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One of the most uproariously funny musicals in recent years, URINETOWN
is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a
time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city,
a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year draught, has led to a
government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public
amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by
charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the
people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead
them all to freedom! Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt
Weill, URINETOWN is an irreverently humorous satire
in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the
very notion of what a musical could be, URINETOWN
catapults the "comedic romp" into the new millennium with
its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit, and sustained ability
to produce gales of unbridled laughter.
The show first premiered at the Fringe Festival in 1999, and was an
instant hit with fringe audiences, who also applauded the show's hilarious
references to classic musicals such as West Side Story and Sweeney Todd.
Word of mouth spread quickly, and the show was picked up for an Off-Broadway
run in 2001. The reviews were wildly enthusiastic, and the show was
transferred to Broadway's Henry Miller Theater where it opened on September
20, 2001. It was the first Fringe Festival show to achieve that feat.
URINETOWN was nominated for an impressive 10 Tony
Awards, winning for Best Book, Score, and direction. It also won the
Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical.
(Information curtesy of MTI)
Book by Greg Kotis, Lyrics by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, Music by
Mark Hollman.
We were very pleased to have Andy Kidd direct our production of
Urinetown. Amber Bone was music director and Britt Boyd was
Production Manager. Britt also developed the fabulous Educator
Resource Guide and the Studie Guide. (Links below.) Andy
now teaches at Shorecrest High School, and we look forward to seeing
what wonderful shows he will put on the stage with Amber and Britt.
Read a synopsis
of the plot on the MTI web site
Read a review, a list
of the songs, and a list of the roles at Answers.com
Read
the article in the New Yorker Magazine "The Last Drop"
Also see:
Urinetown Educator
Resource Guide
Urinetown Study Guide
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