“Urinetown” is exactly how it sounds: a gothic city that is shaped by its “bathroom” policies where people are only allowed to pee as long as they pay a ridiculous amount of money. When water is the main lack of resources, the people's bladders suffer at the hands of a single corporation and trust me, it got messy.

Directed by Russ Borski, “Urinetown” tells the story of a city where private bathrooms are outlawed. Thanks to Borski’s creativity as the Scenic and Prop Designer and Terry Pieritz’s costume design, the musical transports the audience out of Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre and into the world of “Urinetown” as soon as the stage lights come on.

I saw the show Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. The setting felt like a DC Comics “Batman” movie (without murder being the entire plot), the musical did a great job of satirizing capitalist greed through the cast's innate ability to make you laugh. Not only was this done through the script, but also the choices made by each individual cast member.

The narrators of the show, Officer Lockstock (played by Sam Cohen) and Little Sally (played by Brooke Hamilton), were quite the pair. Cohen’s character was the primary narrator and would make sure to describe “Urinetown” as the worst place in this imaginary world (every chance he could get), in the most over dramatic and bloodthirsty tone – within his character of course.

As soon as he’d hit the punch, Hamilton’s character always made sure to bring him back to reality, asking the questions that the audience wanted to know. It also helped that Cohen’s character played one of the henchmen to Caldwell Cladwell, the evil CEO of “Urine Good Company” – see what they did there?

Cladwell (played by Tyler Milicic) had quite a similar appearance to Donald Trump when he walked out on stage thanks to his hair that somewhat resembled a toupee. Milicic was so animated as his character that his gestures began to talk for him, helping to land not only his character, but the character’s relationship with others. 

One performance that really struck me was Lucy Geiser’s portrayal of Penelope Pennywise. While I believe many people had great performances, Geiser’s singing in the “It’s A Privilege To Pee” sequence was show stopping. It was the moment that I knew I had to start taking notes and marking my thoughts on the production. 

Not only is Geiser’s voice multi-faceted, but you can feel the power radiating through the room. I was actually blown away, forgetting I was watching a student in college and not someone touring an Off-Broadway production.

Alongside the cast, the style and scenery helped to really get the point across. The main color was a toxic green, painting the picture of biohazards and human waste. Of course, with the costumes, the raggedy clothing helped to tie this all together. 

There were some issues during the musical that I felt were not the end of the world, but had there not been issues, the show could have been more cohesive. Sometimes I felt as though the lights came on too soon, as sets were still moving and changing, especially when actors were in charge of moving parts of the set. While it’s not the end of the world, it did take away from the production as a whole, reminding me I was an audience member and they were actors on a stage. It did not stop me from liking the show, but it pricked my suspension of disbelief.

I do think the show was great for all people to enjoy, especially since the narrator explains what is happening (even if he does spoil the end), making sure the audience was never lost. So, if you’re someone that likes to peek at the last page of every fiction book you read, this musical was probably perfect for you!