 |
| Photo by Nate Pesce |
“This is not a happy musical,” stated
the show’s narrator rather candidly to the audience. “But it is
a musical.” Indeed, Urinetown: The Musical, which is presented at the Smith Theatre by
Howard Community College’s Arts Collective, confronts a variety of societal
ills that lead to despair and tragedies.
But these plot elements are treated so satirically that laughter from
the crisp dialogue, the joyful musical numbers, and the spoofing of other
Broadway hits like Les Miserables permeate
throughout the show.
Urinetown: The Musical was a
three-time Tony Award winner in 2002 (including Best Director, John Rando) with
music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis (both
won Tony’s). Kotis also wrote the book where
he drew his inspiration by backpacking across Europe on a tight budget and
encountering a pay-per-use toilet. According
to Jenny Male who directed the Arts Collective production of Urinetown: The Musical, Kotis “envisioned
a world where a corrupt private company controlled all toilets to preserve
water and ensure the continual flow of cash into its own pockets.”Read complete review at MD Theatre Guide.
No comments:
Post a Comment