And Pound Foolish

Mrs. Peachum, a character invented by Bertolt Brecht for Threepenny Opera, is an older woman with questionable morals, and an even more questionable past, who ultimately plays an important role in bringing down yet another crooked character in the show.  If any of this sounds remotely familiar, it should.

Miss Penelope Pennywise (note the naming connection with Threepenny Opera) parallels all of these same character traits, and even a similar story arc.  In Act I we are introduced to Pennywise's authoritarian streak, and we root for Bobby to rise up against her iron grip on Public Amenity #9.  But in Act II, we see more of her backstory - a hidden connection to Cladwell, and ultimately, a willingness to help put things right.

While Pennywise owes her persona most directly to Mrs. Peachum, the character trope of the amoral but practical older woman runs richly throughout the American Musical tradition.  Who can forget Mrs. Lovett, (Sweeney Todd, 1979), who packs pussy-cats, priests, and politicians into pungent pies, to perform pious paybacks? Or Fraulein Schneider (Cabaret, 1966), a harsh hotelier, who hesitates to get hitched to a Hebrew because of her hatred of hostile hectoring? Or Joanne (Company, 1970), a drunken divorcee, who in denial of duty, has designs on adultery with a dashing dude?  I could go on, but I'm running out of consonants.

Pennywise's opening anthem, A Privilege to Pee, not only explains her basic character traits, but also provides some needed exposition of the pee-for-fee arrangement of Public Amenity #9.  It's perhaps the most difficult song to sing in the entire Urinetown score, and it's always a challenge to find a good character actress who also has those shattering top notes.  We're looking forward to hearing Ellen Puhalovich push the piercing peals of A Privilege to Pee in a plucky performance of prickly petulance.

Peace.