***** Welcome To “Urinetown”!
I must say that I felt the prescience of the spirit of Fred Anzevino smiling down on the theatre recently named in his honor as Theo Ubique’s production of this musical satire, directed by Danny Kapinos with extraordinary choreography by Brenda Didier took on a Anzevino look. Yes, this production is done as Fred would have done it, truly “cabaret” with the players playing off those seated around the set. I for one will tell you that “table 6” gets a lot of action. I would have loved my chair to be a swivel chair as I was going from side to side and may have lost a pound or two during this production.
For those unaware of this outstanding satire that, like looks at politics and big business, while at the same time paying homage to the big scale musical productions that have captivated us for years. The city, “Urinetown” is experiencing a water shortage. There has been a drought for 20 years, and so the government has stepped in to control the flow of water, any water, including toilet water. They have banned the use of home toilets and the people must use the public toilets and pay as you go ( so to speak).
During the play, with all of its sparkling musical and dance numbers, we see the people of the town opt to revolt and bring on a revolution against the man who has taken control, Cladwell B. Cladwell ( deftly handled by Drew Longo). We even have a revolution with flag waving ( as one will recall from “Les Miz”). Our story begins with Officer Lockstock, our narrator ( played to perfection by Ryan Stajmiger) doing the opening number with the ensemble that details the story.
The townsfolk are in line, waiting to pay to pee when we meet Ms Pennywise ( Alicia Berneche) who we later learn in more than just a protector of the toilets. It turns out that Cladwell has a daughter, Hope ( a wonderful portrayal by Amanda Rodriguez) who is unaware of the situation in town. She meets Bobby Strong ( an amazing performance by Luke Nowakowski) and they fall in love. Her love for him gets in the way of her relationship with her father and all hell breaks loose when the community decides to rebel and use the toilets without paying. 
This show takes aim at every type of political power there is and shows how people can stand up against those who take on power that is not theirs to take. The songs are delightful and quite clever. The book by Greg Kotis is both charming and comical and his lyrics along with Mark Hollman ( who also wrote the music) is very hip to today’s world just as it was when first presented. The set ( yes, there is a set in this one at Theo) by Eleanor Kahn works despite the limited space to work with and the lighting (Ellie Fey) and sound (Harrison Hunt) as well as the costumes (Cindy Moon) are perfect. The musical direction by Aaron Kaplan was right on, as always and the musicians led by Kevin Zhou, perfection!
I must say, this production relies on a strong cast of players. Not just the major roles, but the actors who in this production play a multitude of roles. My hat is off to the following:Reginald Hemphill,Matt Frye, Natalie Henry, Mai Hartwich,Alex Madda,Kevin Chlapecka,Christopher Ratliff,Aidan Leake,Kelcy TaylorIndia Huy and a very special note about the adorable Maya Tanaka Allwardt as “Little Sally”, my favorite character, who along with Lockstock keeps us appraised to the action ( and there is a whole lot of action) on stage.
“Urinetown” will continue thru January 4th, 2026 with performances as follows:
Thursdays 7:30 pm ( NO performance on Thanksgiving)Show Type: Musical
Box Office: 773-939-4101
The Fred Anzevino Theatre is located at 721 West Howard Street in Evanston
Metered street parking on both the Evanston and Chicago sides, so please check on the different rules.
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Uninetown”.
Second REVIEW
Paul Lisnek, WGN+; WGNRadio.com
***1/2 out of 4
Urinetown the Musical is chock full of wit, laughs, imagination and a keenly talented ensemble cast! From the very first note, the stage bursts with energy! The lyrics and music are joyfully over-the-top in the best way!
The production’s razor-sharp satire came on to the off-Broadway stage in 2001 followed by a transfer to Broadway; I saw this show both off and on Broadway and was so thrilled to see that Theo was going to put on this production under the capable directing hands of Danny Kapinos with fun choreography by the legendary Brenda Didier which keeps the pace brisk, the moves well done. Most importantly, the tone beautifully blends a sense of slapstick with true underlying poignancy.
And now, more than 2 decades after its debut, its underlying commentary on corporate greed, social responsibility and the price of revolution continue to ring with uncanny current relevance.
And who doesn’t appreciate moments of homage which this show strongly gives to both Les Miserables (another tale of revolution) but also, more subtlety to West Side Story (you have to listen carefully to the music to catch it) another tale of class warfare….you see, you can take this show in on its surface, or you can dig more deeply and see the reflection of our past.
The show could have been a one note parody but rather it bursts with energy and an embrace of the absurdity of the story – a dystopian city where citizens must pay to use public bathrooms- never taking its eye off of biting humor. Pay attention to almost every line and you’ll hear the cuts on individualism with the reference to so many as so-and-so…and those with the dream to overturn the tyrants…well, they are often told to “keep their head out of the clouds…” Funny? Yes. Impactful? Indeed.
My criticism is a bit of a nature of the beast. Theo founder Fred Anzevino always wanted the productions to be immersive, keeping the audience as an intimate part of the evening…and that is always accomplished. However, with several mini-stages set out in their small space, some of the cocktail tables sit pretty much center stage and truthfully, the amount of neck and body turning one has to do to be sure you follow the action can be uncomfortable. Again, the nature of the beast in this fabulous space but it may be a concern for some patrons.
I love this cast! Luke Nowakowski as Bobby brings the necessary innocence required but with a strength of determination and a fantastic voice that shows his power. Indeed, every voice in this Theo cast is strong and formidable as they always are at Theo…but a special shout out have to go to Little Sally strongly played by Maya Tanaka Allwardt, Mrs. Pennywise by Alicia Berneche both making their Theo debut (welcome aboard!) and Officer Lockstock who walks thru the narrative in a humorous and captivating way…played by Ryan Stajmiger.
Urinetown the Musical, consistently reminds the audience that great humor can also bring uncomfortable truths to light, and at Theo, it’s likely you’ll delve deeper as you watch and thoroughly enjoy the production.
Paul M. Lisnek, J.D., Ph.D.
WGN-TV Political Analyst
Anchor, “WGN-TV Political Report”
Anchor, WGN-TV Midday News “Midday Fix” Author Interview Segment
Host, “Paul Lisnek Behind the Curtain” WGN+ TV Stream & WGN Radio Podcast
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