The Houston Critic

Urinetown

By Chan Stewart

There is no shortage of young talent at the Houston Family Arts Center in Northwest Houston. If their current run of Urinetown is any indication of things to come then we should be ecstatically optimistic about the future talent to grace professional stages. The intimate space seems to allow the actors to connect to the audience and flex vocal skills that would make veterans twice their ages envious. The actors are all clearly well directed in the art of comedic timing as is evident by the nonstop laughter erupting from the audience. This show hit all of the rules of comedy (rule of 3’s, juxtaposition of height, holding for the laughs, ect..) and is executed clearly and efficiently without the expected lags of an amateur performance.

The show’s leads displayed effortless chemistry and had the vocal chops to match. The “hero” of the show, Bobby Strong (played by Sam Hackett,) was both adorably charming, and vocally commanding. His high point was in the musical number Run! Freedom, Run!, in which we learn that even the most tender of voices can display a burst of soul when called upon. His falsetto trills at the end provided the icing on the cake as even the adult ladies in the audience muffled giggles. His leading lady Hope Cladwell (Morgan Montgomery) stole the audience’s hearts and laughs as she glided across the stage, crooning with soft but moving soprano trills. The backup they received from supporting cast mates Oliva Clayton, Jonathan Lammey, and Sam Balest ( Penelope Pennywise, Officer Lockstock, and Cladwell B Cladwell respectively) boosted the performance to a whole new level with songs like It’s a Privilege to Pee, Mr. Cladwell, and Cop Song remaining etched in this reviewer’s memory long after the bows finished. The ensemble remained in character for the entirety of the performance and made for very humorous points of interest at any given time across the stage.

The folks over at the Houston Family Arts Center Performance Conservatory know exactly what they are doing in molding young minds to appreciate and perform the arts at a level competitive with professional actors in their age range. There will be no surprises here if in the next ten years or so we see these same smiling faces graces professional stages nationwide. We can only hope their commitment to exposing the young minds of the community rubs off of the rest of the country. I hope they continue in this trend of providing quality, family friendly performances for all ages to enjoy.