For Immediate Release
Delta College Presents:
(Stockton, CA) – Inflation gets the best of us. The cost of everything from postage stamps, electricity and gas continues to rise. We gripe, groan and moan as we lament how much cheaper everything was “in the good old days.” Now, contemplate how you would feel if you had to pay to use the toilet and the costs kept going up? What if you were a low-income citizen who scratched out a living day by day? Would you continue to gripe and groan or take a stand? This is the premise of URINETOWN.
One of the most uproariously funny musicals in recent years, URINETOWN is a hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year draught, 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 he’s had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom! 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 success of URINETOWN seems as unlikely as the show’s title. One of the few truly original musicals not based on existing source material, the show first premiered at the Fringe Festival in 1999. The outrageous futuristic story of a town in which the water supply is controlled by a greedy corporation, and where people have to pay for “the privilege to pee” was an instant hit with fringe audiences, who also applauded the show’s hilarious references to classic musicals such as West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. Word of mouth spread quickly, and the show was picked up for an Off-Broadway run in 2001. The reviews were wildly enthusiastic, and the show was transferred to Broadway’s Henry Miller Theater where the show opened Sept. 20, 2001. It was the first Fringe Festival show to achieve that feat. The cast includes Jason Kell as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Martin Lehman as Officer Lockstock, Joanna Bernazzani as Penelope Pennywise, Brittany Monroe as Little Sally, Catherine Frye as Hope Cladwell, and Caleb Draper as hero Bobby Strong.
URINETOWN was nominated for an impressive 10 Tony Awards, winning for Best Book, Score, and direction. It also won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical. The shows creators, Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, brought the neo-Brecthian absurdist melodrama to Broadway from their company in Chicago. Audiences should not let the title fool them. The show is not an indulgence in toilet humor. Rather, it is a light and cerebral look at how greed and corruption on the highest levels impacts us all. Most of all, URINETOWN is a hilarious evening indulging in making fun of itself.
URINETOWN is making its San Joaquin premiere under the direction of John White and choreography of Valerie Gnassounouj. Dr. Scott Bowen will lead the orchestra and Timothy Swaim is the vocal director. White describes the show as “An anti-musical that both celebrates and pokes fun at Broadway shows from 42nd Street to Big River.” The cast of thirty-eight includes Delta College students and members of the community from Lodi to Modesto. URINETOWN opens May 5 with performances on May 6, May 11 through 14. All performances at 8 p.m. except the final matinee performance on May 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for Adults and $12 for Students and Seniors. The Delta College Box Office (954-5110) is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 pm and Saturday from 11 to 3 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased online at dca.deltacollege.edu. For more information contact John White at 954-5416, 649-8695 or by E-mail at jwhite@deltacollege.edu.
Included in the cast are: Manteca actors Arabella Whitlock as Josephine Strong; her twin daughters, Rebecca and Courtney Whitlock; and Ciera Coyan as Little Becky Two-Shoes. From Lodi are Keith Fowler as Dr. Billeaux, Will Heitman as Old Man Strong, Anthony Allen as McQueen, and Macy Roper and Jacob Inman as members of the Poor. Duanne Henry and Morgan Poferl are from Tracy, and Parker Cushing as Hot Blades Harry is from Modesto.
# # #
