Overview

In a Gotham-like city, a depletion of the Earth's water supply has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The privilege to pee is regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging for one of humanity's most basic needs. From amongst the people, a hero has risen who will lead them to freedom. A grand, mischievous love letter to the conventions of musical theatre, Urinetown depicts a world wracked by ecological disaster, caught in the throes of corporate greed, and ultimately toppled by the best of intentions. Praised by critics for reinvigorating the contemporary musical, Urinetown is one of the most distinctive, intelligent and jubilant theatrical experiences of the twenty-first century. It opened at New York City's Fringe Festival, then transferred to Broadway in September 2001, winning three Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical. Urinetown received its UK premiere at the St James Theatre, London, in February 2014, later transferring to the Apollo Theatre in September, in a production directed by Jamie Lloyd. This edition includes a preface by playwright David Auburn and extensive introductions by each of the authors. 'A dark, stark delight' — The Stage 'Darkly entertaining and exceptionally sharp' — Telegraph 'A musical for our times… Uniquely outrageous' — Chicago Tribune 'Somewhere beyond the sublime, beyond the ridiculous, lies Urinetown. Inspired, fresh, exuberant, even moving' — Entertainment Weekly

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9781854597175

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Reviews

('Of course you're not supposed to like the title - that's part of the big, good-natured joke...' The New Yorker); 'A wild and happy mix of biting satire and loving parody' New York Post; 'When was the last time left-wing agit-prop was the subject for a musical - much less one that's so entertaining?' Time Magazine; 'The title is so awful I didn't want to go, but Urinetown is a happy surprise... Takes every Broadway banality and subverts it with refreshing cynicism. The songs abound in wit and panache,' Wall Street Journal; 'A supremely funny, bitingly smart and splendidly enjoyable show' Time Out New York

"""('Of course you're not supposed to like the title - that's part of the big, good-natured joke...' The New Yorker); 'A wild and happy mix of biting satire and loving parody' New York Post; 'When was the last time left-wing agit-prop was the subject for a musical - much less one that's so entertaining?' Time Magazine; 'The title is so awful I didn't want to go, but Urinetown is a happy surprise... Takes every Broadway banality and subverts it with refreshing cynicism. The songs abound in wit and panache,' Wall Street Journal; 'A supremely funny, bitingly smart and splendidly enjoyable show' Time Out New York"

Author Information

Greg Kotis has written many plays and musicals including Urinetown: The Musical (Book/Lyrics, for which he won an Obie Award and two Tony Awards), Give the People What They Want, All Your Questions Answered, Michael von Siebenburg Melts Through the Floorboards, The Boring-est Poem in the World, Yeast Nation (Book/Lyrics), The Truth About Santa, Pig Farm, Eat the Taste and Jobey and Katherine. His work has been produced and developed in theaters across the US and around the world, including Actors Theater of Louisville, American Conservatory Theater, American Theater Company, the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Conference, Henry Miller’s Theatre (Broadway), Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Stage and Film, Perseverance Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Soho Rep, South Coast Rep and The Old Globe, among others. Greg is a member of the Neo-Futurists, the Cardiff Giant Theater Company, ASCAP, and the Dramatists Guild. He grew up in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Ayun Halliday, and their children, India and Milo. Mark Hollmann is a musical-theater composer and lyricist who received the Tony Award, the National Broadway Theatre Award, and the Obie Award for his score to Urinetown: The Musical, which itself won Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Musical. In addition, Urinetown was selected as one of the season’s best plays in The Best Plays of 2000-2001: The Otis Guernsey/Burns Mantle Theatre Yearbook. From its successful run on Broadway, Urinetown has had productions across the US and throughout the world, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Australia, Canada and the Philippines. His other musicals as composer/lyricist include Bigfoot and Other Lost Souls; Yeast Nation (the triumph of life); The Man in the White Suit; Alchemist: The Musical; Jack the Chipper; The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat; Kabooooom!; I Think I Can; Deal with It! and Fare for All. For television, he has written songs for the Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites. Mark has served on the Tony Nominating Committee and currently serves on the council of the Dramatists Guild of America and the advisory council of the Dramatists Guild Fund. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and lives in New York City with his wife, Jillian, and their sons, Oliver and Tucker.

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