There isn't a review in the world that could do "Urinetown: The Musical" the justice it deserves.
The winner of three Tony Awards opened at the Wharton Center on Wednesday night, and from the first few lines of the musical, audience members kept laughing.
The first scene shows Officer Lockstock, played by Tom Hewitt, waltzing out into an industrial-looking set filled with ladders, multiple levels, cages and dark black walls.
Lockstock is the narrator and chief policeman throughout the performance and opens the musical with, "Well, hello there. And welcome to Urinetown. Not the place, of course. The musical. Urinetown 'the place' is, well, it's a place you'll hear people referring to a lot throughout the show."
And we do.
The opening act shows public amenity nine - the dirtiest, poorest bathroom facility in town - and working the station are Bobby Strong, played by Charlie Pollock, and Penelope Pennywise, played by Beth McVey.
Bobby's father, Old Man Strong, played by Jim Corti, has come to pee, but doesn't have the cash and ends up defacing public property and being toted off to the mysterious Urinetown.
Directly after, Bobby meets Hope Cladwell, brought to life by Christiane Noll, who is strolling around searching for her father's company, Urine Good Company.
Her father is the evil corporate villain who has put restrictions on all public toilets.
In short, Bobby and Hope fall in love, and a revolution starts on Bobby's behalf to bring the company down and allow residents to pee for free.
The premise of the story might sound absurd, but the comedy is fabulous, the singing shows the expertise of a cast of Broadway stars brought together, and the music from the orchestra is astonishing.
There are points throughout the performance when the cast's voices echo a bit too much in the great hall, but the audience might not notice such minor details due to the hilarious special effects "Urinetown" produces.
During the number "Mr. Cladwell," the cast starts a parody of the can-can dance and bubbles start to pour from the ceiling.
But better than that is how "Urinetown" portrays ghosts.
When a cast member passes and comes back to talk to Bobby Strong, the "ghost" walks out on stage, stands on a stool with a green light pouring down on him, and is visibly sprayed with smoke by a stage hand.
It's the way the musical spoofs every other musical that makes "Urinetown" worth seeing.
And don't forget the cast's vocals, which soar high and wide.
Charlie Pollock is reminiscent of Ewan McGregor in "Moulin Rouge" with his soft way of speaking and large range of singing abilities.
But the show is stolen by Officer Lockstock and Little Sally, the fellow narrator played by the tiny Meghan Strange.
When Bobby and Hope fall in love, Lockstock and Sally watch from atop and Sally says, "She loves him, doesn't she?" and Lockstock replies with, "Of course she does, Little Sally, he's the star of the show!"
It's this type of humor that keeps "Urinetown" flowing smoothly and keeps audience members laughing.
Check out "Urinetown" before it's gone - otherwise you'll have missed one of the best musicals currently out there.
