I saw the final Broadway performance of Urinetown!

[nostamj]

Have you ever attended the FINAL performance of a Broadway show?

Especially when it has had a long and successful run that includes fans that return to the show over and over during its run?

I've had two, very different experiences. I'll save today's Urinetown for last.

In the days following 9/11, midtown Manhattan was a strangely quiet place. I was back in the city on 9/12, joining with friends to sing and listen to others in the cabarets. But most of the restaurants were empty. The streets were empty. The omnipresent energy of the thousands of tourists was gone. It was eerie.

And the theaters, when they re-opened, were empty. Some shows folded, others were foundering. I had wanted to see the revival of Cole Porter's KISS ME KATE and heard that the Sunday matinee would be the final performance. (It had been struggling prior to 9/11 and the producers had posted a closing notice.)

The performance was packed. It was a solidly NYC audience, very high energy. It was a 'kudos' to the company, NYers giving a proper and respectful send-off.

Well, before the performance, one of the producers came center stage, announced that since the closing had been posted demand for tickets had explosed... and he tore up the closing notice.

It may not have been the best show I've ever seen. In fact, it certainly wasn't my favorite. But it was easily one of the best performance I've even been a part of.

That happened again today.

Urinetown is closing, not because it no longer draws good audiences but because the building is being demolished and there is no other suitable space currently available for a transfer. (It is going on a national tour!)

This is was 7th time I'd seen it (more than any other show). My friend and writing partner was at his 12th performance.

The audience was clearly packed with FANS. The couple directly behind us was at their 29th performance!

Every entrance got applause. Every number had an extended ovation. Even key lines got their laughs AND applause.

It was frankly THRILLING.

After the bows, the creators, director, past cast members, etc. flooded the stage to a sustained standing ovation.

<sigh>

only in NYC, only in NYC................

[nostamj]

1. ok. hint taken.

no more posts in the Lounge.

[Logansquare]

2. Huh?

What'd we do?

[nostamj]

5. oh..... it's just that

the harder i work on a post here

the quicker it drops unnoticed. so, why bother?

i'm not leaving DU or anything. i just recognize that i don't 'get' the energy of the Lounge....

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. See? you do get it.... the more you think and write long stuff

the less they read it here.

The same is true for photoshops I do... the longer I spend doing them, the less responses.

Sort of an inverse sqare law rules here.

[nostamj]

11. yup!

duh! (three letters is enough)

[Logansquare]

15. It's me...every thread I kick is RED HOT

not really :-(

[soleft]

3. a friend was explaining the plot to me - and it sounded so completely

offbeat - original. It's hard to imagine why its been so successful, but it must have great songs.

The last thing I saw was Taboo, which will be having its last show shortly.

[nostamj]

4. most brilliantly original musical in a decade

one of the conceits, is that it is about 'itself'

there are constant references to 'the musical' ie.

LOCKSTOCK: Nothing can kill a show like too much exposition.
LITTLE SALLY: How about bad subject matter? Or a bad title? That could kill a show pretty quick.

Urinetown was theatre that was simultaneously ABOUT theatre and CELEBRATING theatre and satirizing theatre and...

well, I loved it. obviously!

[joeybee12]

6. I think the title would keep me away!!!!!!!!!!!!

But living in Denver, the distance would keep me away also!!!!!

[nostamj]

7. ah............. but the bad title was PART of it all!

and it ran more than two years (even though it was scheduled to open on 9/13/01!) with that title.

no musical in the past 10 years (at least) broke more ground (or had more loyal fans) than Urinetown.

i predict it will be back following the tour (if not before). it requires a unique space....

[joeybee12]

9. You could be right...what Tony nominations did it get?

I recall it getting a few.

[nostamj]

10. Urinetown Tony Nominations................

List of 2002 Tony nominations

By Associated Press

Musical: "Mamma Mia!," "Sweet Smell of Success," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Urinetown The Musical."

Book of a Musical: "Mamma Mia!" by John Guare, "Sweet Smell of Success" by Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" by Greg Kotis, "Urinetown The Musical."

Best Original Score (Music & Lyrics): "Sweet Smell of Success," Marvin Hamlisch (music), Craig Carnelia (lyrics); "Thoroughly Modern Millie," Jeanine Tesori (music), Dick Scanlan (lyrics); "Thou Shalt Not," Harry Connick, Jr. (music & lyrics); "Urinetown The Musical," Mark Hollmann (music), Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis (lyrics).

Actor-Musical: Gavin Creel, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; John Cullum, "Urinetown The Musical"; John Lithgow, "Sweet Smell of Success"; John McMartin, "Into the Woods"; Patrick Wilson, "Oklahoma!"

Actress-Musical: Sutton Foster, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; Nancy Opel, "Urinetown The Musical"; Louise Pitre, "Mamma Mia!"; Jennifer Laura Thompson, "Urinetown The Musical"; Vanessa Williams, "Into the Woods."

Featured Actress-Musical: Laura Benanti, "Into the Woods"; Harriet Harris, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; Spencer Kayden, "Urinetown The Musical"; Judy Kaye, "Mamma Mia!"; Andrea Martin, "Oklahoma!"

Choreography: Rob Ashford, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; John Carrafa, "Into the Woods"; John Carrafa, "Urinetown The Musical"; Susan Stroman, "Oklahoma!"

Direction of a Musical: James Lapine, "Into the Woods," Michael Mayer, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; Trevor Nunn, "Oklahoma!"; John Rando, "Urinetown The Musical.

Orchestrations: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus & Martin Koch, "Mamma Mia!"; Doug Besterman & Ralph Burns, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"; William David Brohn, "Sweet Smell of Success"; Bruce Coughlin, "Urinetown The Musical."

[joeybee12]

25. John Cullum--from Northern Exposure!

Any wins???

[nostamj]

26. Yes!

Urinetown won best book, best score and best director in the 2001 Tony Awards.

p.s. the role originated by John Collum (who was great) was played by Charles Schaunessey (sp?) who played opposite Fran Dresher in The Nanny.

[joeybee12]

27. Surprised they didn't win best musical, after getting those three..

...I guess John Cullum is in the new Neil Simon play--the one Mary Tyler Moore got fired from, or quit.

[nostamj]

28. yes, we U-Town fans found that odd

but MILLIE was the big commericial hit so............

the Simon play was soundly panned. MTM made the right move. Collum is probably mad he left.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. Vampire Lesbians of Sodom is still playing, right?

and it was funny, when Urinetown first opened, I thought it was You're In Town, which I thought was a strange title, then I read the review in the Times.

Boy, was I pissed. (ugh!)

[nostamj]

13. VLoS closed at least 10 years ago!

if you knew what you missed if you missed it then you'd really be pissed.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

14. You are shitting me... I thought they would be there forever

I have been out on LI raising kids... missed their closing. I went about 50 times.

[nostamj]

17. Charles Busch has moved ON

had a broadway show with The Tale of the Allergist's Wife

[HuckleB]

16. Saw it last year. Big fun all around.

[HuckleB]

18. Did you see "Metamorphoses" when it played?

What did you think of it?

[nostamj]

21. i was sorry to miss that

heard many good things. but, missed it. damn.

[HuckleB]

24. 'Twas a thing of beauty.

[Rabrrrrrr]

22. Metamorphoses was brilliant!!

Sadly, i saw it toward the end of it's run, and didn't, therefore, have time to get back to it again. That's one I could have seen at least twice, preferably three or four times.

But I did buy the play book, so at least I can read it.

I wish all plays would have the play book available.

Metamorphoses so beautifully intertwined the stories of the transformational power of love with the pool it was performed in and the minimal stage props they used.

I went back to that theater last summer to see Life(x3) with Brent Spiner and Helen Hunt, which was also an incredible, very human play. (and at times uproariously hilarious).

[HuckleB]

23. Perfect, succinct description.

I couldn't get enough of it. Went twice in a month, but, alas have not been able to get back to NYC since June 2002. I am jonesing.

I bought the playbook, too. My wife didn't see it, which bugs me to no end. I read the playbook to her, at least. I needed to connect her to it in some way.

[Stephanie]

19. J, I was just thinking of you

Have you looked at Craigslist lately? Lots of postings in our neighborhood.

[nostamj]

20. uh, i don't know Craiglist...

:shrug:

i guess i should?