Urinetown Revival

[C.Jack]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 1:20am

After seeing a community performance and a few listens to the cast album. I think this show could be very commercially and critically successful. Maybe as a star vehicle. I just think with all the turmoil in this country, it would work. Maybe Christian Borle as Lockstock?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 1:24am

I loved Urinetown, but I can't imagine it being revived any time soon, unless it is done by a non-profit or off-Broadway.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 6:54am

In light of what's going on in our country now would be a perfect time for a revival. Absolutely love this show. 

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 8:00am

Jeff McCarthy gave one of the most subtly brilliant performances I've ever seen as the original Lockstock. How he wasn't nominated for the Tony that year, much less win, puzzles me to this day. 

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 8:04am

Jeff was brilliant and totally rocks it in the OBCR where you can hear his sneering and deadpan humor.

[C.Jack]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 9:55am

Any other casting suggestions?

[newintown]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 10:02am

"I think this show could be very commercially and critically successful. Maybe as a star vehicle. I just think with all the turmoil in this country, it would work. Maybe Christian Borle as Lockstock?"

A) Except for Chicago, revivals are almost never more successful than the original production. The original Urinetown had a respectable 2 and 1/2 year run (did it recoup? Tour?); a revival would probably last 6 months. But there are enough foolish producers today, it's not out of the question that one might think that her money could make it a hit.

B) Lockstock is not a starring role - he doesn't even have a solo number (unless you count the "Cop Song," which is really a group number). If you want a star, it would make more sense to get a young pop star to play Bobby.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 10:05am

Although Lockstock has relatively little to sing, he does have a lot of stage time and his role (with Little Sally) as narrator endears him to the audience far beyond his actual role in the plot (which is marginal). I'd say it's a plum role for a name... especially if that name, say, doesn't have a great singing voice.

Updated On: 4/18/17 at 10:05 AM

[gleek4114]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:43am

I too would love to see a revival. As others have said, the current political climate is ripe for it. In terms of the original recouping, I honestly don't know, but it did indeed tour the country. As for casting, right now:

 

Hope - Laura Osnes or Betsy Wolfe

Pennywise - Beth Leavel, Lesli Margherita, Kristine Neilson, Keala Settle

Lockstock - Andy Karl, Norm Lewis, Alan Cumming 

Little Sally - Lindsay Mendez or Kerry Butler

Cladwell - Michael Park or Nathan Lane (a VERY different take)

Barrel - Christopher Fitzgerald 

Bobby - some fresh face or a pop star

 

I know I listed mostly broadway names, so obviously some parts would get star cast. 

 

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:49am

Stage Door Sally said: "In light of what's going on in our country now would be a perfect time for a revival. Absolutely love this show. "

No kidding. I saw the production at Constellation Theatre Company in Washington DC last December (they cast a black Bobby/Old Man Strong and a white Lockstock/Barrel, which gave way more edge to the story than I'd expected) and even in that tiny theatre was incredibly powerful. And funny!

 

Newintown: Yes, it did tour, and I saw it at the Geary Theatre in San Francisco (which I think was where it launched). Tom Hewitt was Lockstock, Christiane Noll was Hope, and Charlie Pollock was Bobby.

Updated On: 4/18/17 at 11:49 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:54am

I think a mistake that often happens when casting Bobby is not casting a character actor. It's not a role for a typical leading man type. You need someone off-kilter.

Urinetown is a show for character actors, up and down the bill.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 10:23pm

The original production did recoup, but by the time it was evicted from the Henry Miller Theatre a few months later (due to construction having to begin on the skyscraper that is now there), it was not deemed economically feasible to move to a new venue.

 

Urinetown recoups

 

And I agree with Kad regarding the casting. The show plays best with a rag-tag group of character actors, not a bunch of standard Broadway "hotties." The original cast was pretty near perfection in terms of what the show needed.

 

It would be a fun little trivia bit if Roundabout revived it and put it in Studio 54, seeing as how it followed Cabaret into the Henry Miller originally.

[HSky]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 10:33pm

I'd love to see a Urinetown revival. I regret never seeing it later on Broadway because I was out of the area at college, but seeing the Off-Broadway production a few times was amazing. I still remember laughing like crazy at the first preview.

[C.Jack]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:21pm

May I suggest Norbert Leo Butz as Bobby?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:27pm

C.Jack said: "May I suggest Norbert Leo Butz as Bobby?"

 

While Bobby does not need to be your traditional leading man (and really shouldn't be) he still needs to be on the youthful side. At 50 years old Norbert is pretty far from youthful.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/18/17 at 11:28pm

Kad said: "I think a mistake that often happens when casting Bobby is not casting a character actor. It's not a role for a typical leading man type. You need someone off-kilter.

Urinetown is a show for character actors, up and down the bill.

 

I agree, but it needs to be a character actor who can sing. Bobby is probably the only role you need a really strong singer for (I've seen them get by with a mediocre singer as Hope). He's gotta be able to sell Run Freedom Run or it doesn't work. 

Updated On: 4/19/17 at 11:28 PM

[C.Jack]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 10:14am

Suggestions for Cladwell and Pennywise

[C.Jack]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 10:22am

Maybe Ariana Grande for Hope?

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 10:52am

C.Jack said: "May I suggest Norbert Leo Butz as Bobby?

 

No

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 11:17am

I'd love to see a movie or TV musical, with Will Arnett and Anthony Anderson or Will Forte as Lockstock and Barrel, Alec Baldwin as Cladwell, and Alison Janney or Ana Gasteyer as Pennywise.

As for Bobby? Hitting the mid level between character actor and pretty boy, I would at least audition KJ Apa, who sings well and has that bizarre, flat but sincere, affect on Riverdale. Bobby is something of an Elvis-movie lead: the one guy in the whole story who doesn't at all realize he is in a strange heightened satirical show, and approaches it all with a flat, naive sincerity.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 11:40am

Bobby and Hope, on the page, are not the most compelling or funny characters since they are straight-man ingénues. At the same time, they do sing the truly absurd lyrics of "Follow Your Heart," which only really works if it's done earnestly.

Andrew Rannells strikes me as good choice for Bobby, which is very much in a similar vein as Elder Price.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 11:45am

Kad said: "Bobby and Hope, on the page, are not the most compelling or funny characters since they are straight-man ingénues. At the same time, they do sing the truly absurd lyrics of "Follow Your Heart," which only really works if it's done earnestly.

Andrew Rannells strikes me as good choice for Bobby, which is very much in a similar vein as Elder Price."

Rannells was going to be my suggestion as well. The roles are deceptively challenging. 

After watching Stephanie J. Block let loose in FALSETTOS, she could be an excellent Pennywise.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 11:50am

Block would sing the hell out of it. I think Leslie Kritzer would be very good, too.
Ana Gasteyer is an inspired choice, as well (the role is similar to her role in Reefer Madness).

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 12:00pm

ANA GASTEYER! Yes. Very similar to Mae but she would tear the stage apart.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 4/19/17 at 1:52pm

My dream cast, but I can be swayed.

Lockstock: Nathan Lane or Jeff McCarthy
Barrel: Patton Oswalt
Bobby: I like the Andrew Rannells suggestion, good one. Or Wesley Taylor
Hope: I like the Laura Osnes suggestion.
Cladwell: Michael McGrath
Pennywise: Faith Prince
Mr. Strong: Joel Grey

ETA: I forgot Little Sally. Brittany Ross. No, you don't know her. She did a national tour of Spelling Bee. I think she'd be great... And you need to give a new kid a break every now and then. 

Updated On: 4/19/17 at 01:52 PM