by Jesse Walker-McGraw
I was really hoping to love Urinetown, the school’s musical. I’d heard a ton about it, and was very excited to go. And I did enjoy the performance. It was certainly fun. But in a way, that’s all it was. Fun. And this is a play that could be much more.
The fact that it wasn’t more isn’t the fault of the actors. They did great. The sets were good and the orchestra rocked. The problem was that the show didn’t seem like it was a show instead of a group of individual things on the same stage. There wasn’t much that connected them, except the plot. Even the choreography changed drastically from song to song. They never quite united to provide a profound message. Because of the separation, I’m going to cover one thing at a time.
First, a really quick summary: Urinetown is set in a world where there’s been a huge drought and water shortage, and because of it, people have to pay to pee. The poor people, who can’t pay, get sent off to Urinetown, vaguely defined nightmare. Of course, there’s a rebellion against the corrupt corporation that owns the toilets, Urine Good Company (UGC), and its leader, Caldwell B. Cladwell. The rebellion’s instigator, Bobby Strong, is, of course, in love with Cladwell’s naive daughter, Hope. Things do not end well.
OK, right up front, I have to give the UGC workers chorus points. They kept huge creepy smiles on their faces the whole play, and have somehow perfected the art of laughing in perfect synchrony. The cop chorus had a really cool hand clapping thingy that looked very hard, and the poor chorus had really cool dance numbers. The principles were equally awesome. The two leads, Hope (Marina Vianello) and Bobby Strong (Charlie Burgess) were the two most adorably cheesy people I have ever seen. Also, on Hope’s part, being tied to a chair for the entire second act can’t be easy. Little Sally (Hayley Burgess), the play’s semi-narrator, was hilarious, as was her co-narrator Officer Lockstock. He, along with his partner, Officer Barrel (Maggie Hutchison), pretty much stole the show with their evil cop hijinks. Miss Pennywise (Hillary Talken), the manager of the public toilet most of the action centered around skillfully switched from belting songs to caring for Hope, and Caldwell B. Cladwell’s (Thomas Martin) song about killing bunnies (which was cheerfully acted out by the UGC workers) was simultaneously disturbing and awesome.
Something that kept bothering me was the mics. They flickered in and out so that things were either too loud or too quiet. The sets were a bit too sparse and didn’t quite fit the purposely overblown sense of the rest of the musical.
The thing about Urinetown (the musical!) is that it’s supposed to be a social and political commentary. But to get the audience to ask themselves hard questions, the actors have to decide on a message first. This cast and crew seem to have not.
Not Entertained • Jul 10, 2014 at 10:05 pm
I have always enjoyed a musical play because it was entertaining. When you try to make a political or social statement with a play…it always falls flat….because the only ones who are entertained are those who agree with the premise. Urinetown was NOT entertaining or funny to me. Maybe it is to a very liberal audience…but then they laugh at and criticize and diminish anything or anyone they don’t agree with. Jesse: Don’t apologize for anything you said in your review. It was honest and I think you did a great job. You told it like it is…as tactfully as you could…the play itself is smug, stale, and really is waste of 2 hours.
If this is considered some of the best of American theater…we definitely aren’t raising the bar.
annoyed spectator • Dec 6, 2013 at 10:24 am
As you know from being an actress, not everything can go perfectly in a performance. Keep that in mind next time you decide to go and put down the amazing performance. a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication were put into this show and i’m disappointed you did not recognize that.
Grace • Nov 25, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Hey Jessie way to have the courage to write an unpopular opinion piece. Your opinions are perfectly valid and should be treated as such. My problem with this opinion piece is not the opinion itself (to each their own, right?) but its structure. Three-fourths of this article is either describing the plot of the show or congratulating its participants, contrary to your thesis. You skim briefly over the technical problems before ending with a seemingly out-of-the blue comment on the “message”. Now, as an opinion piece, you are allowed to write it any way you wish but your argument would hold greater weight if you gave evidence/examples when you state your opinion. WHEN did the actors not know the message? How was that shown? HOW could the musical have been “so much more”? You claim at the beginning that you will address each issue one at a time but then go through two long paragraphs explaining the plot and congratulating the characters until the actual point of the argument is hurriedly added on to the end.
I applaud you for writing your thoughts, even if controversial, but next time maybe spend more time developing your ideas.
Jane Doe • Nov 25, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Jesse: Good for you for writing this article, this took a lot of guts and I admire that. Your opinion as value and you should NEVER apologize for what you write. It does not matter if you are the only one that thinks that way, always stand by your opinion. I must say I do disagree, but I’m not going to explain why you are wrong. That is just rude.
Urinetown cast who commented: You all did a wonderful job in this production. It was really funny and I loved it. With that being said you guys need to learn how to accept criticism. Not everyone is going to love the show and you need to acknowledge that. Giving Jesse all this grief for writing her opinion is not acceptable. Jesse does understand all the hard work you put into the show and all the challenges faced. She even complemented the show several times throughout the article. You should be happy she took the time to write a piece on Urinetown. Criticism is a part of life and if you couldn’t handle what Jesse had to say then your future as a performer does not look to bright.
a person who watched the show • Nov 25, 2013 at 11:19 am
I thought the musical was fantastic. Everyone is subject to their own opinion. It is fine for everyone who commented saying they disagree with Jesse’s article, but Jesse also has the right to state her own opinion. This is a well written article, just because you disagree with the opinion of the writer doesn’t mean you should be rude towards them. Just my two-cents. 🙂
Caldwell B. Cladwell • Nov 23, 2013 at 1:06 pm
Dear Jessie,
I respect you for writing this article. This is the first criticism I have heard about our show. Even though our opinions are obviously going to differ, I know it takes a lot to publicize an unpopular opinion, and I think it’s a good thing to get some flak for it once in a while. That’s how we know if our viewpoints are really something we hold dear to us.
You will get criticized for this article just like the “Urinetown” cast and crew have been criticized. I think that’s a good thing. I like criticism! It shows us how much we truly believe what we say and do. Nobody can expect to please everyone all the time and I’m sure you aren’t the only person who feels the way that you do, and it’s important for us (cast and crew) to realize that some people don’t see what we see.
That being said I still think the message was very clear. The ending of the show holds the greatest meaning. Hope’s free use of resources ended in the destruction of society. Officer Lockstock had a line that said “Don’t you think people want to know that their way of life is unsustainable?” Thomas Malthus theorized that population would exceed resources, since resources grow at a linear rate and population grows at an exponential rate. That is literally happening in our world right now. The results of our wastefulness and irresponsibility will be devastating. The show should make the audience think about the essence of greed in our society, and whether it be among corporate giants, the government, or any citizen, “no one is innocent.” I think we did a good job.
Sincerely,
Caldwell B. Cladwell
CEO
Urine Good Company
Officer Lockstock • Nov 23, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Oh ya well, Urinetowns my dad.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review of the show, its always interesting to hear the different opinions on the the show. However, I am a little confused as to where some of the points came from but if this article expresses what you actually felt, no one can change that.
Btdubs you forgot my name after Officer Lockstock… its whatever tho
Christina • Nov 22, 2013 at 6:14 pm
Props to you, Jesse, for having the guts to publish your perspective, however unpopular it may be. There’s nothing wrong with writing something that not everyone agrees with; that’s the point of an opinion piece. Don’t apologize for it. Be proud of your work and keep it up!
Also confused • Nov 22, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Although this is an opinion piece, your points stated in this article are unclear and not supported.
You originally say that the actors did great and it wasn’t their fault that the show “wasn’t more” and continue on to rave about the performances of many of the cast members. However, you end your opinion piece stating the cast and crew did not seem to decide on a message. These completely contradict one another, leaving readers very confused.
I disagree and believe that the cast DID decide and completely understood the message. The fact that every single character was so ridiculously cheesy at all points throughout the show show that this musical is a satire. While this musical has a very deep message, it’s presented through a cheesy manner intended to make audiences laugh and intended to poke fun at the musical theater art form. How can you say the cast didn’t decide on a message? It was obvious they did through their delivering of lines, and the added bonus that the audience seemed to be falling with laughter throughout the entirety of the show. If you didn’t think the cast decided on a message, wish you are totally entitled to believe, I wish you would have given more evidence to support why you thought that.
I was also disappointed because you stated that “even the choreography changed drastically from song to song.” I’m not sure if you understand that the writers and composers of this musical were poking fun at other musicals. That’s why one dance number was in the style of “West Side Story” while another imitated “Fiddler on the Roof” and another resembled “Les Miserables.” These songs along with the choreography were meant to be in different styles. And they DID unite “to provide a profound message” because the audience was brought through all the emotions with the cast. I believe that when Bobby felt hopeful, so did the audience, and when Hope felt lost, so did the audience.
I’m guessing that the cast, crew, and audience members are always willing to be critiqued and to hear opinions from their audience, but because so many points in this article are unclear, not researched, and unsupported, your points don’t give any critique at all to the cast, crew, and faculty who put this show together.
Fan • Nov 22, 2013 at 11:58 am
Clearly, you did not understand the point of the show. This article was poorly written, and honestly just made me prouder to be a fan. Congrats cast and crew!
Makeup Crew • Nov 22, 2013 at 10:37 am
Jesse,
I am sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the musical. I thought it was fantastic. The energy of the actors on and off stage was amazing. They put so much hard work and commitment into this musical. What I remember most about the show was that every night, they audience grew and there was more laughter and way more applause. That just shows how great the actors did in portraying their roles. The last night of the musical, I watched everyone in the audience give the cast a standing ovation…multiple times during the show. I, personally, had an amazing time just watching the show come together. The show reached way beyond every expectation I had and I was so glad I could be a part of it.
Many things in this article state negative aspects of the show, which is a little disappointing. Many things mentioned were the fault of the audience, and not the actors. The play was difficult to do, but everyone pulled through and did their best and they made it amazing. As for the choreography, that statement makes absolutely no sense to me. There had to be differences in choreography to show the differences in social classes, and I’m pretty sure that if the choreography was exactly the same or very similar, it would’ve had no life to it. I absolutely enjoy every production that STA puts on, and I was glad I was a part of this one. I watched the show every night and, even when I knew what would be happening next, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I think that this musical deserved more than just “okay.” I think it deserved amazing or fantastic. So much work was put into this and it deserves more than negative comments. I felt extremely proud of all the hard work and dedication the actors put into this one show and how well they pulled it off.
Once again, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the show. I know that the cast and crew definitely did.
Micah Welch • Nov 22, 2013 at 10:16 am
Although i was not in the production I know how long it takes to prepare for a show. The actors and actresses did an amazing job. The point of the musical was to bring political issues to light through comedy they did that perfectly. It did not seem as though there were a bunch of individuals up on the stage it looked like a real show. I respect your opinion but come on this is your own schools show
Jesse Walker-McGraw • Nov 22, 2013 at 9:44 am
I’m sorry that I didn’t have enough support for my last opinion. I meant to connect it to the beginning. I did not mean that the actors did not understand the satire. I meant that the different parts of the show, in my opinion didn’t have much to connect them. Many of the characters never interacted, and it was a bit difficult for me to believe they lived in the same universe. Yes, I know they were from different social classes, but I wish there had been a bit more to unite the scenes. I’m not sure where the idea that I didn’t like the story came from, as I liked it a lot, even before I saw the show. The principal of a review is to discuss all aspects of the show, not just the actors. I did not blame the mic difficulties on the actors. And I did enjoy the show, quite a bit as I stated in my article. I was singing the music for days afterwards. I am amazed at the effort that goes into a play, and I know everyone worked very hard. Little Becky, I wrote many, many thing I liked about the show. If you look at the review, you will see most of them in the biggest paragraph. Thank you all for sharing your opinions, just as I share mine.
A Critics Critic • Nov 22, 2013 at 9:10 am
This article is an opinion and that is fine there is freedom to do so, but i have an issue that you are telling the cast (which i was in) that you knew the plot of the story but you did not. The direction was FABULOUS for the show and Ms. Prentiss really did understand the plot so i do not think it is okay to say that we did not understand the plot and you did. We worked for several months on this show and are VERY aware of what it is about… I do not think we misunderstood the plot because after that many hours of work i think we very well understood. I am happy you enjoyed the show but it seems kind of fake that you enjoyed it if you title it “Urinetown was ok, not great”. I have been told by countless people that the show was fantastic. I am sorry you did not understand the plot because i believe we did and you did not. I believe it is a comedic show and i do not think it was supposed to ask audiences hard questions about there lives and if the world really did run out of water. It is a funny show and i think there might have been some misinterpreting on your part if you thought it was meant to trigger hard hitting questions… so in closing i interpreted the show in a different way you did which is fine you do not have to like it. It is just theater people might not always like it. However, just because your trying to be a critic does not mean you have to say things bad about the show…. A critics job is to observe and you did thanks for all those kind words you said it means a lot, but it does not really make sense to say the cast was great and then in the end say that the cast didn’t know what they were performing. So i guess you could say i am the critics critic… so finally I think Urinetown was FANTASTIC, not just ok.
Audience member • Nov 21, 2013 at 10:00 pm
The proof that the cast understood the message is contained in your own words. Hope and Bobby wouldn’t have been so “adorably cheesy” had they not understood the satire. Little Sally wouldn’t have been so “hilarious” if she didn’t comprehend the comic timing. UGC was as “creepy” as it was to exaggerate the stereotypical corporate greed. Every moment of the show that you praise was done in a certain way to emphasize just how satirical the show is. How could you argue that the cast doesn’t understand it? You compliment the actors’ portrayals of their characters but then attack them at the end of your article without any substantiation? It seems to me that you were just searching for something negative to write.
Officer Barrel • Nov 21, 2013 at 7:35 pm
Dear Jesse,
First of all, I’m flattered, as I’m sure everyone who received a compliment in you article is, that you think Officer Lockstock and I “pretty much stole the show.” I appreciate the fact that everyone has their opinion, however I have to wonder what you expected to tie the show together if not the plot. Different scenery and choreography is meant to convey different settings and moods of the show. Over-extravagant scenery, especially on our small stage, can potentially cause problems for the run crew and be distracting for audience members.
As Miss Pennywise pointed out, the choreography changes were meant to express the characteristics of each group of people. And there were in fact some connections made in the choreography, both subtle and obvious. However, I hope you weren’t expecting all the choreography to depict the characters in dire need to pee, or demonstrating how Cladwell would kill a bunny. Obviously, these dances would not make sense in a different context. Besides, the audience would most likely get bored with the same choreography and not pay attention to the lyrics, or be able to understand them as easily.
As for the message of the show, the only thing I can say to that is I’m sorry you didn’t think we portrayed the message. We played the show in a way we thought would get across both the humor and the more serious message written in the script. If you were looking for a more serious interpretation of the musical, sorry we chose not to oblige.
Finally, I’m sorry if you feel like we are attacking your article. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it. It took a lot of guts to write an opinion piece that may not sit well with several people. Keeping that in mind, I’m sure you of all people should understand (since as you said, you have been in several shows) that when someone extensively criticizes a show that we put hours of work into, and have some of our best memories from, it should be expected that all of the cast and crew would defend it to the end of the world. Hopefully, you will not take our comments personally. Thank you for sharing your opinion with us. We would just like to give you ours.
Sincerely,
Officer Barrel
Confused • Nov 21, 2013 at 6:08 pm
I respect all opinions and have the upmost respect for the dart and journalists everywhere, but what I do not respect is controversy for the sake of controversy and that’s what I believe this is. Yes you can say the mics were bad (always have been, always will be; that’s show biz), and you can say the set was lacking, those are all things you have examples for. You can state your opinion and back it up. Your comments about the cast and crew not having decided on a message seem to have come out of no where, and have no support. I respect the fact you didn’t like the show or were disappointed, every show will have that affect in some, what I don’t respect is that you seem to have (with a few technical nit-picky problems) a glowing opinion of the actors and the show, but were unable to grasp the concept. If you think this (which again it’s fine that you do), maybe you could provide us some examples. This is statement without evidence at this point, and a well informed reader, and a theatre department that is always striving for excellence and improvement, would appreciate a more explanatory review, rather than a very indecisive article. I would never say an opinion is wrong, this is simple unmerited.
Kelly Drummond • Nov 21, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Sorry you did not enjoy the show, I thought it was fabulous! I was not expecting it to be nearly as good as it was based solely off of the title but I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The mic problems are not the fault of the actors or the crew working on the production. It is the fault of the people in the audience who refuse to turn their cell phones off no matter how many times they are asked. Mrs. Prentiss, the cast and crew put a tremendous amount of work in to these productions and I for one am so thankful that they do. I thoroughly enjoy them every time and am so, so proud of our girls and the boys who continue to give hours and hours of their time to entertain us for a few nights. Thank you STA Theatre Dept for once again putting on a great production!
urinetown enthusiast • Nov 21, 2013 at 4:41 pm
Jesse–
Although I strongly believe expressing your opinions is very important, I am very disappointed with this article.
First off, the Urinetown cast and crew did an EXCEPTIONAL job at this musical, succeeding to please family, faculty, and friends. I don’t think it is fair to base your opinions on minor issues like mic fluctuations, or the plot, which as you know, the cast had no control over whatsoever. If you don’t like the story, you have no right to blame that on the cast.
Everyone in this musical poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the production, yet you cease to recognize that.
I am highly, highly disappointed in this article, and your lack of respect for your sisters (and brothers). You failed to acknowledge the countless hours put into this, and how beautifully they portrayed this musical. We understand that you may not like every musical you see, but your reasons for not being satisfied are completely unreasonable.
Jesse Walker-McGraw • Nov 21, 2013 at 4:16 pm
I’m sorry that you feel that way, everyone who has replied. I did turn my cell phone off. I do understand what goes into a show, as I’ve been in numerous productions, and because I know the work that goes into our newspaper. I didn’t mean to blame the tech difficulties on the cast, I just wanted to cover all parts of the musical. I did enjoy many parts of the show, especially the actors, and tried to show that in my review. I just showed my opinion in this article, and did not mean to offend anyone.
Sebastian • Nov 21, 2013 at 2:59 pm
I loved “Urinetown.” It’s a shame you didn’t understand the message, which was explained through narration throughout the entire show.
Little Becky Two-Shoes • Nov 21, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Alrighty. So you have made it clear that you didn’t enjoy our musical. Fine- that’s fair as not everyone likes every musical they see. However I must point out that when an “opinion” piece is posted, it should be a work constructed of the bad AS WELL as the good. This article neglected to do one of those two. If you weren’t aware, we spent hours upon hours rehearsing, perfecting, and polishing “Urinetown.” If you didn’t like it, tough…it’s over and done with. Also, if you didn’t like it because you couldn’t hear it, try turning your cell phone off, that will make things crystal clear.
On behalf of the cast and crew, I would like to say our stamp of approval was received during the roaring applause and continuous laughter throughout the performances. It is truly a shame you didn’t see what we worked so hard to produce on that stage, and for that I send my most sincere condolences.
Hope to see you at winter play auditions so you can experience first-hand just how truly wonderful STA’s theater department is onstage and off!
Urinetown Fan • Nov 21, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Initially, this article states the downfalls of the show “wasn’t the fault of the actors.” However, the closing sentence reads “the cast and crew seem to have not … decided on a message.” These statements contradict one another, which makes me skeptical of the legitimacy behind other arguments presented in this column. I enjoyed myself, and personally, I salute every individual who was part of this amazing production.
Representative of the Sound Crew • Nov 21, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Jesse-
It’s really upsetting you didn’t enjoy the show. The cast and crew both put in countless hours trying to make it perfect, and it’s disappointing on all sides to read something like this.
While it appears the cast has handled your comments on the show itself, I’m here to clear up the technical confusion.
Your comment that the mics “flickered in and out so that things were either too loud or too quiet” is not the fault of those involved in the musical. When audience members like yourself continue to leave your cell phones on, our wireless connections are intercepted by your phone signal. The “flickering” you described comes from an interruption of frequency, something the crew cannot control. This is why Mrs. Prentiss urges all audience members to turn off their phones at the beginning of each show.
As for your comment that “the sets were a bit too sparse and didn’t quite fit the purposely overblown sense of the rest of the musical,” is one that, I can assure you, was intentional. Not only did students spend extended periods of time helping paint and repaint the stage, decorate signs, and put together the rafter, but you missed the point of the scarcity of props. Urinetown is supposed to depict a poor, desperate town, somewhere that does not have a tantilizing scenic background or an overload of props. Urinetown is about the message, a message that clearly you struggled with.
On behalf of the cast and crew, I apologize you didn’t enjoy the show. However, it doesn’t seem fair for you to blame it on those involved.
Miss Pennywise • Nov 21, 2013 at 11:25 am
Jessie,
I am really sorry that you did not enjoy the musical. However, I think some of the points you made, however, don’t make any sense. You comment on the “choreography changing drastically from song to song”. You have to realize that the choreography changes were to demonstrate the differences between the extremely wealthy UGC and the dirt poor rebels. They lead completely different lifestyles because of the edicts put in place by Cladwell.
It makes me extremely sad that you don’t believe we understand the message. However, I believe that every single person completely understood the point. This is a satirical musical, people wouldn’t have laughed if we didn’t understand the jokes.
All of the above was said completely unbiased. However, this next statement is completely biased. You don’t realize how much we worked on this musical. We weren’t allowed on to the stage until a month before the performance. That means our entire cast put their lives into making this musical great. And the fact that you just tore it down in one article is so frustrating.
Again, sorry you didn’t enjoy the show. We did.
Soupy Sue • Nov 21, 2013 at 10:35 am
Hello there. I always get so excited when our school’s fine arts program gets the attention of the school! So, when I saw a new article about the musical on DNO I was curious to read it. Just reading the title left me frustrated. This article, even though it is an opinion piece, seemed to be bashing the musical instead of giving a viewpoint. Your article mentioned some of the faults of the show, which no show is perfect, but you failed to show all of the amazing aspects of it. Musicals take an extreme amount of work to put together, and to have it all tossed aside due to microphones or an extremely satirical plot line (which the cast and crew can’t control) is extremely aggravating. Imagine dedicating three hours a day, five days each week, for two months to one activity and then having all your work shot down in one article. smh.
Josephine (Old Ma Strong) • Nov 21, 2013 at 10:32 am
Smh at this article…