It's a world where water depletion has made the privilege to pee an expensive proposition controlled by the same corporate moguls who also control the government. Winner of three 2002 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, "Urinetown" pits good against evil, the will of the people against big business, and bladder control against penury. Will good triumph, and would such triumph be a good thing?
The Musical Theatre Guild (MTG) is turning the Sala de Puerto Rico into a "Public Amenity" from Thursday to Saturday, Feb. 2-4, at 8 p.m., to answer these questions, as well as the questions asked by the show's Little Sally, who wonders whether bad subject matter or a bad title could "kill a show pretty good."
According to director Tim Abrahamsen, a senior in aeronautics and astronautics, "Urinetown" is far more than a "bad" title. "It's a comedy, for sure, and a hilarious one at that," says Abrahamsen. The real genius of the show is how it parodies the theatrical conventions of classic Broadway, he says. "Ideas like love at first sight, the inevitable triumph of good over evil, and the concept of 'happily ever after' ��� are satirized in 'Urinetown' in a fantastically original way."
For producer Matthew Ciborowski, a sophomore in urban studies and planning, the script and MTG's interpretations in "Urinetown" are wonderful "hacks" of the greatest Broadway shows. "All of your favorite shows appear onstage," he says. "While the show is about urine, it is also about class, love, oppression and conflict."
Tickets to "Urinetown" range from $6 to $12. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit web.mit.edu/mtg/www/.
