Urinetown: A Musical Tale of the Outrageous

The name of the upcoming School of the Arts musical, Urinetown, is sure to get some attention. The musical, a tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution, takes place in a Gotham-like city where a water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities regulated by a single malevolent company—until a hero plans a revolution to lead the citizens to freedom.

Director Joel P. Rogers said Urinetown is both a tribute to and a reinvention of musical theatre: “It knows what it is and challenges some of the antiquated styles of the musical theatre genre. While it follows much of the typical ‘boy meets girl’ formula of standard musicals, it takes a couple of unexpected twists and turns—for example, ‘boy meets girl, boy kidnaps girl, boy gets thrown off a skyscraper…’”

While Urinetown has “a wicked sense of humor,” said Rogers, it also makes “a very pointed statement of sustainability and the issue of the privatization of water resources by large multinational corporations.”

Urinetown is a chance for audiences to see a production that is relatively new to the stage; it first opened in 2001. Music and lyrics are by Mark Hollman and will be provided by a small band conducted by Jeffrey Childs. The book and lyrics are by Greg Kotis.

Urinetown will be presented Wednesday, Oct. 18, through Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 2 pm in Harlen Adams Theatre. Tickets are $6–$15 and are available at the University Box Office (x6333).

—Anna Harris