Musical comedy “Urinetown” is playing at Lyric Stage Company of Boston from Sept. 20 through Oct. 20. A social satire, the musical acts as a commentary on climate change and crony late-stage capitalism in the United States. The play is relevant to the current trends in theater culture, which often in difficult moments of history reflects the moods, attitudes, and fears of the artists and audiences who experience these troubled times.
In the era of climate change, continued economic disparity, and a cultural divide between the conservative and liberal aspirations of political parties, no musical theater show could be more relevant than “Urinetown” for its bleakness, humor, and reflection of a society that is failing of its members and the land this civilization occupies. The musical satirizes the fall of the Roman Empire, as it shows a mirror image of that fall in America.
With a score inspired by the Tin Pan Alley style of the 1920s and ’30s, the play’s deeply political plot centers around a poor toilet worker, Bobby Strong, played by Kenny Lee, who lives in a town where all must pay to pee. Bobby learns to seek justice like any other hero, leading his fellow workers to “pee for free.”
The peeing metaphor is a symbol of late-stage capitalism, where even our basic human needs can be sold at a higher price to keep profits for the corporate producers high, despite inflation and consumer needs.
“Urinetown” is not a typical hero’s story, and satirizes every heroic trope in the book, ending with darker results for Bobby’s and his fellow workers’ actions.
The supporting cast features Hope Cladwell, the nepotistic, and idealistic daughter of the town’s corporate overlord Cladwell B. Cladwell, played by Emerson alumna Eliana Karis. Cladwell’s character is put in the hands of veteran actor Christopher Chew, Officer Lockstock played by Anthony Pires Jr. and fellow Greek Chorus Little Sally played by Paige O’Connor. The cast is full of diverse timbre and expression, and truly speaks to the heart of the piece.
The fourth wall narrations by Lockstock and Little Sally are not only meant to convey their awareness of the overly typical plot, but also the darker undertones portrayed through the use of spoilers for the story throughout the show, and the bleaker commentary in the narrative.
With direction by Courtney O’Connor, the staging team has created an interactive atmosphere in “Urinetown,” with an abstract set that focuses on the devastation of the society they are trying to depict. The actors are constantly moving up and down the isles of the audience, handing out flyers and memos, giving the sense that this is as real for the audience as this play is for them, inviting the audience to feel like they are part of the play as much as the actors believe they are too.
The second act begins with a serious talk, with jokes, of course about hostages. Well, this is only a minor inconvenience. The context of it does have great relevance to the current hostage situations around the world, whether in Gaza, Russia, or in any group that holds another against their will as prisoners. The directors took this small scene seriously and made every effort to underline its importance to the audience now.
Despite the comedy and satirical attitude of the entire musical, every moment of the show is dark because it’s truly happening in our society, with the rising temperatures and steady balance of carbon dioxide emissions all over the United States. The play speaks to the issues that are at the forefront of the audience’s mind and poses the question: What are the issues of our collective American subconscious?
The play proposes the answer being that we have no control over our environment. That we are truly not free, despite the freedoms that we value. That despite protests on the streets, despite the well-meaning intentions of our elected government officials, the strain of the lobbyists and corruption is too much for the people in our democratically elected liberal democracy to defeat.
That is the message of “Urinetown,” but despite the play’s pessimism, it is as popular work as ever. It makes perfect sense to open up a Boston season with the upcoming election. “Urinetown” proves to be a wake-up call to fight for the future of the country so that we can curb our political troubles with persistent work to make and rebuild the world.
