First of all, get a ticket. This hilarious show, superbly co-directed by Justin Been and Gary F. Bell, lampoons everything from political corruption, the legal system and bureaucracy, to the musical form itself, while constantly obliterating the fourth wall. Speaking of the fourth wall, there's this thing called "Brechtian theatre". It's a term that used to intimidate the hell out of me, but not anymore. Thanks to a conversation with a buddy of mine, I learned that, in a nutshell, Bertolt Brecht, a poet and playwright who played a huge part in developing what's called "epic theatre", didn't want the audience to get too caught up in the story by constantly reminding us that we were watching a piece of theatre. He "intended to provoke rational thought rather than to create illusion." Little did I realize that this works brilliantly in comedic satire. Hello, Urinetown: The Musical!
Thanks to a devastating 20 year drought, a town has had to suffer no private toilets in an effort to conserve water. Public amenities are controlled by the corporation UGC, or "Urine Good Company". These toilets are scattered throughout the city, and there is a fee to pee. The big guy kicking the shit… no pun intended… out of the little guy. Sound familiar? Sure it does!
