Review - "Urinetown" at Big Noise Theatre Company

[Margie Gustafson]

Haiku Review


Urinetown was strong
Set was better than Broadway
Tom Walker was great

[Craig T Gustafson]

Info: Big Noise Website

Urinetown is one of my favorite musicals. But that's just me; obviously no community theatre in its right mind is going to produce this show and expect it to succeed.

Margie & I saw Urinetown last night at Big Noise Theatre Company in Des Plaines. The house was full, the laughs were huge and the production was mind-blowing. If you have any sort of say in picking musicals for a theatre, get over to Big Noise by May 18 and see for yourself.

Let's get the one lonely fly in the ointment out of the way first: it was annoying to see body mikes flapping on peoples' faces and then still not hear the lyrics. On any song louder than a ballad, the band made most lyrics inaudible. And that's just crazy. Turn down the band and turn up the singers. I've been in musicals where people lose their voices because the band competes with them rather than supports them. There were some terrific singers up there; there was no need to drown them out.

If they fix that one little quirk, you'll be seeing one of the best musical productions ever done in this area.

Rick Frendt's direction is razor-sharp. There's not a wasted moment. The set changes could have been monstrous, but (at least last night) they were smooth and flawless. The tone and performance level set by the director were a blast. And either he set up a Rule of Three bit with Little Becky Two-Shoes or the actress did it and he allowed it -- in either case, one of the many little Good Choices that add up to a great show.

There were a couple of Choices That I Wouldn't Have Made, but (A) I'm a director and (B) I want this show, so of course that's the case. I'm mainly referring to the milking of the choral section of Run, Freedom, Run; but the rest of the audience was eating it up, so what do I know?

Frendt also designed the set. Well...

Having seen the show on Broadway and with the touring company, and realizing that community theatres just don't have the resources to duplicate that level of design, I'd have to say... that this set is better than the one on Broadway. It doesn't have as much playing area on top, but so what? Everything that needs to be done gets done, and the design, a circular sort of sewer pipe that would have Ed Norton drooling in envy, is extremely well done.

Nancy Flaster's choreography is terrific. She really gets professional mileage out of non-professional dancers.

The cast works as an ensemble, so I feel weird about giving special mention to anyone. Maybe to Lora Ristau as Little Sally. And Summar Jones as Hope Cladwell. Definitely Jon Cunningham as Bobby Strong. Probably Tom Moore as Officer Lockstock, Marian Kaderbek as Miss Pennywise & Tom Walker as Senator Fipp. Peter Verdico as Cladwell & Steve Malone as Officer Barrel. I might mention Melissa Young as Little Becky Two-Shoes & Angel Abcede as Hot Blades Harry. Or Linda Andrews as Josephine Strong, Kansas Lynn Battern, Alexis Armstrong, Bobby Diehl and Anthony Patryn. Oh, wait... that's everybody. It's an ensemble show, and there wasn't a weak link in the chain. An incredibly strong, solid cast.

This is a very stylized show, which is extremely difficult to pull off. There have to be cartoon aspects of three-dimensional characters. The danger is that of becoming entirely two-dimensional. That danger is avoided in a grand way.

Again, go see this. It's one of the best community musical productions you'll ever see.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 04, 2008 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Sgt. Bilko ]</font>

[crhickman]

Big Noise Theater Company...

If they're so great, how come you don't see their picture on a bubble gum card? Huh! Have YOU ever seen their picture on a bubble gum card?

I don't know what the big deal is.

What? They're a theater group?

Well then...
Never mind.

-Lucy Emily Latella