October 21, 2006

Urinetown: The Musical! The show is meant to be a comedy, featuring satire of the corporate world, sight gags, 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).

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. A twenty-year drought has caused a terrible water shortage, making private toilets unthinkable. All restroom activities are done in public amenities (that is, public toilets) controlled by a private corporation, the Urine Good Company (UGC for short). To control water consumption, people have to pay to use the amenities. "That," as Lockstock says, "is the central conceit of the show." There are harsh laws ensuring that people pay to pee, and if they are broken, the perpetrator is sent to a place called "Urinetown", from which none return.

posted by The Underpants Monster 18 years ago
  • ah TUM, how could I have doubted you.
  • [requires Flash]
  • Slightly old news. The Broadway production closed in January 2004, and the tour shuttered in June 2004. It has a great story of journeying from an off-off-Broadway production in the Fringe Festival to an off-Broadway production to a Tony-winning Broadway run. It's a brilliant show. I highly recommend seeing any regional productions that might pop up.
  • I must say the title is impressively repulsive. I still don't want to see it even though it sounds pretty interesting otherwise.
  • I've been to Urinetown. Most people call it "Metro Detroit". Yep. Less than a block from Comerica Park, the city smells like a week-old vat of wee. At least it did last time I was there. (I hear they cleaned it up some for SuperBowl XL. Could still be relatively clean for the World Series.)
  • well I don't know about the rest of ya's but I have actually smelled an actual "vat of wee" that was 24-hours old, at least (burning man, you know, pee-utopia) and OH MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's difficult for mere words to express the catastrophic dimensions of that stink :P
  • The elevator in our downtown parking garahe has a mysteriously damp, ammonia-smelling corner.
  • In the name of science, I command you, TUM, to inspect the material in said corner for the purpose of fully understanding its composition. The procedure is simple: only a taste-test is necessary to obtain the required information. I look forward to your results.
  • Hey, guys! I got an idea! We can put on a show, right here in the barn! Casting for the off-off-off Broadway Monkey Production of Urinetown starts Monday. We can't let this show die!
  • it's difficult for mere words to express the catastrophic dimensions of that stink :P *De Railer Alert:* Now, I'm not saying that the vast and quite literal "lakes of urine" that abut the factory farms engaged in quickly fattening cattle and pigs for slaughter and profit are blatantly abhorrent and a crime to nature itself; Nor am I arguing that the perpetuation of this cruel and horrific practice is specifically degrading to us as a species. Howe- oh, wait. Yes I am.
  • oh hey...i actually worked on the costumes for the original production...specifically, my job was to make them appear *ahem* stained. part of this involved wearing all the dresses (one at a time)while being manhandled by boys with paint on their hands. boy do i ever suffer for art.