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Drama Department Performs "Urinetown"

Urinetown Poster

URINETOWN – Laugh Out Loud Broadway Musical Performs at Butte College

October 27 – November 5

What if you had to pay for the privilege to pee? The Butte College Drama Department selected the 3-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical URINETOWN for its fall production. Set in a fictional future, inspired by the past, URINETOWN is a silly, thought-provoking musical about a drought that is so severe that the government hires a private company (Urine Good Company, and led by Caldwell B. Cladwell) to maintain public toilets that folks have to pay to use. And you must use the public toilets and if you don’t, you’ll be sent to URINETOWN, “which is kind of a mythical place, you understand. A bad place. A place you won’t see until Act Two. Well, let’s just say it’s filled with symbolism and things like that,” as stated by Officer Lockstock, our narrator.

URINETOWN opens Friday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m., with performances continuing Saturday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, October 29 at 2 p.m., Friday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m., and closing on Sunday, November 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17 for adults and $10 for seniors/students, plus EventBrite fees. Tickets are available at the door or via: www.ButteDrama.com. For more information, call 530-895-2994 or email Director Jesse Merz: merzje@dbayscpa.com. Performances take place at the Butte College Black Box Theatre, Main Campus, ARTS Building, 3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville. URINETOWN is for suggested for those 10 years old and up.

The idea for URINETOWN was born in the Spring of 1995 when Greg Kotis, traveling in Europe, encountered pay-per-use toilets at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. It was then that the musical's central idea hit him: a Gotham-like city where all the toilets were controlled by a greedy, crooked corporation with no concern for the poor, bladder-oppressed masses.

According to Kotis, the show "was created in a spirit of defiance against what's typically offered up as stage worthy in America today." The result is pure, hilarious and innovative entertainment. The show parodies many popular musicals and theater conventions and playfully pokes fun at itself. URINETOWN is also rich with social commentary about the American economy, the division between rich and poor, and the way we abuse the environment we depend on.

In 1999 URINETOWN got its start when the New York City Fringe Festival was looking to add more musicals to its lineup. URINETOWN became the hit of the festival, and its success led to a commercial production. Flush with the talents of an all-star creative and producing team, URINETOWN took home Tony Awards in 2002 for best director, best original score and best book of a musical. URINETOWN moved on to a national tour and is currently enjoying great success at the educational/community theater level.

URINETOWN features music and lyrics by Mark Hollman and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis. URINETOWN was produced on Broadway in September, 2001 by the Araca Group and Dodger Theatricals in association with TheaterDreams, Inc., and Lauren Mitchell. Butte College’s production features a set designed by Robert Pickering, lighting designed by Michael Johnson, costumes by Lynne Schuepbach, sound designed by Davin Schreindl, the stage manager is Ashbrooke Hinkle, choreography by Melinda Buzan, musical direction by Tamara Allspaugh, and is directed by Butte’s Theatre Arts instructor, Jesse Merz.

"URINETOWN has been one of my favorite shows since I got to perform in it at UC Davis 10 years ago as a graduate student,” said Butte College Theater Director, Jesse Merz. “Its concept and script are super hilarious and the songs are catchy and still bring me tremendous joy. It’s an optimistic show, but also has some real interesting balance to it. Come to Butte College and enjoy this award-winning Broadway musical!”

The Butte College drama student cast includes:
Officer Lockstock – David Loperena
Penelope Pennywise – Bronwyn Allen
Bobby Strong – Marcus Rutledge
Little Sally – Kaleigh Joyce
Hope Cladwell – Sarah Merrill
Caldwell B. Cladwell – Bryce Corron
Mr. McQueen – Victor Aguilar
Senator Fipp – Micah Santo
Hot Blades Harry – Ray Walters
Soupy Sue – Cyndi Ledet
Tiny Tom – Angel Berlanga
Little Becky Two-Shoes – Thalia Quiroz
Robby the Stockfish – Eric Blankenship
Officer Barrell – Garrett Vincent
Billy Boy Bill – Kayden Strand
Josephine Strong – Mellisa Wilcoxen
Mrs. Millennium – Faith Snelson
Dr. Billeaux – Nick Reiner
Old Man Strong – Nick Reiner
Girl Cop – Katy Hodges
Boy Cop – Isabelle Ralston
Ensemble – Julia Hoistad

Linda Winer of Newsday wrote that URINETOWN is “elevated silliness of the highest order that makes a gratifying case for the restorative return to knowing foolishness and the smartly absurd.”

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URINETOWN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).  All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

Butte College | 3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville CA 95965 | General Information (530) 895-2511

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