The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, in partnership with UNL Opera in the Glenn Korff School of Music, presents “Urinetown: The Musical” with music by Mark Hollmann, book by Greg Kotis and lyrics by Hollmann and Kotis.
Performances run through May 4 in Howell Theatre. Showtimes and ticket information is available online.
“Urinetown” is a darkly comedic satire that lampoons corporate greed, social responsibility and the legal system in a dystopian future where water scarcity has led to a ban on private toilets.
The production is directed by Ann Marie Pollard, assistant professor of practice in theatre with music direction by Suna Gunther, assistant professor of voice.
“Come because it’s a fun, entertaining musical; stay because it’s a thought-provoking take on balancing societal regulation and personal freedoms,” Pollard said. “A comedy about a water shortage with a wide-ranging musical score that is both complex and catchy, and a story with bold, expressive characters, ‘Urinetown’ has become a mainstay of the modern musical theatre canon.”
After a drought, the society in question develops a fee-based system that requires people to use regulated, sanctioned amenities with strict punishment for attempting to relieve oneself elsewhere.
“I know, not the typical expectation for a musical,” Pollard said. “But rest assured, there are heroes, villains, romances, sweeping music, fun dance numbers, and the moral dilemmas of the plot that provide the stakes of heightened theatrical experience. The creators of the show developed the material for 10 years before making their Broadway debut. It’s a tight, well-workshopped and wildly entertaining night at the theatre.”
Pollard has enjoyed collaborating with Gunther. The two collaborated in last year’s production of “Big Fish.”
“It’s such a pleasure to collaborate with Suna again as our music director and to have Kaleb WIlkening on the team this year as well,” she said. “The cast is truly special. It’s felt like a real team effort where the designers and I are bringing ideas, and the cast is running with them, and vice-versa.”
Robbie Exstrom, a senior acting major from Kearney, Nebraska, plays Caldwell B. Cladwell. James Rasser, a senior voice major from Papillion, Nebraska, plays protagonist Bobby Strong. And Brianna Stai, a junior voice major from Lincoln, plays tough warden Penelope Pennywise.
Audiences should expect a spectacular musical with a little bite to it.
“This show gets into your face by the mere premise of it centering around a bodily fluid, then it gets into your head about how we treat each other in crisis and warns us of how it might go if we are not truly honest with ourselves,” Exstrom said. “And finally, it gets into your heart by earning a billowing belly laugh and having two or more songs stuck in your head as you leave the theater. It is — much like the sewer system — multifaceted. Once everyone takes their seat, they are not going to want to leave.”
