Urinetown

Urinetown, The Musical, Hoof 'n' Horn's latest production, has the potential to be far more entertaining than its title suggests.

"This is not a show about urine," said director Russell Hainline, a junior. "It is about revolution, following your heart and trying to overcome the wrongs in society, all told in a hilarious and absurd way."

Urinetown takes place in a town plagued by a drought. The stereotypical corrupt corporation, Urine Good Company, manipulates the government into instituting a ban on private toilets and enforcing a fee to use public bathrooms. The poor become oppressed by these unreasonable fees-and the painful inability to urinate-resulting in riots in the city. They are led by a revolutionary by the name of Bobby Strong, played by sophomore Shaun Dozier, who unfortunately falls in love with the daughter of the company's CEO, played by senior Jody Kyler.

Traditional plotlines are turned into epic comedy with actors directly addressing the audience, Hainline said. The musical also takes different conventions from well-known shows, such as Les Miserables and Oklahoma, turning them into hysterical moments of parody.

Choreographer Becky Crotty, a junior, integrated this tactic of spoofing theatrical norms into the musical numbers as well. "The way the music makes fun of musical theater is not just silly but smart and clever," Crotty said, "Having never heard of the show before we began, I was excited to take my knowledge of dance and play with these dances in a completely new way."

Urinetown was a surprise success on Broadway, winning two 2002 Tony Awards for best original score and best book of a musical. Even with a questionable title, audiences made the musical one of the most unlikely hits in Broadway history. The show was originally discovered in the New York Fringe Festival, which brings thousands of cutting-edge theater performances to Manhattan every August. Starting off-Broadway, the fully staged musical was quickly brought to the larger Henry Miller Theatre; the show only closed when the venue was demolished in January 2004.

Hoof 'n' Horn, a completely student-run organization, is behind bringing the new musical to Duke for the first time ever. Their production, all around well-done and professional in all aspects, proves to move and delight its audience as much as its New York predecessor.

Despite the title's tendency to provoke an awkward smile, Urinetown is worth seeing. "Although on the outside it looks like an absurd story, it is not. It is about treating things seriously that look absurd, making the show absolutely hilarious," Hainline said.