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 Urinetown? Urinetown is a lie!” This may be one of the signature lines of Urinetown: The Musical, the new fall musical here at White Bear Lake High School, but if you’re anything like the White Bear Lake High School students who have seen Urinetown posters for the past month, it vocalizes what everyone is thinking: “What is Urinetown?” This musical, written by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis won Tony awards for Best Director (John Rando), Best Original Score (Holman and Kotis), and Best Book of a Musical (Kotis). In a 1920-esque style, the musical opens in a dirty, disgusting shanty village. Officer Lockstock, played by Dan Marta, grade 12, and Little Sally, played by Hannah Birckelbaw, grade 10, talk directly to the audience about just how bad Urintetown: The Musical is. The country has been transformed to a desolate place by a drought that has been going on for 20 years, and there is no water left to use as sanitation water. People do not have their own private bathrooms, and must pay to use public bathrooms that are controlled by the hated, yet cleverly named, Urine Good Company or UGC . People who do not urinate in these bathrooms are sent to a feared place called Urinetown, a place that no one has returned from. The musical centers on the filthiest, dirtiest public bathroom, Public Amenity #9, which is run by Penelope Pennywise, the heartless assistant to the tyrannical businessmen of UGC, played by Stephanie Solomon, grade 11. Bobby Strong, played by Alec Frasier, grade 12, is the main protagonist of the musical, who won’t stand for the rule of UGC and its owner, Caldwell B. Cladwell, played by Zach Winkler, grade 11 is a stereotypical fat cat millionaire and politician who only cares about himself, his money, and hurting the everyday working people, some of which include a brigade of the pregnant, diseased, clinically insane, and angry (including Hot Blades Harry, Soupy Sue and Robby the Stockfish, etc.). Hope, the beautiful daughter of Cladwell, played by Abby Anderson, grade 11, is caught up in a forbidden love affair with Bobby and a urine-based revolution against Cladwell that is very quickly spiraling out of control. Based on my personal experience with the White Bear Lake Theatre program I fully expect Urinetown to be a great show. Our theatre program is one of the best in the state of Minnesota because we have a group of very dedicated young men and women that are working to create art on our stage. Urinetown is under the direction of Wendy Suoja, a choir teacher from North Campus and Sunrise Park Middle School, and Rob Sutherland, who is directing on our stage for the first time. Urinetown debuts at the North Campus Theatre, at 5040 Bald Eagle Avenue, on November 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 at 7:00pm, with a 2pm matinee performance that is free for senior citizens on November 14. Tickets are $7 for students and seniors and $9 for adults. You can get your tickets ahead of time at The Nest in downtown White Bear Lake, near the library, or by having you’re high school student buy them at lunch during MEA week. For White Bear Lake High School students looking to help out with the production of Urinetown there is a crew meeting coming up soon. Crew positions include less involved jobs like ushering and concessions, to the more involved backstage crew and light and sound positions. And don’t forget to continue your White Bear Lake Theatre patronage this winter for White Bear’s production of 12 Angry Jurors (12 Angry Men)!
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