Urinetown rocks. I love it's subtle jokes that no one seemed to get whenever I saw the show... "We, we never fail!" never got a giggle! I think it's extremely clever and fun.
Really, it one of the best shows ever. (And Avenue Q, contrary to popular belief is NOT the second coming of the clever, orginal, witty, hilarious Urinetown)
I LOVE Urinetown! I saw the tour twice (since I'm nowhere near Broadway...) and converted two of my unsuspecting friends into Urinetown fans (and it introduced me to the greatness that is Tom Hewitt).
The Les Mis stuff was during the "Act One Finale," I believe.
I love how they make fun of the most overused metaphors-- the heart, rivers. "My heart is like a stallion racing through a great expanse!" etc... so funny.
Some of the melodies and lyrics are really familiar to me. For example, in the Act One Finale. It reminds me of something an dI can't put my finger on it. Also, "It's a long strange tumble of a journey...."
There is some Les Miz tweaking in SPAMALOT as well.
Of course, the first Les Miz parody on Broadway was in CRAZY FOR YOU - during the "Stiff Upper Lip" number when they pile all the chairs on top of the big table, and climb on them like "The Barricade", and someone takes one of the red velvet curtains and waves it like a flag. And in case you don't get it, Bela Zangler comes in after the number and says "Clean this place up - it looks like French Revolution!"
...even though Les Mis isn't about the French Revolution...
This show is in my top 5. Saw it the 1st time and loved it so much I went back to the box office and got 2 more tickets to take a friend as a graduation gift. He loved it! I laughed just as hard the secind time. The really fun thing was watching the people who weren't getting the inside jokes watching those of us who did while we were on the floor laughing! I saw it in Denver and was a bit surprised but pleased that a lot of people got it.
Hunter Foster - previous to Urinetown, he was in the GREASE revival. After Urinetown he was in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and THE PRODUCERS. He is rumored to be possibly playing Ensign Pulver in the Kennedy Center (Washington DC) revival of the play MISTER ROBERTS, which will likely move to Broadway. (For those unfamiliar, Pulver is the role that made Jack Lemmon a star).