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Urinetown by Starlight Musical Theatre So you feel like the oil companies have you by the balls? Just wait till the great drought, when the government forces everyone to go to designated public amenities where they have to pay to pee, all run by the corporate monopoly Urine Good Company (UGC) who is determined to squeeze every penny out of you. Think you can get around it? Think again. Cuz if you get caught making in the bushes or some such place, you’ve got a one-way ticket to Urinetown. It’s not a place. It’s the end of the road. And it’s also a musical. This satire of musical comedy is one of the funniest to come along in a long time, and directors Brian Wells and David Brannen lead this San Diego premiere of the show with a flair for the satire and for the location – the Starlight Bowl’s position directly under the flight path for Lindbergh Field, with the cast shouting their lines angrily whenever the planes go over, sometimes giving them a bit of a glare. Kurt Norby stars as Bobby Strong, the assistant custodian to Amenity #9, who becomes the revolutionary leader of the people who don’t want to pay to pee anymore, with Kurt leading them with youthful passion to right a terrible wrong, getting caught up in it so much that he begins to think he can heal the lame (which, as a leg brace-wearing pregnant woman can attest to, he can’t). But he may succeed in his revolution so long as he has Hope. Hope is the daughter of UGC’s CEO, a big-hearted, naïve college grad and the new fax/copy girl at the company, but then she begins to see the evil that her father is perpetrating on the poor citizens. Carly Nykanen uses her remarkable voice, comic knack, and facial expressions to create a memorable Hope as she falls in love, gets kidnapped, and becomes an idealistic hero to oppressed urinators everywhere. Norman Large returns to Starlight for the third year in a row, this time as the ruthless CEO who warns his daughter not to “be the bunny” who gets shot by the hunter, nicely mixing ruthlessness and silliness. Leigh Scarritt is Pennywise, the demander of pennies at Amenity #9, who can belt it with the best of them. Kim Neblet is the sleazy senator on UGC’s payroll. And Doug Bilitch is the pragmatic police chief Lockstock who, with his trusty sidekick Barrel (Fred Harlow), enforces the law for the good of the community and explains things to the audience through his explanations to dear Little Sally, with Sarah Sumner as the straight-faced question asker who begins to get almost as mad at the forces controlling people’s lives as she is at the planes flying overhead. The ensemble of desperate citizens is on throughout, especially when their revelry reaches a dangerous level in Snuff that Girl and in the holy rolling Run Freedom Run that inspires them to pee freely, or die trying.Performs through September 17, 2006.
~ Cast ~
Lockstock: Doug Bilitch Pennywise: Leigh Scarritt Bobby Strong: Kurt Norby Little Sally: Sarah Sumner Hope Cladwell: Carly Nykanen Senator Fipp: Kim Neblet Mr. McQueen: Paul Morgavo Barrel: Fred Harlow Caldwell B. Cladwell: Norman Large Little Becky Two Shoes: Hillary Hubbard Old Man Strong: Paul Morgavo Tiny Tom: Kelly Baldwin Soupy Sue: Jessica Wheeler Josephine Strong: Karen Schooley Mrs. Millenium: Ria Carey Hot Blades Harry: Aaron Marcotte Men's Ensemble: Ian Brininstool Devin Collins Perry Lee Eric Von Metzke Girl's Ensemble: Heather Paton Directors: Brian Wells and David Brannen Choreographer: David Brannen Musical Director and Conductor: Parmer Fuller Lighting Designer: Eric Lotze Scenic Design/Artist: Todd Kimmel Stage Manager: Jennifer Wheeler |