Not many musicals have the audience hollering in laughter after the untimely death of the protagonist, but like its name, “Urinetown” is unorthodox. With an extremely satirical nature, “Urinetown” presents the difficult topic of capitalism in an understandable and hilarious manner.
As soon as the show opens, the characters are making fun of themselves. Throughout the entire show, two characters break the fourth wall repeatedly. Little Sally and Officer Lockstock make several jokes about the fact that they are in a play, discussing the amount of lines they have and their places as narrators. This allows for a second level of breaking the fourth wall, as these characters discuss the fact that they are breaking the fourth wall.
The plot starts somewhat cliche, following many classic storylines, such as an underdog falling in love with a rich girl, or the reveal that the government was lying about Urinetown all along. This switches quickly when the protagonist meets his untimely end, and as the plot twist is accidentally revealed early. Humor almost always stems from contrast and the difference between what is expected and what happens, which this show masters.
The backbone of any musical is the music, which in just one song, ranges from classic musical theater, to choral, to jazz, all within three minutes. As a result, the music itself is not exceptional in the way audiences have come to expect from musical theater. The best part of the music, though, is the brilliantly humorous lyrics.
Overall, the writing of Urinetown is the best part of the show. It is a satirical musical, which involves finding multiple ways to let your audience know that they can laugh about the serious topic of capitalism. The lyrics and the script have genius lines holding the audience in hysterical laughter while also staying at a steady and understandable pace.
Almost all types of media have one goal: to get a reaction out of its audience, and “Urinetown” completes this over and over again. While watching, the audience is actively involved in the show, they are shocked, they laugh, they gasp and cheer. Then, as they trickle out of the theater, they begin to think, “What did I just watch?”
That is where the beauty of this musical lies, in the moments after bows when the audience can finally think about the meaning of the show. Deep thoughts about hard topics are difficult to conjure, but in the low-stakes world of a humorous show, they are numerous. The audience can compartmentalize the huge problem of successful governing without overwhelming themselves.
“Urinetown” is one of the most well-written shows that I have had the privilege to see live. Through the mix of humor and satire, it opens its audience up to conversation about a problem weighing on their shoulders. The show raises the stakes for how absurd a musical can be while clearly still being entertaining and carrying an important message.
