It's not every day you see a musical with a reference to the act of relieving one's self in the title, but that is exactly what you will get when Urinetown: The Musical, the Tony Award-winning musical with the 'awful title' opens Friday April 12th at the Queen Street Playhouse.
Set in a comically dystopian future where a mix of a 20 year drought and corporate greed have led to residents having to 'pay to pee' in regulated public bathrooms, Urinetown: The Musical on the surface appears to be an hilarious satire of capitalism, environmental neglect and municipal politics…and it is all of that!…But it's also a wildly clever and hysterical parody of musical theatre itself, taking on a wide variety of musical theatre cliches with winking nods to shows such as West Side Story, Evita, Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, and many more, all wrapped up in a rollercoaster of a musical comedy where the audience is always in on the joke.
Narrated by the charming but mysterious Officer Lockstock, whose job it is to keep the streets clear of those peeing for free (or else a trip to 'Urinetown' for them) the show introduces you to a cavalcade of stock musical theatre characters. From the impish, preciousness of Little Sally and no-nonsense, matronly Miss Pennywise to the corrupt boss Mr. Cladwell and the optimistic ingenue Hope, you'll recognize and laugh with them all as they do their best to try and avoid the fate of a deadly trip to Urinetown!
Directed by Kyle Barnette (POTUS, Head Over Heels) and Music Directed by Rebecca Weatherby, Urinetown: The Musical opens at the Queen Street Playhouse Friday April 12th and runs through April 28th. Tickets and more info at footlightplayers.net or 843-722-4487.
