Article:10061; Posted: August 1, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Make sure you pee before Penny Seats Theater Company’s show, otherwise halfway through the first act, you’ll be cringing with the actors—they do that good of a job of eliciting sympathy for having to pee and not being able to.

The musical is “Urinetown” and it’s the place everyone is trying to avoid. But to do so, they have to pay to pee, and the fees keep going up. For those who just don’t have the money—they face exile to Urinetown.

Penny Seats performs in West Park in Ann Arbor in the summery outdoors. You’re invited to bring a picnic lunch, lawn chairs or blankets.

Director Lauren M. London has her work cut out for her with the space. There is a moat between the bandshell where the orchestra plays and the main staging area where most of the action takes place. She has no choice but to let some of her actors be seen before the arrive on stage as they have a bit of a hike to get to the stage, but she manages that well and creates compelling stage pictures so that you’re not looking off to the sides.

Roy Sexton plays Officer Lockstock, the narrator for the evening. He kicks off the musical with a speech that prepares the audience for what they can expect—an evening of satire and parody. Little Sally (Paige Martin) joins him in his early exposition and they frequently break the fourth wall to outright talk about the musical. Both are skilled in their roles. Sexton narrates with aplomb, moving in and out easily of narrator and police officer. Martin is loveable and innocent, asking naïve questions that Sexton answers magnanimously. She has great physicality, doing cartwheels and splits and interacting with the teddy bear she carries with her. She believably creates a child much younger than her actual age.

Linda Rabin Hammell brings character and spice to the role of Penelope Pennywise. She’s peppery as the custodian of Public Facility #9, insisting that everyone pay the proper fee else not get to pee. Her voice is perfect for the role.

Brendan Kelly makes a handsome lead as Bobby Strong, the revolutionary leader who follows his heart. He’s earnest and heroic, with a strong singing voice that carries him through his many songs. The wind that night wreaked havoc with his microphone, but that is one of the perils of outdoor theater and he adjusted as well as possible.

Playing opposite Kelly was Maika Van Oosterhout as Hope Cladwell. Hers was a fun role and she carried it off with style and grace. Her eyes were constantly wide, portraying an innocence and naîveté that fit the part well. She was especially amusing dancing while bound and gagged in a chair.

There were no weak members in the ensemble either. Each of them had their own characteristics, making them individuals while still fulfilling the part of an ensemble. They were giving to each other and changed quickly between roles when doubled. They did an especially good job as the town’s poor who desperately needed to pee in the first act and in the second were revolutionaries that were brash and frightened.

The singing, under the musical direction of Richard Alder, was impressive, as was the pit band that performed the music to accompany it. There were complicated harmonies throughout and upbeat songs that often belied what they were singing about. Again, the winds caused some problems with microphones that distorted sounds, but the actors were usually close enough that they could overcome that without amplification.

Victoria Gilbert’s choreography was most often amusing and always fit with the character of the show. Bridget Bly deserves a callout for her costumes. She provided good contrast between the UGC employees and the run-down poor of the city. She also made it possible to switch in and out of costumes, sometimes right on stage.

Penny Seats Theater Company also asks for some unusual donations during the show. Yes, every theater asks for donations, but Penny Seats is the only one I’ve attended where they asked for donations of your pee. They gave out free water to those who were willing to pee in a specially marked port-a-john with the pee being donated to University of Michigan researchers.

All of this makes for an experience—one that is an enjoyable two hours out in the park with fine singers, actors and dancers and an amusing, satirical musical comedy.

Editor’s Note: EncoreMichigan’s editor-in-chief and publisher David Kiley was cast in Urinetown as Caldwell Cladwell before acquiring EncoreMichigan last March. We will leave others to assess his performance.

SHOW DETAILS:
Urinetown the Musical
Penny Seats Theatre
West Park, 215 Chapin St., Ann Arbor
July 30–August 15, 2015; Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:00 p.m
$10.00
734-926-5346
www.pennyseats.org