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By: Steve Kannon | Posted: on August 09, 2008

URINE GOOD COMPANY Clockwise from lower left, Kathryn Lawler, Steve Robinson, Mark Panchaud, Michael Smyth, Laura Albrecht and Deb Deckert rehearse for the JM Drama production of Urinetown, running Aug. 13-16 at the Registry Theatre.

The subject is commonplace, shared by every one of us. But it’s not usually the topic of conversation – well, not beyond the toddler stage – let alone the stuff of Tony Award-winning theatre.
Still, there’s no getting around the central precept of Urinetown. It’s not just a play on words – it’s a musical that relies on toilet humour, with a nod to loftier ideals. And, oh, plenty of laughs.
The whole kit and caboodle will be on display for all to see next week during the JM Drama production at the Registry Theatre in Kitchener.
Urinetown is a comedic tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution that takes place in a Gotham City-like place which has been devastated by 20 years of drought. In order to ration the water, the citizens must now use public, pay-per-use facilities owned and operated by Urine Good Company – an evil and greedy private corporation.
Relevant to today’s spiraling oil prices and water shortages, the play deals with the sustainability of people’s lifestyles and the changes that may be required to survive.
“It’s about corruption in politics and large corporations. And it’s also about individual responsibility for your actions. It all sounds serious, but it’s very absurd – it’s very fun. You can’t help but enjoy yourself,” director Cheryl Ewing said of the musical, now in the final stages of rehearsals.
The idea for Urinetown was born in the spring of 1995 when Greg Kotis, travelling in Europe on a paltry budget, encountered pay-per-use toilets at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. It was then that the musical’s central idea hit him: a Gotham-like city where all the toilets were controlled by a greedy, crooked corporation with no concern for the poor, bladder-oppressed masses.
According to Kotis, the show “was created in a spirit of defiance against what’s typically offered up as stage-worthy in America today.” The result is a show that parodies many popular musicals and theatre conventions while playfully poking fun at itself. Urinetown is also rich with social commentary about the Western economy, the division between rich and poor, and the way we abuse the environment we depend on.
In 1999, Urinetown got its start when the New York City Fringe Festival was looking to add more musicals to its lineup. The musical became the hit of the festival, and its success led to a commercial production. Moving from off-off-Broadway, to off-Broadway and, finally, into the big time, Urinetown took home Tony Awards in 2002 for best director, best original score and best book of a musical.
From her first viewing back in 2002, Ewing was hooked on the story.
“Right from the start, just a few minutes in, I knew that this was a show I wanted to work on – to act in or to direct,” she said, categorizing the show as character-driven with some great music.
“The music is surprisingly good … given the subject,” she added with a laugh.
In the spirit of the play, theatergoers will have to pay to use the toilets, with all proceeds going to the Rotary Club of Kitchener, eventually qualifying for matching funds to support water projects in Kenya.
In fact, the production will look at the full range of environmental impacts, from catering with local food to using biodegradable cups, Ewing explained.
The JM Drama production of Urinetown runs Aug. 13-16 at the Registry Theatre, 122 Frederick St., Kitchener. Tickets are $15-$20, available at the Centre in the Square box office by calling 578-1570 or toll free 1-800-265-8977 or online at www.centre-square.com.

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