A water shortage caused by a 20-year drought spread throughout the city, leaving citizens to pay for their admission to urinate, as the toilets are controlled by a single government company.
This is only the beginning of the musical, “Urinetown,” which the Lost Flamingo Theatre Company is showing Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Arts West building, located on 132 W. State St.
Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, creators of the musical, first collaborated in the late 1980s, when they were both in a Chicago improvisational group.
Hollmann wrote in the introduction to the “Urinetown” book that the premise of the musical was one of the best ever presented to him, although he admitted the title of the show made him “nervous.”
Julia Poppe, a freshman studying integrated science education, plays Little Sally, a young citizen who helps the narrator, Officer Lockstock, move the story forward. Poppe said Little Sally is the only child in the cast, and decided she is about 10 years old. She said Little Sally is smart and understands more than other people might.
“(Little Sally) is very inquisitive and is very observant of what's going on,” Poppe said. “She's always the first person to notice things. If there's a change in something Bobby's saying, if there's a change in something that Hope's saying and she's the first person, she doesn't always think before she speaks.”
Bobby Strong is the male lead, who aims to bring the people of his city to justice, fighting “big business.” The company that owns every public toilet is called Urine Good Company, who Strong leads a fight against.
“It really symbolizes how powerful a group of people can be, and I think it offers a really cool look into current issues and talking about stuff that's going on in our world now, and how it relates to that,” Poppe said.
Jenna Allemang, a junior studying electrical engineering, is playing the role of Penelope Pennywise, who guards the toilets, only admitting those who she receives coins from. Allemang said Pennywise is also struggling with poverty and can definitely relate to the people she collects from, describing her as the “bridgeway between the rich and the poor.”
“It reminds me a lot of when I played Ursula in ‘The Little Mermaid’ in high school,” Allemang said. “There's a lot of overlap between those two characters and the facial suggestions that I do. She definitely walks hefty; she's a hefty character. I definitely play her very authoritarian; I try to be, but she's got a little sweet spot for a certain few individuals.”
Allemang previously acted in two LFC productions: a production of “Grease” her freshman year, where she played Miss Lynch, and the play “Almost, Maine.” She said she’s always loved singing over acting, which this musical allows her to do.
Allemang said she’s looking forward to “It’s a Privilege to Pee,” as she said it’s the big number, but she cannot wait for the audience to witness “Cop Song,” which she said is funny. She said the cast has rehearsed since a week after they received the cast lists for the spring shows in January, and rehearses for at least eight to 10 hours of rehearsal time each week, which she said is worth the time.
“It’s a really fun group,” Allemang said. “So, rehearsals aren’t like a task, they’re something silly (and) fun you get to do after class.”
Eden Nichelson, a senior studying industrial and systems engineering, is playing Little Becky Two-Shoes in “Urinetown.” This is Nichelson’s eighth show with LFC, and she said this is the first “straight comedy” she has performed in.
“I've been in a show every semester of my college career, so it's kind of crazy to say, ‘Oh yeah, this is the last one,’” Nichelson said. “Because what do you mean I don't just come back next year and see everybody again, and I do the same thing over again? So it's definitely been an adjustment, but at the same time, it makes this one just a little sweeter.”
Nichelson said explaining this musical to people has been difficult at times because people think the show is entirely about urine. Nichelson explained the show is pushing a real conversation about sustainability, politics and revolution.
“It's just using comedy to kind of push that message, which I think people really aren't used to seeing,” Nichelson said. “But it's a really refreshing change, I think, especially in the kind of economy and the world we have right now.”
Now less than a week away from opening night, Nichelson said the most enjoyable part of the 10-week rehearsal process was being able to get to know others in the cast and crew and putting effort into the arts.
“At the end of the day, I think it's all these people coming together trying to create the best show they can, just out of passion and love for the arts, even if it's not something they're pursuing all the time,” Nichelson said. “And I think there's something really beautiful about that.”
For those interested in “Urinetown,” visit LFC’s website and Instagram for more information on the show. Tickets are $5, cash only, at the door.
