Riverwalk Theatre is currently in rehearsals for its latest musical comedy, "Urinetown." This satirical spin on the "standard musical" is both zany and thought-provoking. The show opens on November 7th and runs through the 14th.
Director: Brian Farnham
SYNOPSIS: Set in a dystopian society dealing with a severe water shortage, citizens are no longer allowed to use the restroom freely. In order to relieve themselves, they are required to pay a constantly-increasing fee to the corrupt “Urine Good Company,” run by businessman Caldwell B. Cladwell (James Curtis). If they decide to “go” without paying the proper fee, they are carted away by authorities to the mysterious "Urinetown" for punishment. When a romance begins to blossom between Cladwell’s daughter Hope (Kira Elena Billard), and an idealistic custodian named Bobby (Robert Mueller), it incites the poor to finally take a stand against the corporation. This chaos leads both to some absurdly hilarious moments, and the raising of some important questions. Will the poor succeed in their uprising? How far are people willing to go to obtain an “ideal” future? And, most importantly, what is Urinetown?
Cast:
Bobby Strong - Robert Mueller
Hope Cladwell - Kira Elena Billard
Caldwell B. Cladwell - James Curtis
Penelope Pennywise - Meghan Malusek
Officer Lockstock - Anthony Mandalari
Little Sally - Xia Skowronek
Josephine Strong - Lindsey Parr Hemming
Joseph "Old Man" Strong - Aaron Wittbrodt
Hot Blades Harry - Luka Pawsek
Little Becky Two Shoes - Carmen Zavala-Kelly
Tiny Tom - Tim Edinger
Soupy Sue - Lizabeth Desmet
Billy Boy Bill - Garrett Manor
Bobby the Stockfish - Zoë Schultheiss
Mr. McQueen - Adam Carlson
Senator Fipp - Riley Hirai
Mrs. Millennium - Ava Taube
Dr. Billeaux - Beck Murphy
Officer Barrel - Ron Meyer
Dance Ensemble - Amanda Tollstam, Michael Palmer, Sarah Lehman
Director Brian Farnham is thrilled to finally get the witty Urinetown off of the ground, after five years worth of cancellations related to the COVID-19 pandemic and revolving venues. Farnham states that it was well worth the wait, and the irony of performing Urinetown post COVID-19 is not lost on the director.
“Urinetown says so much about the importance of moderation in our political discourse, the importance of preserving the environment, and the dangers of extreme thinking…and it does so in a way that is incredibly funny. It’s the best of both worlds, and I feel like November 2024 is actually the perfect time to be putting up this musical, with our society having recently been through a natural disaster, crazy extreme politics, and finding the will to demand change (just like Urinetown).”
Farnham also expresses how excited he is to be working again with his "dream team-" Elisha Smith, acting as assistant director/scenographer, and music director Angie Schwab. This efficient team last collaborated in May 2023 on the well-received Peter and the Starcatcher, and it's clear through their organization and cooperation how well the three work together and understand each other.
Urinetown is full of many backstage secrets, but perhaps one of the more fun ones is that the complicated onstage romance between Cladwell and fee-collector Penelope Pennywise is portrayed by real-life couple James Curtis and Meghan Malusek! The two have excellent chemistry and, along with the rest of the experienced cast, bring a humorous, yet very real, aspect to their characters.
This balance between drama and comedy is especially important to the director, who makes sure to convey this fluently to his actors. "A good comedy makes you laugh - but a great comedy makes you think while you laugh,” Farnham says. “It is very important that the audience be able to see themselves in these characters. So while other versions of Urinetown may have seemed a bit goofy, I trust that our production will strike the right balance between a satirical comedy and a post-apocalyptic warning against extremism.”
The enthusiasm of each member of this cast and crew is evident. This, combined with the unique nature of the show's material, will make Urinetown an absolute must-see! All of these feelings can be summarized in a final quote from music director Angie Schwab: “It has been a privilege; both to pee and to work with such a fantastic level of talent."
SHOW DATES:
Thursday, November 7th, 7:00 P.M.
Friday, November 8th, 8:00 P.M.
Saturday, November 9th, 8:00 P.M.
Sunday, November 10th, 2:00 P.M.
Thursday, November 14th, 7:00 P.M.
Friday, November 15th, 8:00 P.M.
Saturday, November 16th, 8:00 P.M.
Sunday, November 17th, 2:00 P.M.
Standard tickets for this performance are $24. Senior/Student/Military tickets are available for $20, as well as Children's tickets (10 and under) for $12.
Tickets can be purchased both in the box office, and on our website:https://www.riverwalktheatre.com
Director: Brian Farnham
SYNOPSIS: Set in a dystopian society dealing with a severe water shortage, citizens are no longer allowed to use the restroom freely. In order to relieve themselves, they are required to pay a constantly-increasing fee to the corrupt “Urine Good Company,” run by businessman Caldwell B. Cladwell (James Curtis). If they decide to “go” without paying the proper fee, they are carted away by authorities to the mysterious "Urinetown" for punishment. When a romance begins to blossom between Cladwell’s daughter Hope (Kira Elena Billard), and an idealistic custodian named Bobby (Robert Mueller), it incites the poor to finally take a stand against the corporation. This chaos leads both to some absurdly hilarious moments, and the raising of some important questions. Will the poor succeed in their uprising? How far are people willing to go to obtain an “ideal” future? And, most importantly, what is Urinetown?
Cast:
Bobby Strong - Robert Mueller
Hope Cladwell - Kira Elena Billard
Caldwell B. Cladwell - James Curtis
Penelope Pennywise - Meghan Malusek
Officer Lockstock - Anthony Mandalari
Little Sally - Xia Skowronek
Josephine Strong - Lindsey Parr Hemming
Joseph "Old Man" Strong - Aaron Wittbrodt
Hot Blades Harry - Luka Pawsek
Little Becky Two Shoes - Carmen Zavala-Kelly
Tiny Tom - Tim Edinger
Soupy Sue - Lizabeth Desmet
Billy Boy Bill - Garrett Manor
Bobby the Stockfish - Zoë Schultheiss
Mr. McQueen - Adam Carlson
Senator Fipp - Riley Hirai
Mrs. Millennium - Ava Taube
Dr. Billeaux - Beck Murphy
Officer Barrel - Ron Meyer
Dance Ensemble - Amanda Tollstam, Michael Palmer, Sarah Lehman
Director Brian Farnham is thrilled to finally get the witty Urinetown off of the ground, after five years worth of cancellations related to the COVID-19 pandemic and revolving venues. Farnham states that it was well worth the wait, and the irony of performing Urinetown post COVID-19 is not lost on the director.
“Urinetown says so much about the importance of moderation in our political discourse, the importance of preserving the environment, and the dangers of extreme thinking…and it does so in a way that is incredibly funny. It’s the best of both worlds, and I feel like November 2024 is actually the perfect time to be putting up this musical, with our society having recently been through a natural disaster, crazy extreme politics, and finding the will to demand change (just like Urinetown).”
Farnham also expresses how excited he is to be working again with his "dream team-" Elisha Smith, acting as assistant director/scenographer, and music director Angie Schwab. This efficient team last collaborated in May 2023 on the well-received Peter and the Starcatcher, and it's clear through their organization and cooperation how well the three work together and understand each other.
Urinetown is full of many backstage secrets, but perhaps one of the more fun ones is that the complicated onstage romance between Cladwell and fee-collector Penelope Pennywise is portrayed by real-life couple James Curtis and Meghan Malusek! The two have excellent chemistry and, along with the rest of the experienced cast, bring a humorous, yet very real, aspect to their characters.
This balance between drama and comedy is especially important to the director, who makes sure to convey this fluently to his actors. "A good comedy makes you laugh - but a great comedy makes you think while you laugh,” Farnham says. “It is very important that the audience be able to see themselves in these characters. So while other versions of Urinetown may have seemed a bit goofy, I trust that our production will strike the right balance between a satirical comedy and a post-apocalyptic warning against extremism.”
The enthusiasm of each member of this cast and crew is evident. This, combined with the unique nature of the show's material, will make Urinetown an absolute must-see! All of these feelings can be summarized in a final quote from music director Angie Schwab: “It has been a privilege; both to pee and to work with such a fantastic level of talent."
SHOW DATES:
Thursday, November 7th, 7:00 P.M.
Friday, November 8th, 8:00 P.M.
Saturday, November 9th, 8:00 P.M.
Sunday, November 10th, 2:00 P.M.
Thursday, November 14th, 7:00 P.M.
Friday, November 15th, 8:00 P.M.
Saturday, November 16th, 8:00 P.M.
Sunday, November 17th, 2:00 P.M.
Standard tickets for this performance are $24. Senior/Student/Military tickets are available for $20, as well as Children's tickets (10 and under) for $12.
Tickets can be purchased both in the box office, and on our website:https://www.riverwalktheatre.com
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