Fall Musical 2007 - "Urinetown The Musical"

It was a big deal for us to tackle Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis's fabulously funny and dark show, Urinetown the Musical as our 2007 Fall production...and boy was it pee-in-your pants fun!

We gave it a fabulous three night run in the Jerry R. Knight Auditorium to overwhelmingly appreciative audiences.

It was directed by Mrs. Romanowski, student directed by Erin Carmody, and the technical direction by Mr. Schaefer. It was stage managed by Caroline Siede with assistance by Laura Mitchler. It was musically directed by Mr. Kinworthy and the awesome band was lead by Chris Petersen.

"We Will Pee For Free!"
The Cast of Urinetown the Musical on the Jerry R. Knight Auditorium stage in 2007
 
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To view a video montage of our production follow the link below:
 
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This show was so much fun for our department to produce. Lots of hard work and dedication to put it all to together, but the end result was something very special. The cast was huge, the set was weird, and the music was tough! We worked our tails off for three months straight getting this show up and running.
Our T-shirt Design for the show
The Plot Synopsis
The plot of Urinetown is fairly straightforward. The scene is a city in a parallel universe in the mid 1900’s in which the majority of the citizens’ dreary low-class existence is compounded by a water shortage, which has lead to the institution of pay-per-use public bathrooms and the jailing of unsanitary offenders. Urine Good Company (UGC) is the Evil Corporation that runs these bathrooms, and the CEO, Caldwell B. Cladwell’s daughter, Hope, comes home from college, falls in love with Bobby Strong, the leader of the long overdue revolution....and... chaos ensues.

In his preface to the published script, composer Hollmann talks directly to the actor in saying that - a joke is funnier when you don't smile while telling it.

It was funny...and none of the characters smiled too much.


THE SET


Brennan Eller and Grace Knobbe in rehearsal for "Don't Be The Bunny"


The design for the set was conceived by Mr. Schaefer and the technical theater classes and truly was a work of pure collaboration and improvisational design. 

Julianne Towers, Maddie Byrne and Kelley Manuel

We spent quite a bit of time in the classroom with the libretto and the B-way cast album trying to get some visuals and sketches that came to mind for the world of the play. Then we went to computer labs and pulled all kinds of toilet and sewer imagery. 

During the three weeks of research and drafting, Mr. Schaefer began to dumpster dive for all kinds of stuff to attach and build into the bridge structure.

The concept for the scenery became one word... "industry".   






The cast and Mrs. Romanowki really needed the set to block the show, because of all the scene changes and dancing, so we constructed the bridge pretty fast and they began to play on it very early in the process (we love when that can happen!)


Caroline Siede (SM) and Laura Mitchler (ASM) on the show.
They made a GREAT team!


Brennan Eller as Cladwell telling his Daughter Hope,
played by Grace Knobbe, ..."Don't be the Bunny"


Technical Challenges
Fog machine amd fan blowers- that were imbedded in the set to give the cool effect of steam shooting out from a big steel grate in the structure.
Bobby's death fall - Thanks to Mr. Cady, we were able to have Bobby (Adam Schartz) fall 7 ft to his very comic death.

We tied the lines to the grid and got to run practices in tech class to make sure it would all work forthe audience. It was brilliant!

Caroline, Julianne and Erin cleaned out the top of the stairwell SR and we began to use that room as the dressing room for the next several shows
COSTUMES

We love to do a show occasionally that has the entire cast is ripped up and dirty clothes. SO much easier than "clean" costumes



Adam Schwartz as Bobby Strong rallying the people to revolt


We did have several fiun costumes to assemble and find.

- 2 Policemen uniforms for Lockstock and Barrel

- Lots of police hats and flashlights

- A Great hot pink woman's business suit for Hope 

- an oversized baby-bump for Litte Beck Two shoes

- Lab coats a plenty!

- Two great suits for Cladwell and McQueen (they looked spiffy!)


Chris Sears (as Lockstock) and Julianne Towers as (Little Sally)
had incredible chemistry!

CAST

Chris Sears...............................Officer Lockstock
Maddie Byrne..........................Ms. Pennywise
Adam Schwartz.......................Bobby Strong
Julianne Towers.......................Little Sally
Jake Fruend..............................Mr. McQueen
Greg Webb...............................Senator Fipp
Jack Newsham.........................Barrel
Grace Knobbe..........................Hope Cladwell
Geoff Peasall...........................Old Man Strong
Brennan Eller..........................Caldwell B. Cladwell
J Joyce.....................................Tiny Tom
Kelley Manuel.........................Soupy Sue
Halet Day................................Becky Two Shoes
Clayton Zimmerman...............Robby the Stockfish
Carrie Weber...........................Mrs. Strong
Jack Bourgeois........................Hot Blades Harry
Sam Holden.............................Billy Boy Bill
Andrew Dent...........................Dr. Billeaux


Chris Sears, Adam Schwartz , Julianne Towers, Maddie Byrne
and the whole cast singing"This is Urinteown"
Mr. Kinworth had his hands full with this crazy cast and with the music in this show. The students really stepped it up for him and boy did they sang their hearts out.


The score is incredibly difficult and it was a huge challenge to get all of the music ready in time. With a lot of rehearsal hours logged, the final result was a very impressive sound. 

- Lots of rigorous solos for the leads!

- The chorus had their hands full with some of the most complex
   harmonies written for Off-Broadway.

The audiences that saw this show to this day
can't stop talking about it!  



The Cast and Crew of "Urinetown the Musical" at WGHS



CHORUS

Maddie Holtzman
Katie Killeen
Louise Love
Alicia Trebus
Caitlin Rodgers
Scott McDonald
Natalie Lester
Cameron Thurman
Julia Gray
Jerome Riley
Jim Schoulberg
Sean O'Brien
Tea Rose Pankey
Katy Ibur
Mary Zimmerman
Audrey Meyer
Ben Kryder
Anna George
Aubrey Wride
Zoe Matthews



Jack, Sam, Haley, Kelley, Julianne, Carrie, and Caitlin singing "....look in the Sky!"


THE CREWS

This show provided the students with a lot of technical challenges and opportunity. The effort paid and the results were fantastic!



The amazing and talented student production team for "Urinetown the Musical" at WGHS


Lighting.................................Colin Croy
                                               Tom Chudy
                                               Pete Schweiss
                                               7th Hour Adv Tech Theatre

Spot Ops................................Cameron Stelling
                                               Aaron Taylor

Sound Design/Op..................Brandon Hopkins
Sound OP..............................Bobby Schindel

Fog Op..................................Max Buchan
                                              Anya Broadfield

Curtain Op............................Maggie Mohr

Fly Ops.................................Peter Schweiss
                                              Becca Theerman
                                              Thom Chudy

Props Chief...........................Niki Swanson
Props Assistant.....................Ryanne Fields

Costumes..............................Mrs. Romanowski
                                              Stevie Trembley
                                              Anne Fedde
                                              Anne Romer

Chief Scenic Artists..............Becca Theerman
                                              Mr. Schaefer

Painters.................................Megan Navia
                                              Sarah Manuel
                                              Stevie Trembley
                                              Anna Fedde
                                              Katie Siede
                                              Aaron Buleski
                                              Thom Chudy
                                              Laura Mitchler
                                              Mel Bodkin
                                              Louise Love
                                              Megan Navia
                                              Colin Croy
                                              Maggie Mohr
                                              Cara Miltugh
                                              Jessy Boedeker

House Manager....................Caitlyn McCann





The DANCING

The show had several very cool dance numbers in it for our brand new choreographer to tackle. Lots of different styles, requiring very complex routines.

Robin Berger (owner of Leaping Lizard's Performing Arts Studio) joined our production and creative team on this show, and it was the best thing to happen to our musicals. She worked these kids out!

Urinetown contained some of the best
Broadway style dancing
to hit our stage!   

 
Jack Bourgeois, Grace Knobbe, Haley Day
and the cast singing "Snuff that Girl" 


The cast was extremely diligent in learning all the dancing, practicing every chance they got, and it required a huge amount of focus when the show opened. The dancing really brought an excitement and energy to this show...and sometimes it added even more laughs.






There is only one Urinetown the Musical and we are so thrilled that we got the opportunity to make it come to life on the Jerry R. Knight stage.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this show happen, including all the parents and friends who came out and supported the show by being our dedicated patrons!


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