Three Panel Musicals: URINETOWN

Three Panel Musicals: URINETOWN

 On June 16, 1937 the cast of THE CRADLE WILL ROCK made history. The union had forbidden them to perform the controversial show on stage. In response the actors performed the entire show in the aisles for a packed audience. The show’s anti-capitalist spirit lives on in a spiritual successor called URINETOWN. CRADLE mocked the rich. URINETOWN mocked the rich, the poor, the history of musical theater and the concept of political art itself.

 Greg Kotis stumbled upon his first pay toilet on a visit to Europe. The idea was planted, and the show was produced by the Neo-Futurists in their 1999-2000 season. URINETOWN transferred to Broadway in 2001 where it ran 965 performances and won 3 Tony Awards.

It really is an awful title, but then it’s meant to be. “It’s full of symbolism and things like that.”

With music by Mark Hollmann, book by Greg Kotis, and lyrics by Hollmann & Kotis, URINETOWN returns to Chicago February 4th – March 26th at BoHo Theatre. For more information visit bohotheatre.com.

Click here for past Three Panel Musicals.

About author

Paul G. Miller

Paul G. Miller has been working in Chicago theater for 10 years as an actor, singer and arts administrator. You can see more of his artwork at threepanelmusicals.blogspot.com