THEATRE REVIEW:
KPBS AIRDATE: September 15, 2006
Comedy comes in many colors, from the bright,
treacly hues of “Leading Ladies” to the dark, snarky tones of “Urinetown.”
Yes, it’s potty humor, with a capital Pee. The
Tony Award-winning “Urinetown” is outlandish, outrageous and hilarious. And
buried in the latrine of its satirical mind is a message about corporate greed,
popular revolt and environmental conservation. The musical never takes itself
seriously, joking about its unlikely, off-putting title and theme. And, like
many shows before it, such as the perennial “Forbidden Broadway,” still
sporting its funny, self-referential theater spoofs at the Theatre in Old Town,
“Urinetown” parodies a host of other musicals, from “A Chorus Line” to “Fiddler
on the Roof,” “Les Miz” to “Threepenny Opera.” Some of the jokes may be in the
toilet, but they’ll plunge you into hysteria.
Here’s the premise. A 20-year drought has required
extreme measures. Private porcelain facilities are outlawed, and the malevolent
mega-corporation, “Urine Good Company,” has exclusive rights to manage the
public bathrooms, for which it charges exorbitant fees; in other words, only
the flush can afford to flush. The people rebel and the bad boss is ousted.
There is a love story, too. However, as we’re warned from the outset, this
isn’t one of those happy musicals. But if you have the stomach for it, you’ll
head for this show, a knockout regional theatre premiere, which ends Starlight
Theatre’s 60th season on a roll, you might say. Under the direction
of Brian Wells and David Brannen, the cast is superb, gifted comics, singers
and dancers. The costumes and lighting are excellent. It’s all awash in
sarcasm. By the end, you may be saturated by the low, loo humor, but your
laughter won’t run dry.
The chuckles flow a little less freely in “Leading
Ladies” at North Coast Repertory Theatre, which kicks off the 25th
anniversary season. It’s the West coast premiere of this farce by Ken Ludwig,
another hommage to theater, like his
“Lend Me a Tenor” and “Moon Over Buffalo.” But the play hardly feels new,
treading oft-trod turf about broke, gold-digging actors who go underground in
drag – but they still get the girl. It’s highly reminiscent of “Some Like It
Hot,” so if that’s the way you like it, you’re gonna eat this up. Some of San
Diego’s finest comic talents are hamming it up like pigs at a trough, pushing
it in the first act, but side-splitting in the second. At some point, you can’t
help but be swept up in the insanity.
With all that’s going on around us, this is a
perfect time for a bellyful of comedy, any way you like it – with body-fluids
or cross-dressers. Choose your comfort station.
©2006 Patté Productions
Inc.