Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Temple university’s most recent production of Urinetown. A town which immediately swallows you whole from the second you walk into the theater. Bright yellow caution tape extends up the audience walkways and upon them flyers are placed detailing the greatness of Urinetown’s upper-crust, behind them are contorted pipes and with this combination, immediately you feel as if you too live in Urinetown. You take your seat and the bright yellow lighting symbolizing the first half of the places title assaults your eyes in an almost comical way that puts a smile on your face.
    Although you know what puts a bigger smile on your face, Urinetown’s delightful cast of characters played by temples best. In this show the main character of Bobby Strong played by Cameron Scott Slusser and the rest of his fellow town folk live in a place where the citizens are charged to use the bathroom, this operation is run by a cooperation owned by a man called Caldwell B. Caldwell played by Chris Monaco. Inspired by his father who has recently been taken a way due to his refusal to pay to pee Bobby leads a revolt against Caldwell’s company.
The performance of Slusser was a delight to say the least, his vocals were phenomenal and there was not an audience member who did not fall in love with Bobby Strong, myself included:) The same could not be said of Chris Monaco’c Cladwell though, which i guess is a good thing; he is the villain after all and boy did he make my skin crawl. Then there was the performance of Katie Johantgen or Hope Cladwell the tyrants giddy air headed daughter who falls in love with bobby strong. Her costumes throughout the show were positively gorgeous and her voice was radiant at all times; she was a delight.
            The whole story is also intermittently narrate by a character called officer Lockstock (LJ Norelli) and little sally (taylor Webster) . Two characters who in my personal opinion, were the most witty of the show. Norelli and Webster never failed to put a smile on the audience faces and every time they stepped onstage they left the stage with the audience laughter at their heels.
   The whole cast should be incredibly pleased with their performers because the audience definitely was. Contrary to the shows main theme, Urinetown’s a lovely place to be .Â