Urinetown - 2001 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 5

'When I was growing up, I wanted to be a writer, a novelist, and that's what eventually drew me into acting and then directing and writing for the stage. It was always about storytelling.' Hunter Foster is reminiscing about the aspirations that led him to seek a life in the theatre. The award-winning actor, director, writer is taking a short break from rehearsal at Maine State Music Theatre, where he is about to open his twelfth production of Million Dollar Quartet on June 7th.

Drama Learning Center's professional training company for emerging young artists will present Urinetown, the Musical this June. Urinetown is a sidesplitting sendup of greed, love, revolution (and musicals) in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday June 10th at 8/9c hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. It's the biggest award show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. We can't help but wonder what chances this year's Best Musical and Best Play nominees have of taking home the ultimate prize...

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," presents the area premiere of YEAST NATION: THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE, the world's first bio-historical musical, a comic political thriller with book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, and music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, the subversive geniuses behind the award-winning Broadway musical Urinetown, running May 31-June 23, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater in the Grand Center Arts District. 

In the end, you may leave Urinetown wondering, as Little Sally does, what kind of a musical is this? Officer Lockstock would have me remind me you that it isn't supposed to be a happy one. It's one full of mixed signals: comedic tropes, untimely death, catchy music, rich vs. poor, hope for tomorrow, and an ultimately uncertain future. It makes you think not only about the baddies who want to regulate our metaphorical toilets, but also the do-gooders who act on righteous principle alone without regard to reality. 

New Line Theatre, "the bad boy of musical theatre," presents the area premiere of YEAST NATION: THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE, the world's first bio-historical musical, a comic political thriller with book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, and music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, the subversive geniuses behind the award-winning Broadway musical Urinetown, running May 31-June 23, 2018 at the Marcelle Theater in the Grand Center Arts District.

Skylight Music Theatre Artistic Director Ray Jivoff today announced the cast, creative team and band for Urinetown, The Musical, running May 18 through June 10 in Skylight's beautiful Cabot Theatre.

American Blues Theater announces encore performance run of BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan Janes, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story will close as planned on May 26, 2018 and reopen June 29 - September 15, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets will be on sale for the encore run on May 15, 2018.

URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL a production of Barn Players directed by Korey Childs opened to a golden shower of audience applause.  Flush with talent and plumb full of hilarious comedy this 2001 Broadway musical takes a swipe at political mismanagement and corporate greed run amuck. April 19-29, 2018 by The Barn Players at the Arts Asylum Kansas City, MO

Romance of the Rose Productions announces the first casting for the new West End musical Knights of the Rose. Directed by Racky Plews and created by Jennifer Marsden, Knights of the Rose opens on 29th June for 9 weeks only at The Arts Theatre. Leading the noble Knights is Adam Pearce (King Aethelstan) who is joined by Chris Cowley (Palamon), Oliver Saville (Hugo), Rebecca Bainbridge (Queen Matilda / Bess), Rebekah Lowings (Isabel), Matt Thorpe (Horatio), Ruben Van keer (John), Katie Birtill (Hannah) and Bleu Woodward (Emily). Ian Gareth-Jones, Kelly Hampson and Tom Bales make up the ensemble.

Skylight Music Theatre Artistic Director Ray Jivoff today announced the cast, creative team and band for Urinetown, The Musical, running May 18 through June 10 in Skylight's beautiful Cabot Theatre.

American Blues Theater concludes its 2017-2018 Season with BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story, written by Alan Janes, directed by Lily-Anne Brown, with musical direction by Ensemble Member Michael Mahler. BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story runs April 27 - May 26, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. 

Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced the complete casting and programming for the company's 2018 Summer Festival, which will feature new productions of four operas at The Spa Little Theater in Spa State Park, along with a wide variety of free and ticketed concert events from May 26th through July 15th at venues throughout the region. Single tickets, as well as subscription packages, are on sale now at www.operasaratoga.org.

URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, opens at the Chanticleer Theatre in Council Bluffs, Iowa tonight and runs through March 18. If you loved SOMETHING ROTTEN, you will love this crazy show. Nothing is free from biting satire: corporate greed, populism, or even your most loved musicals.

Due to demand, The New Group has announced a three-week extension for Jerry Springer - The Opera, with Matt McGrath appearing as Jerry Springer beginning March 13.  Terrence Mann, currently appearing in the role of Jerry Springer, plays his final performance March 11 due to an existing commitment beyond that date.

L/A Community Little Theatre is excited to announce the cast for their upcoming production of URINETOWN. The 2001 Broadway hit features music by Mark Hollmann and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, with book by Greg Kotis. Winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards, URINETOWN is a hilarious, touchingly honest, musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself! This production is being directed by Kay Warren, assistant directed by Nicole Chase, produced by Brandon Chaloux, choreographed by Jake Boyce, with musical direction by Rebecca Caron.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced today the cast and creative team of the world premiere production of the new musical The Sting, based on the 1973 film, and with book by Bob Martin, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann & Greg Kotis with Harry Connick, Jr.

Casting is announced today for James Graham's 'sparkling new play', Quiz, which transfers to the No l Coward Theatre. Following the success of Ink and Labour of Love, Quiz completes a hat-trick of productions in the West End for Graham in less than a year. Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans, directs Keir Charles, Greg Haiste, Mark Meadows, Henry Pettigrew, Gavin Spokes, Stephanie Street, Jay Villiers, Lizzie Winkler and Sarah Woodward who reprise their roles from the run at Chichester Festival Theatre. They are joined by Sharon Ballard.

The New Group has announced today that Terrence Mann and Will Swenson will star in the company's Off-Broadway premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera, as 'Jerry Springer' and 'Warm-Up / Satan,' respectively.

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and the preservation of musical gems from the past, as part of its acclaimed Developmental Reading Series, will present the staged reading of the new musical The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, with book and lyrics by David Spencer (The Fabulist), music Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors), and based on the novel by Mordecai Richler, for two performances only Monday, December 11 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (619 Lexington Avenue, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

'Urinetown: The Musical' opened on Broadway in 2001, but its path from lyricist Greg Kotis traveling Europe, encountering a pay toilet, getting an idea for a story, joining with Mark Hollman, writing the lyrics together, Hollman writing the music, previewing the show at the New York's Fringe Festival, and getting it on Broadway, was filled with pitfalls. Mainly, producers were turned off by the title.

Spiro Veloudos remounts one of his favorite productions in celebration of his 20 years as Producing Artistic Director.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage officially opens a new production and North American tour at the Harris Center in Folsom, CA, tonight, October 5.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the play Are You Now or Have You Ever Been , a play written and conceived by Carlyle Brown and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II with original music by William Knowles, will be in performance Oct. 5-Nov. 5 at MetroStage.

Spiro Veloudos remounts one of his favorite productions in celebration of his 20 years as Producing Artistic Director.