PicksInSix Review: Urinetown - Theo Ubique | The Fred Anzevino Theatre

No Pity Potty at Theo’s ‘Urinetown!’
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Ronald Keaton

There aren't many pieces of theatre that so expertly lets its audience members know the authors are winking at them, that everyone is in on the joke, as in the energetic musical satire “Urinetown,” now playing at Theo through December 21.  All elements in the show own this attitude throughout. There's the strong, self-effacing book of Greg Kotis, which makes fun of, well, nearly everything either Broadway musical-ish or municipal efficiency-like. The stylish score by Mark Hollmann makes marked bows to Weill and Bernstein and Harnick and even blues, while pointedly using “Les Misérables” as a musical inspiration at the end of Act I in articulating the satire.

Director Danny Kapinos has smartly, and with a lot of fun, shaped this story as an immersive, get-the-folks-involved experience. More kudos for Brenda Didier’s tight choreography. She adapts expertly to the space available, and it is a joy to watch. If you've ever seen a production at Theo, you know that every inch of the space is often used with platforms, steps, light shafts and sound effects as much as possible, and it's an enjoyable signature of the theatre. The story itself—an informed examination of social conscience, human rights and corporate greed—offers eerie echoes to American society today, even though “Urinetown” was created more than a quarter century ago.

Right from the get-go Officer Lockstock (Ryan Stajmiger in a charming performance of a pervasive character) greets everyone in narrator fashion with "Hello there and welcome to Urinetown!" Then he tags it with "Not the place, of course. The musical!''  And the audience understands the ride will be unique. Little Sally (a strong Theo debut for Maya Tanaka Allwardt) starts out innocently in similar fashion and becomes almost a conscience for good as the story progresses. In that story, there is a dramatic water shortage from a 20-year drought, so the town contracts for and sees the creation of a corporate arm that charges all people whenever they use the water. And yes, that means for all purposes; hence, the title. It's run by Caldwell B. Cladwell (an aware, deft portrayal by Drew Longo), whose daughter Hope (Amanda Rodriguez and her glorious singing) has just joined the company after college.

Then there's Bobby Strong, the one who stirs up good trouble (Luke Nowakowski is clear-eyed and purposeful here) by getting the hoi polloi to rebel against the powers-that-be, drawing his line in the sand as his love for Hope becomes more evident. And Penelope Pennywise, Cladwell's enforcer (the powerful Alicia Berneche ... wow!) keeps everyone in line by taking payment as that line goes through its daily chore. And Pennywise reveals a twist in the plot that takes everyone off guard. The satire is the boss here, and everyone in the theatre becomes a part of it.

At Theo, an audience can always depend on one thing: the high quality of its musical stance. Music director Aaron Kaplan and Associate and Keyboardist Kevin Zhou, along with their four players, have done wonders in reducing the score while maintaining its full and robust presence. And they handle the various jumps in genre and parody with style. They have also coaxed the same from a fully committed, talented ensemble, many of whom are making their Theo debuts here. It’s the main reason this writer enjoys Theo offerings, because their musical approach upholds the theatre's professional promise. Bravo!

As you enter Theo these days, you see outside on the building's wall a lovely tribute to its Founder/Artistic Director Fred Anzevino, who passed away earlier this year. It's worth noting that Mr. Anzevino's commitment results in the legacy of professionalism and the sheer number of productions that Theo has offered over the years. It's a marvelous reminder how artistic endeavor lives on through such a legacy.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | RONALD KEATON received an Equity Jeff Award for the performance of his one-man show CHURCHILL. www.solochicagotheatre.org.  Coming soon, his new solo play about Ben Franklin, THE FIRST EMBASSY.

PHOTO | Liz Stenholt Photography

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
presents
URINETOWN
721 Howard Street
Evanston
through December 21

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PicksInSix Review: Merrily We Roll Along - Blank Theatre Company

Now You Know ‘Blank’ Means Business.
PicksInSix® Review | Guest Contributor | Scott Gryder

Edgewater was admirably gifted with a mosaic of melodies and lyrics when the one-month run of Blank Theatre Company’s “Merrily We Roll Along” opened at the Reginald Vaughn Theatre this week. As the audience filled into the impressively intimate venue, who would have guessed that this most modest staging space would so capably present the multi-dimensional musical work of “Merrily.”

Stephen Sondheim (music/lyrics) and George Furth (book) have devised a complex, time-traveling musical, setting its audience on a backwards rollercoaster ride of character development as old friendships become new again and careers unexpectedly careen from finish to start. It’s like watching a trainwreck—set to music—backwards. Acutely fascinating of “Merrily We Roll Along” are the intricate parallels that pop up as the plot unfolds, creating mirrored moments, where once a character’s text meant heartbreak, later, those same words celebrate growth and new beginnings. Moreover, “Merrily” proves to be especially relatable as its audiences can too look back on their own rollercoaster journeys to ask: ‘How did we get here?’… if they dare.

Blank’s Co-Artistic Director & Founder Dustin Rothbart brings a brash and driving wit to writer Charley Kringas, markedly poking knowing holes into the wet rag role of Franklin Shepherd, played by Christopher Johnson. Johnson doesn’t give into the villainized role of Shepherd; instead, he presents us with a convincing underdog charm and passion, while maintaining attention to mixing chest and head voice throughout. And Brittany Brown bears the tragically spiraling novelist Mary Flynn with tortured limerence and vocal confidence. But it’s Justine Cameron’s Beth Spencer that truly shines. Starting with a showstopping rendition of Sondheim fan-favorite “Not A Day Goes By,” Cameron gently layers in subtext while sharing a vocal command of a range that seems limitless in all directions. With a continuously captivating stage presence, Cameron’s Beth delivers a notable range, from gut-punches of pain to subtle perceptive glances, inviting you to fall in love with her at first sight. And providing the most natural execution of musical comedy humor is Blank Managing Director Aaron Mann as producer Joe Josephson, who, with the slightest raise of an eyebrow or sideways look, plays a multitude of nuanced intentions. Mann has also cracked the witty wordplay of Furth’s book, making his scenes alone worth catching “Merrily.”

Boldly kicking off their 2023 Season with “Merrily We Roll Along,” Blank Theatre tackles one of Sondheim’s most mixed musicals. Though often lauded for its score, the original, short-lived, Broadway run proves its lukewarm acceptance by critics and audiences alike. But in the hands of director Danny Kapinos, also a Blank Co-Artistic Director & Co-Founder, the show takes on a bolder, more relatable energy when crunched into the narrow thrust-meets-in-the-round staging. Instead of putting on the Broadway-style overproduction of past productions, Kapinos hones in on the humanity of the characters, refreshingly welcoming us into the up-close living-room drama of their lives. Furthermore, delightfully ironic are Sondheim’s catchy melodies, tricky and almost unnaturally unhummable, that follow us out the door, for the fictional team of Kringas and Shepherd’s songs are so often rapped for taking on non-hummable forms themselves. Ah, the perpetual genius of Sondheim.

Although the skillful band, led by Aaron Kaplan and Sachio Nang, was tucked away in the neighboring cubby of a room, the balance between instrumentation and vocals was impressively set overall, never overcoming the pitapat of lyrics. Spotlight on trumpeter Michael Leavens who kicked things off with a sparkling start in the show-opening overture. Utilizing a very limited light plot, lighting designer Benjamin Carne clearly delineated scene focus with minimal adjustment, swiftly honing in on monologued flashes, while also shining emotional washes across the larger ensemble moments. The buffet of character apparel by costume designer Cindy Moon was visually delicious, brilliantly spanning so many decades of fashion trends with darling dresses and handsome suit options. And Tony Pellegrino expertly choreographed pushes and falls within the compact performance space, tightly yet unforced.

Blank Theatre Company embodies the true essence of Chicago storefront theatre that’s drawn so many aspiring artists to Chicagoland for decades. Presenting a challenging work as Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along” not only proves that Blank Theatre has what it takes, but they are in it for the long haul.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SCOTT GRYDER received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for his performance in the one-man show BUYER & CELLAR. www.thescottgryder.com

PHOTO | Eli Van Sickel/VanCap Images

BLANK THEATRE COMPANY
presents
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

The Reginald Vaughn Theater
1106 W. Thorndale Ave.
through July 23, 2023

WEBSITE

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PicksInSix® is a registered trademark of Roxbury Road Creative, LLC