Urinetown in Boston- Page 2

[zippyjen]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 4:49pm

oh this is exciting !i heard about it and i plan to go. by the way i go to simmons, down the street from you meagan!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 5:14pm

"Bobby Strong was extremely strong in his role. He sounded exactly like Hunter Foster in his singing and his acting was also extremely enjoyable."

OMG! I thought the same exact thing almost...thought I heard Hunter a couple of times. And to answer the question, yes, it was good, and yes, I did get it for student rush price. I'll post a mini review now.

[Broadwaygirl22]

Posted: 9/18/05 at 6:43pm

I really want to go see this show! I know two people in it. I don't know if anyone answered this already, but what part of Boston is the Lyric Stage theatre in?

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 10:55pm

Hey, to all who've seen it: Are high school student eligible for the student price or just college? Also, how early should someone get there in order to get good seats, did it sell out? And finally, where is the Lyric Stage? I'm planning on seeing it Saturday night.

[meagan9848]

Posted: 9/21/05 at 11:38pm

bwg, it's by copley.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/22/05 at 3:36am

A friend of mine is a grad student who got in with a student discount. She LOVED the show and had also seen the national tour previously.

She said the entire curtain call dance is done, too. And that some people on stage wave toilet paper rolls around during the act 1 finale. :)

[Zenachick]

Posted: 9/22/05 at 10:49am

I have done the student tickets before, they are good and you can usually get one-not for the big popular shows, but I've had good luck. I am planning on trying for Urinetown Tickets on Saturday. I go to Wheelock so I am basically across the street from you zippyjen.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/22/05 at 1:13pm

Yeah you can probably get in being a high school student. Again, they didn't even check our IDs just saw that we looked like college students so they randomly asked, "Are you here for student rush?" and we said yes. I would bring IDs just in cast though. You have to sign your name to a list and it's first come, first serve. They start selling them to students in the order on the list 15-30 minutes before show starting time. When I went there were still some empty seats so I doubt you'll have trouble getting tickets.

[Zenachick]

Posted: 9/23/05 at 11:48pm

I just did student rush tonight. I was last on the list, but my friend and I still got tickets because they had the wheelchair seats that were not being used. It was an awesome show. I knew a bunch of the actors so that made it neat, but mostly I loved how everything was hammed up. This was very clever and I plan on seeing it again with the $10 student rush

[timote316]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 12:43am

I too saw it tonight. It was an excellent show, I highly recommend it. Jennifer Ellis (Hope) graduated from my college, according to the program.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 12:58am

All those ten dollar ticket sales must be making the Lyric's coffers bulge like a Kate Moss tube top.

[WickedRentHead]

Posted: 9/26/05 at 8:45pm

Hey. Good to hear people enjoyed the show. About student rush...how early do you need to get to the theater to put your name on the list. I know someone said they started selling them to people on the list 15-30 minutes before show time but how early did you get there to put your name on the list?

Thanks!

[joyce3]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 1:35pm

Are you serious??!! Don’t you know that a CD of a cast recording is not the definitive model of a production?! Nor SHOULD it be! It’s simply ONE cast’s production!
I saw the Lyric's production of Urinetown this past Saturday and couldn't have been more impressed by the fresh new talent in the cast - Particularly Jennifer Ellis, who played Hope. I don't know what you mean about her lower range... given that the only time she sings in a lower register is in "I See a River" - and I’m not alone in the opinion that Ellis gave the other Jennifer (Laura Thompson) a run for her money! Could it be some people are feeling a little envious????
And you must've seen Pennywise on an off-night, when i saw it her notes were all spot on!
Clearly you're right about Bobby, (Robert Morrison). No doubt about it, he was great -- as was Becky Two-shoes (ileyse Robbins). I think you need to understand that no 2 actors are going to play the same role identically. (If they do, one of them is ripping ideas off of the other). and how boring is that?!
The Lyric’s show was not a cheap imitation of another production, and let’s face it, there are plenty of those around. I commend their originality!!
Judging from the thunderous applause and wonderful reviews, I’m not the only one who was thoughroughly impressed!

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2005/09/14/humor_abounds_in_urinetown/
The Boston Globe
STAGE REVIEW
Humor abounds in 'Urinetown'
By Ed Siegel, Globe Staff | September 14, 2005
It is normally not a good idea to base a musical on functions of the bladder. But the Lyric Stage Company makes the grimly comic 'Urinetown" into a strong season opener that would offend only the most priggish sensibilities. There are some questionable calls along the way, but director Spiro Veloudos once again shows his ability to get at the heart of a musical, particularly when there's a touch of darkness in its heart.
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This is the third version of the show I've seen, and each plays differently. The excellent Broadway production was a sharp satire of the musical form, shooting down everything from 'The Threepenny Opera" to 'Annie." The touring version that came here later played more like empty parody.
Veloudos, who's also the Lyric's artistic director, makes 'Urinetown: The Musical" into an homage, particularly of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's 'Threepenny." And he does so without losing any of the humor in Greg Kotis's story about a drought-stricken society in which poor people have to stand in line and pay to use public urinals.
If you're not laughing yet, you probably will be after the first number in which Officer Lockstock and Little Sally, a waiflike figure, sing about how 'Too Much Exposition" can kill a show. The self-referential lyrics, co-written by Kotis and Mark Hollmann, whose equally clever music never flags, propel us into a world where the poor are oppressed to an unbelievable degree.
Unbelievable, at least, until Hurricane Katrina hit, and we saw the laggardly response to the suffering in Louisiana. Suddenly, lines like these have real resonance: 'Rich folks get the good life/ poor folks get the woe./ In the end, it's nothing you don't know."
Perhaps it's that overlay that makes 'Urinetown" seem as sharp as it is funny, though credit also has to go to Janie E. Howland's Depression-esque set and Karen Perlow's mean-streets lighting, along with Veloudos's conception.
Every line in the book and lyrics screams 'comedy," but the straighter the faces the cast can keep, the better the production.
First, the good news: The women in the cast are a joy to watch, particularly Jennifer Ellis as Hope Cladwell, the naive daughter of Caldwell B. Cladwell, head of the public works department that he has bribed his way into privatizing. This is really Ellis's coming-out party as a Boston professional, and given her voice, looks, and stage presence, she's going to be a very in-demand leading lady hereabouts.
Veronica J. Kuehn as Little Sally begins the season where she left off last year with her witty and well-sung Little Red Riding Hood at the New Repertory Theatre. Ellis and Kuehn are superb from beginning to end. Maryann Zschau starts off too exaggerated in her early solo as Penelope Pennywise, but rights herself after that.
The problem is with the men. Christopher Chew as Officer Lockstock and Sean McGuirk as Cladwell use exclamation points to drive home the comedy -- surprising given Chew's fine, understated performance in SpeakEasy Stage Company's 'Johnny Guitar" last season. Rob Morrison, a recent Emerson graduate, could also keep a straighter face as Bobby Strong, the hero. While he shows potential, he doesn't yet have a strong enough presence to carry such an important role.
Fortunately, he doesn't have to. Besides the female leads, the ensemble work is crackerjack, both the five-piece band led by Jonathan Goldberg and the poor urban denizens led by choreographer Ilyse Robbins (Peter A. Carey and Michele A. DeLuca in particular). Usually there isn't enough room in chamber productions at such theaters as the Lyric for choreographers to show their stuff, but Robbins (no relation to Jerome) makes the room work here. Her homages to 'West Side Story" and 'Fiddler on the Roof" are spot on.
The livin' is never easy in 'Urinetown," but this season opener certainly makes the Lyric Stage Company of Boston a nice place to visit.
Ed Siegel can be reached at [e-mail].

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 5:58pm

"No doubt about it, he was great -- as was Becky Two-shoes (ileyse Robbins). I think you need to understand that no 2 actors are going to play the same role identically. (If they do, one of them is ripping ideas off of the other). and how boring is that?!"

I just think Ilyse Robbins could've added a bit of aggressiveness to the role.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 6:06pm

Sorry but a minor threadjack. Has anyone heard of the Wilbur Theatre in Boston.

I've been friends with this guy for almost 6 months now and the other day he decides to tell me that his dad owns the theatre...I suppose better late than never.

Ok- sorry for that threadjack.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:33pm

I saw the show on Saturday and LOVED it. I was entirely unfamiliar with it and my friend and I were cracking up- often. I'm thinking of seeing it again because it'll be around for awhile longer... I was thoroughly impressed by the whole show, especially the guy who played Bobby Strong and the guy who played Lockshock. Little Sally has officially been added to my dream parts list. If anyone finds out about more shows that are fairly cheap in the Boston area, could you PM me? Thanks!

[Zenachick]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:14pm

Chris Chew(Lockstock) is really a great actor. I worked with him at the Wheelock Family Theater in the Sound of Music. I also worked with Ellen (Bobby's mother)and Robert (Barrel). It was neat seeing these people in different roles. I am going to try and see the show again before it closes. I can't get over how funny and creative this show was

* SweetQintheLights if you ever find a way to get backstage tours of the Wilber Theater let me know

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 11:16pm

Just came back from the show tonight. I enjoyed it. What a fun[ny] show! Haha.

I can't believe I just did a show with three of them last semester (Rob Morrison, Ariel Heller, and Haley Roth). It's good to know that people at my school get cast in shows! Haha. That's always reassuring.

~Steven

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 11:47pm

DramaDork:

Go to http://www.theatermania.com and check the listings in Boston.