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Chicago's Resident Production of Urinetown Begins Performances March 15

By: Mar. 15, 2006
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A resident commercial production of the Broadway hit Urinetown will begin performances in Chicago on March 15th before opening at the Mercury Theatre on March 26th.

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According to a statement by Mercury Theatre associate director Matthew Gunnels, Urinetown will be a "newly imagined production...the Mercury Theater is the perfect venue for this eagerly-awaited, sitdown production, blending the dynamite architecture of the old nickelodeon into a brand new environmental design." Tom Mullen, who recently staged the regional premiere of the show in Michigan, will once again direct, as well as co-produce the show with Blue Dog Entertainment L.L.C.

Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann's Urinetown won three 2002 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score (Kotis and Hollmann) and Best Book (Kotis). In the musical, hero Bobby Strong must fight capitalist evil in the guise of the flashy Caldwell B. Cladwell, who has outlawed the free usage of public toilets in the show's futuristic society. The musical, through a Brechtian lens, also affectionately satirizes the conventions of musical theatre. Kotis and Hollman are said to be working on both a sequel and prequel to Urinetown: "This story is totally original, and we consider this one to be another part of a trilogy, of which Urinetown is the center piece," said Hollman last year of the prequel.

The cast will feature both Broadway performers and resident Chicago actors. Among the show's actors will be Michael Buchanan (Miss Saigon national tour) as Bobby Strong, Tamara Spiewak (Les Miserables on Broadway), Christine Sherrill as Penelope Pennywise, Michael Accardo as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Norm Boucher as Senator Fipp, Jon Frazier as Officer Lockstock, Roni Geva as Little Sally, Rob Lindley as Mr. McQueen, Brian Sills as Old Man Strong and Hot Blades Harry, Nancy Jane Nelson as Ma Strong, Sarah Hayes as Soupy Sue, and Jon Runnfeldt as Tiny Tom, with Dan Ferretti, Bil Ingraham, Michael Mahler, Sara Patsy, Maggie Portman, Gerald Richardson, Thomas M. Shea, and Amy Steele in the ensemble.

The show will feature choreography by Brian Loeffler, musical direction by Michael Sobie, scenic design by John Rotonda, lighting design by Jennifer Kules, costume and wig design by Bill Morey and props design by Austin Rodriguez.

Performances will be on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 PM, Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 5 and 8:30 PM and Sundays at 5 PM. Tickets will go on sale in Feb. 22 through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.urinetown.com.


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