Urinetown - the Musical

Christian Brothers High School Theatre Department presents the musical comedy “Urinetown,” by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis. Directed by Michael D. Jackson.

“Urinetown’s” own joke is that it has a bad title. Although it can be mistaken as “You’re in Town,” it’s really a satirical Tony-winning musical comedy about what happens to a community when government decides that everyone has to pay to use a toilet. The show satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics, and environmental collapse. The show also parodies musicals such as “The Three Penny Opera," "Fiddler on the Roof," "The Cradle Will Rock,” and "Les Misérables," and the Broadway musical itself as a form.

The plot of “Urinetown” concerns a severe water shortage which has led to a totalitarian regime. The government allows a single corporation to control all public toilets, which require a fee to use, and those who can't pay are sent to the mysterious "Urinetown" never to return. Within this world, a young hero falls in love with the daughter of the corrupt CEO of the toilet company and leads a rebellion against the oppressive system. Sounds like serious stuff, but the premise is just a launching pad for fun and laughs!

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