“Urinetown the Musical” at CRT goes with the flow

Four Stars

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.

Production: Music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann. Book and lyrics by Greg Kotis. Directed by Paul Mullins. Choreography by Gerry McIntyre. Music direction by Ken Clark. Scenic design by Marija Plavsic. Costume design by Maureen FitzGerald. Lighting design by Calvin Anderson. Sound design by Jack Nardi. Puppet design by Miron Gusso. Projection designer Michelle Ashley Mann.

Running time: About 2 hours and 10 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Wednesday April 27 and Thursday April 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday April 29 and Saturday and April 30 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. There are no shows Easter weekend.

Tickets: Range in price from $6 to $35. Call 860-486-4266 of visit their website at http://www.crt.uconn.edu.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Andrea McArdle … Penelope Pennywise

Ken Clark … Bobby Strong

Robert Thompson Jr. … Officer Lockstock

Alexandra Perlwitz … Little Sally

Alison Barton … Hope Cladwell

Bob Walton … Caldwell B. Cladwell

Ryan Guess … Mr. McQueen

Brian Patrick Williams … Sen. Fipp

Phil Korth … Old Man Strong/The Kid

James MK Turner … Hot Blades Harry

Mischa Goodman … Little Becky Two Shoes

Jack Fellows … Tiny Tom

Brooks Brantly … Robby the Stockfish/Ezekiel

Arron Lloyd … Billy Boy Bill

Krystal Sobaskie … Hidalgo Jane

Molly Martinez … Soupy Sue/Cassandra

Gretchen Goode … Josephine Strong

Kevin Coubal … Officer Barrel

Christina Greer ... Mrs. Millenium

Philip AJ Smithey … Dr. Billeaux

Seth Koproski … Ricky Billions/Sammy the Cheat

Laura A. Zabbo …Cladwell’s secretary, Vanessa

STORRS-“Urinetown the Musical” performed by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut is difficult to pin down, but enjoyable to experience.

It states right off the bat it is a musical, complete with the show’s narrator, police officer Lockstock, played by Robert Thompson Jr.

The show is set in a fictional future town, where everyone has to pay to use public facilities due to a 20-year drought, it pits the extremely rich few against the very poor masses.

Sometimes characters who state that they are in a play bust up the suspension of disbelief and take away some of the fun of the show, but here, Mark Hollman, who did the music and together with Greg Kotis, who wrote the book, wrote the lyrics, it really works. This show sings.

As is usual with CRT, they have their cast of graduate students along with some undergraduates, and bring in a few professional actors. In this production they have Andrea McArdle of “Annie” fame playing the character Penelope Pennywise. Musicals are clearly her milieu, and here she brings a real star presence to the show as the gal who oversees one of the town’s restrooms and has a secret too.

Her assistant Bobby Strong, is played by professional actor Ken Clark, who does a good turn as the man trying to follow his heart. On retrospect though, that youthful character could easily have been played by one of the school’s very talented students.

Bob Walton does a fun and credible turn as the corporate greedy man, Caldwell B. Cladwell, who heads up Urine Good Company, which holds a monopoly on all the pay toilets in the city. He tears it up with the hilarious “Don’t be the Bunny” song. "Good bye bunny-boo, hello rabbit stew," he sings.

Alexandra Perlwitz plays Little Sally with just the right amount of doe-eyed wonder and discernment that makes her sweet and funny.

I particularly love Alison Barton as Cladwell’s innocent daughter, Hope, whose canorous voice is lovely to hear, particularly when she sings the gospel tune “I See a River.”

The music in this show is really top-notch and would satisfy anyone who loves musical theater. There are also nods to other great musicals, including Bertolt Brecht’s “The Threepenny Opera,” “Les Miserable,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The set, which changes from outside one of the many dirty public rest rooms to the corporate headquarters, has a second level of ramps and stairs that are well used, thanks to fine direction by Paul Mullins and precise and energetic choreography by Gerry McIntyre. Set design by Marija Plavsic.

The playful and art deco asymmetrical costumes fit the somber mood of the show, by Maureen FitzGerald. The lighting also worked well (designed by Calvin Anderson), and is amusing when the spots highlighted Cladwell and Pennywise, along with the telling music, with musical direction by Ken Clark.

All and all, it’s a delightful and entertaining show that will likely put a smile on your face, despite or perhaps because of its unique theme.

( Photo by Gerry Goodstein)