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Lycoming College presents Tony Award-winning musical ‘Urinetown’

Audiences will enjoy a musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy and corporate mismanagement, as Lycoming College Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning musical “Urinetown,” 8 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday in the Mary L. Welch Theater, 700 College Place.

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom.

Written by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, “Urinetown” stars Nicholas Auletti as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Gabriela Burch as Little Sally, Calvin Chandler as Mr. McQueen, Laurel Davis as Tiny Tom/Dr. Billeaux, and many more. The musical is directed by Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, with musical direction by Gary Boerckel and choreography by Megan Mizanty.

“Urinetown” is an exceptionally well written musical — original, smart, insightful and artful,” Stoytcheva-Horissian said. “The unique combination of biting social satire and loving parody of the musical theatre as an art form works on so many levels, providing each audience member with a slightly different message, question, or experience.”

Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, “Urinetown” is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, “Urinetown” catapults the “comedic romp” into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.

The winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards, “Urinetown” is a hilarious musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself. Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, “Urinetown” provides a fresh perspective on one of America’s greatest art forms.

“Kotis and Hollmann mix absurdity and realism, idealism and cynicism, despair and hope, all while celebrating and lovingly mocking the traditional conventions of the musical theatre as an art form,” Stoytcheva-Horissian said. “‘Urinetown’ acknowledges its own absurdity, admitting that its dark moments of truth dispersed amongst preposterous moments of humor present a show unlike most other musicals.”

“Urinetown” debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival, and then was produced Off-Broadway at the American Theatre for Actors in 2001. The musical satire then opened on Broadway at Henry Miller’s Theatre, running from 2001-2004, totaling 25 previews and 965 performances. In 2002, the show won Tony Awards for best score, book, and direction of a musical on Broadway.

“Urinetown” takes place in a not-so-distant dystopian future where a 20-year drought has caused a large political upheaval and where private toilets have been banned and citizens must pay a fee to utilize the public amenities, owned and controlled by Urine Good Company, a large monopolizing corporation.

Stoytcheva-Horissian notes that the storyline and plot, while satirical and outlandish in nature, present a series of powerful depictions of class disputes, a monopolistic corporation, and natural disaster that despite their overly satirical nature create very clear commentaries on our society today.

“The show’s dystopian future may not seem that distant or absurd, though, if we take a moment to look around and notice our world: the growing economic disparity, the Cape Town water crisis, the recent examples of corporate mismanagement, the brutality, the scarcity of natural resources and overpopulation, the climate change, or the challenges that many new democracies face after revolutions,” she said. “And suddenly, the words of Little Sally will begin to sound alarmingly real, “What is Urinetown? Urinetown is here!”

Stoytcheva-Horissian believes the audience will be very much entertained by the original and somewhat absurd premise of this satirical story.

“The humor is undeniable, and the audience will enjoy the clever storyline, the witty dialogue, the hilarious characters, and the remarkable music,” she said. “And yet I think they will also quickly recognize the serious social issues and underlying tensions that are gently wrapped in this hilarious cover.”

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