Urinetown: The Musical is set to make a big splash at Littleton's Town Hall Arts Center, where it opens Friday, January 26, and runs through February 25, spinning a world where the satire flows as freely as...well, you get the idea.
"I've been in the show years ago and have always loved it," says Robert Michael Sanders, THAC's director and chief operating officer. "The message is still as relevant as ever, but it's wrapped up in such a quirky little comedy bow. I wanted to be true to the script and yet make it really tangible for people who are able to see past the title and give it a try. You have to come to the show to see how we have made it easy to connect with."
Think Les Misérables, but with a lot more bathroom humor. Urinetown is a Tony Award-winning musical that covers capitalism, environmental collapse and star-crossed lovers, all in the setting of a drought-stricken city where the loo is a luxury. Following a devastating water shortage, a government-enforced monopoly called "Urine Good Company" charges citizens for the privilege of using public amenities.
The plot swirls around the hero, Bobby Strong, who leads a bladder-busting rebellion against the pay-per-pee regime. This is the third show of THAC's 2023-2024 season and promises to be a hilarious romp about the perils of taking nature's call for granted. "We did All Shook Up and Matilda to give everyone those big family-friendly titles, and January is always a tough slot," says Sanders. "People have post-holiday depression, if you will, and I thought it was the perfect way to give them a good laugh."
One of the challenges that choreographer Ronni Stark faced was how to get people to dance about a dystopia. This was also her first time choreographing a show she had never seen or performed in, so she was starting from scratch, which she describes as a "unique, fun challenge."
"It was important to get creative," Stark says. "To not simply move for movement's sake, but what would really move the story along and add to the storytelling. I also wanted to make sure that these musical numbers did not begin to all look the same, but that each stood out and was memorable. ... Often in this show, I have pulled choreography from well-known musical theater shows that I hope the audience will recognize and get a good chuckle [from], playing up the satirical nature of Urinetown."
Music director Dan Graeber notes that the score is "incredibly intentional," and he is doing his best to honor every detail. With almost every song showcasing the ensemble singing intricate harmonies, Graeber had his work cut out for him. "I spent two weeks before the first rehearsal going line by line through the script and score, using multiple spreadsheets to map out every cast member’s track through the show," Graeber shares. "We were blessed to be able to put together a really killin’ cast of singers, and I spent a lot of time with each song, carefully matching the different voices to the written harmonies — kind of like painting musically, with sixteen different vocal colors. It was exciting to hear that work come to life in the room. And I’ve really appreciated how committed this cast has been to working at a high level of detail, which this score demands." The orchestrations also call for the band to play a wide variety of instruments that are not always heard in musical theater.
"In addition to the drum set, the percussionist plays a whole bunch of fun percussion instruments, including even an old, rusted metal car part that he bangs on at one point," says Graeber. "And the reed player bounces between playing four different reed instruments, from bass clarinet up to soprano sax, and he gets to play some great, creative lines in the show. All those colors add up to a distinctive texture that sets the mood for the show, right from the first measure of the overture. And the band is on stage and visible — truly a part of Urinetown!"
Creating a show about bathroom politics isn't all fun and games. Stark worked hard to ensure the large cast didn't just look like a crowded restroom queue. Meanwhile, Graeber was coaching actors on how to hit notes as high as the play's price to pee. "It’s all in the preparation," he notes. "Littleton Town Hall always brings together great teams, and this has been an especially committed, generous and collaborative group. I’m so grateful for that, and I know it’s what makes the show great."
"The task was to take an extremely funny cast of actors and make sure they tell the story with truth and heart.
Courtesy of Colleen Lee Photography
"If people try to go too far to be funny, then we lose the point," he says. "So the task was to take an extremely funny cast of actors and make sure they tell the story with truth and heart. The comedy is there in the text, and the currents of greed, capitalism and the environment are sometimes best served up with an uncomfortable laugh. It will make some points, but I didn't want it to be preachy or heavy-handed."
Sure, the title might raise eyebrows (or nostrils), but Urinetown is more than potty jokes set to music. It's a clever, thought-provoking poke at societal issues, wrapped up in a package that's as entertaining as it is enlightening.
"There are often so many things happening on stage, you are always trying to take it all in," Sanders says. "If the title was something more public-friendly, this show would always be a sellout, but Urinetown it is, and Urinetown is your town."
Urinetown: The Musical opens on Friday, January 26, and runs through Sunday, February 25, at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main Street in Littleton. Get tickets at townhallartscenter.org.
