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''Urinetown'' is a Musical ; the title sometimes given as '''''Urinetown the Musical'''''. Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando , the show features music by Mark Hollman , lyrics by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis , and a book by Greg Kotis. It debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival , was produced Off-Broadway and then moved to Broadway , opening at the Henry Miller Theatre on September 20 , 2001 (its planned opening having been postponed after the September 11, 2001 Attacks ). It ran on Broadway through January 18 , 2004 , closing with a total of 25 previews and 965 performances. A national tour began in San Francisco, California on June 13 , 2004 . A Canadian cast put on one the most highly acclaimed stagings, using the original New York set, in Toronto, Ontario during the summer of 2004. An open ended run began performances at Chicago's Mercury Theater in March 2006. The original cast included Hunter Foster (as Bobby Strong, Jeff McCarthy , and Ken Jennings . The show is meant to be a Comedy , featuring Satire of the corporate world, Sight Gag s, Parodies of musical theatre conventions in general and '' Les Misérables '' in particular, and jokes that poke fun at the show itself (including the unattractive title). AWARDS In (John Rando), Best Original Score (Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis), and Best Book Of A Musical (Greg Kotis). It was nominated for an additional six Tonies: Best Musical , Best Actor In A Musical (John Cullum), Best Actress In A Musical (Nancy Opel and Jennifer Laura Thompson ), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Spencer Kayden), Best Choreography (John Carrafa), and Best Orchestrations (Bruce Coughlin). CHARACTERS Officer Lockstock - ''The narrator and leader of the police'' Little Sally - ''A delightful urchin'' Bobby Strong - ''Our hero'' Hope Cladwell - ''Cladwell's goodhearted daughter'' Caldwell B. Cladwell - ''The cruel CEO of Urine Good Company'' Penelope Pennywise - ''The gruff proprietor of Public Amenity Number 9'' Senator Fipp - ''A corrupt senator'' Mr. McQueen - ''Caldwell's head lackey'' Hot Blades Harry - ''A dangerous and unpredictable guy'' Soupy Sue - ''A knocked up and poverty stricken woman'' Becky Two Shoes - ''A crippled cutie'' Tiny Tom - ''A halfwitted man boy'' Josephine Strong - ''Bobby's mother'' Joseph Strong - ''Bobby's rebellious father'' Officer Barrel - ''Lockstock's right hand man'' Mrs. Millennium - ''One of Caldwell's lesser lackeys'' SYNOPSIS After a rousing Overture, Urinetown begins with a friendly welcome from our narrator, ''Officer Lockstock''. ''Officer Lockstock'' and the adorable moppet ''Little Sally'' fill us in on the back story during the opening numbers, '''Too Much Exposition''' and '''Urinetown'''. As the result of a terrible water shortage, private toilets have become unthinkable. All restroom activities are handled through a private corporation, the Urine Good Company (UGC for short). To control water consumption, people have to pay to use public amenities (that is, public toilets) for their "private business". As ''Lockstock'' says, "That's the central conceit of the show." In the next scene, the oppressed masses huddle in line, desperate to use Public Amenity Number 9, one of the poorest, filthiest urinals in town, run by ''Penny Pennywise'' and her assistant, dashing young everyman ''Bobby Strong''. Trouble ensues when ''Bobby'' 's father, ''Joseph "Old Man" Strong'' can't afford his urinal admission for the day. When ''Old Man Strong'' asks ''Pennywise'' to let him go for free just this once, ''Penny'' is forced to draw the line in It's a Privilege to Pee. By the end of the song, ''Joseph Strong'' has made up his mind. "It's no way to live, I tells ya! No way to live!" he screams as he pees right on the street, with ''Pennywise'', ''Bobby'', ''Little Sally'' and his wife ''Josephine Strong'' looking on. ''Officer Lockstock'' and his man, ''Officer Barrel'' arrive on the scene immediately. After a brief investigation, ''Old Man Strong'' is arrested and escorted off to Urinetown. The masses fall back into line immediately. The scene changes to the offices of Urine Good Company, where the CEO of the UGC, ''Caldwell B. Cladwell'' is assuring ''Senator Fipp'' that the agreed upon bribes will come through provided that the senate approves additional restroom fee hikes (and vice versa). ''Cladwell'' 's daughter, ''Hope Cladwell'' soon arrives for her first day on the job as the UGC's new fax/copy girl, and is ogled by ''Fipp'' and ''Cladwell'' 's lackey ''Mr. McQueen''. ''Cladwell'' summons the rest of his staff, and explains to everyone that the fax/copy position is just the first step as ''Hope'' is groomed to inherit the UGC empire. He then proceeds to explain the workings of the UGC (and his staff proceeds to brownnose shamelessly) in Mr. Cladwell. In the next scene, ''Little Sally'' spends some quality time with ''Officer Lockstock'', as she asks why, if there's a drought, there is so much attention focused on urination and so little focused on other uses of water, like, say, hydraulics. ''Little Sally'' is ushered away just as ''Barrel'' arrives, having just cleaned up the evidence of ''Old Mans Strongs "exile" to "Urinetown". When ''Barrel'' admits to being disappointed that ''Old Man Strong'' didn't put up much of a fight, ''Lockstock'' explains that the journey down to Urinetown offers no surprises, not even from the very toughest among us, in The Cop Song'''. ''Hope'' then arrives after a long night of faxing (and copying). ''Lockstock'' 's efforts at flirtation seem to be going well when ''Bobby'' arrives with fire in his belly, complaining that the people are growing restless over rumors of more fee hikes. The cops remind ''Bobby'' to keep his head out of the clouds, lest what happened to his father happen to him. ''Bobby'' remains defiant, attracting and intriguing innocent young ''Hope''. When the police leave the scene, ''Bobby'' admits to his feelings of guilt and confusion over not doing more to save his father. ''Hope'' encourages ''Bobby'' to follow his heart in Follow Your Heart. But even as ''Hope'' 's heart tells her to fall for ''Bobby'', ''Bobby'' 's heart is laying plans for a new tomorrow... As the two exit, ''Little Sally'' and ''Lockstock'' look on. After observing that ''Hope'' sure seems to love ''Bobby'', ''Little Sally'' tries to get ''Lockstock'' to tell her about Urinetown. ''Lockstock'' refuses, explaining that if he revealed that there was no Urinetown and they just killed people, it would ruin the suspense. The next day, ''Bobby'' shows up late for work after a night spent thinking. He arrives just in time to hear ''McQueen'' announcing the new - and entirely legal - urinal fee hikes just passed by the legislature. To ''Ms. Pennywise'' 's horror, ''Bobby'' dares to ask, "What if the law is wrong?" in the song Look at the Sky. By the end, ''Bobby'' and the crowd have taken control of the amenity, and the urinals are open to the masses. The people pee free! Meanwhile, the police have gotten wind of the plot, and rush into the UGC offices to tell ''Cladwell'' of the disturbance. ''Hope'' is shocked to learn of ''Bobby'' 's involvement, but urges her father not to use violence against the protestors, but to look inside the rioters' hearts to see what made them pound so angrily. ''Cladwell'' gently explains that sometimes the only way to keep the peace is with beatings, because life itself is a beating, in the song Don't Be the Bunny. ''Cladwell'' and the police rush to the amenity, and protestors, police and powerful elites clash during the Act I Finale. In the confusion, ''Little Sally'' joins the rebellion and ''Bobby'' is accused of kidnapping ''Hope''. As the situation becomes more desperate, ''Bobby'' decides that their only way for the revolution to survive is to actually kidnap ''Hope''. ''Bobby'' and the revolutionaries get away with it, because the dance choreography forces the police to move too damned slowly. Intermission - The restrooms are packed as the audience reflects on how lucky they are to live in a world where people pee for free. Sometimes they flush twice in celebration. Act II starts with What is Urinetown as frustrated authorities struggle to find the rebels, who are hidden away in a clearly labeled "Secret Hideout". As ''Cladwell'' orders a full scale mobilization of the police to find ''Hope'', the rebels (including halfwit manboy ''Tiny Tom'', leg-braced ''Becky Two Shoes'', knocked up ''Soupy Sue'', and the creepy, knife-obsessed ''Hot Blades Harry'') cluster around a bound and gagged ''Hope'', speculating on the true nature of Urinetown. The surmise (correctly), that Urinetown's end. The desperate rebels become more and more convinced that they'll soon be shipped off to Urinetown, and a little revenge is in order before it happens. The rebels are about to give ''Hope'' "the rope", when ''Little Sally'' barges in, insisting that killing people is wrong. ''Hot Blades'' and ''Becky Two Shoes'' feel differently, and argue strenuously for senseless revenge killing in Snuff That Girl. Despite ''Little Sally'' 's objections, ''Hot Blades'' and ''Becky'' are about to do in ''Hope'' when ''Bobby'' and ''Josephine'' rush in. ''Bobby'' urges the revolutionaries not to panic because the rebellion is going exactly as planned. The rebels ask ''Bobby'' why, if things went so well, did he yell for them to "Run! Run for your lives!" at the end of Act I. ''Bobby'' explains that he said that in the heat of battle, and in the heat, the actual hotness of the battle, the cry of freedom sounds something like Run Freedom Run. ''Bobby'' 's rousing gospel cry to action seems to be going well until he praises his fellow rebels for having the courage to commit to a decades-long struggle. Their good will fades quickly. Luckily, at that moment ''Pennywise'' infiltrates the secret hideout (using her extensive knowledge of the sewer system), bearing a message from ''Cladwell''. ''Cladwell'' wants ''Bobby'' to come to the UGC to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Bobby goes, eager to avoid bloodshed and effort. At the UGC headquarters, ''Cladwell'' offers ''Bobby'' a suitcase full of cash and full amnesty to the rebels as long as ''Hope'' is returned and the people agree to the new fee hikes. ''Bobby'' refuses, demanding free access for the people. ''Cladwell'' refuses, and orders the cops to escort ''Bobby'' to Urinetown. When ''Pennywise'' points out that Urinetown for ''Bobby'' could mean the end for ''Hope'', ''Cladwell'' ruthlessly refuses to give in to the demands of terrorists. ''Lockstock'' and ''Barrel'' haul ''Bobby'' off. Why Did I Listen to that Man begins with ''Fipp'' lamenting his involvement in ''Cladwell'' 's corruption. ''Pennywise'' decides to save ''Hope'', but is detained by ''Cladwell'' 's lackeys. ''Pennywise'' fights them off with her plunger, and then sings angrily that she never should have trusted ''Cladwell'' either. ''Bobby'' is dragged to the top of the UGC building by the cops. Just as he finally realizes the true nature of Urinetown, Bobby is thrown off the building. In the next scene, ''Little Sally'' returns to the Rebel hideout, having just heard ''Bobby'' 's semi-coherant last words, which she recounts to everyone in Tell Her I Love Her. The angry mob decide to do in ''Hope'' once and for all, but at the last moment ''Pennywise'' bursts in urging them to kill her instead. ''Pennywise'' reveals that ''Hope'' is her daugher (gasp!) and she is ''Hope'' 's mother (double gasp!!). ''Pennywise'' releases ''Hope''. Once released, ''Hope'' promptly convinces the rebels to let her lead the revolution. "Let's do to them what they were ultimately going to do to us!" she cries as she leads them to the nerve center of ''Cladwell'' 's empire. Once Hope takes command, the rebels seize the advantage during We're Not Sorry. During the course of the song, ''Fipp'', ''Ms. Millennium'', and ''Officer Barrel'' are killed by the revolutionaries, and ''Cladwell'' is captured and taken into custody. ''Cladwell'' is shocked to find his daughter is still alive, and even more shocked to learn that she is now in charge of the rebellion. ''Hope'' orders ''Cladwell'' off to Urinetown. ''Cladwell'' has time to sing a bittersweet goodbye to his one time lover ''Pennywise'' in We're Not Sorry - Reprise before he too is tossed off a building. Now that she is in the seat of power, ''Hope'' assures her followers that the age of fear is over. As I See a River begins, she looks ahead to a new age where the people can pee as much as they like, with whomever they like, whenever they like in whatever location they like. But as the song progresses, things take a turn for the worst. ''Officer Lockstock'' 's epilogue says it all:
And with a roar of "Hail Malthus ", the curtain falls... It's not a happy musical. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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