the Zoo space to its fullest. She took hold of the studio's expansive feel in multiple ways, leaving each new moment full of momentum and rarely feeling static. I suppose that's what I liked most about MCMP's production of "Urinetown" - each scene brought a new energy forward, enough to keep 50 or so people in plastic seats smiling and entertained for two hours. And, of course, the chutzpah that the cast had was a good indication that they were having a pretty enjoyable time as well."

MCMP's "Urinetown" was an immense hit. Abounding with energy and talent, the cast, orchestra and production team excelled at creating a truly entertaining and clever show.