Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Press Releases

CVLT summer musical is anything but 'toilet humor' - 7/14/08

CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - Gas prices are high, the stock market is down, and housing is in a tailspin. Times are certainly tough. But imagine how much tougher things would be if all private toilets were banned and the company that owned the public amenities charged an ever rising cost for their use? That's the dark premise of the satirical hit musical Urinetown, which opens July 25th at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. Don't let the title fool you - this neo-Brechtian absurdist melodrama is anything but an indulgence in toilet humor. Urinetown instead indulges in making fun of greed, corruption, and Broadway itself through the hilarious music and lyrics of Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann. Songs such as "Too Much Exposition", "Don't Be The Bunny" and "It's a Privilege to Pee" are sure to have you doubled over... and that's only Act 1! This wildly unconventional musical was nominated for an impressive 10 Tony Awards, winning for Best Book, Score, and direction. It also won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical.

With a story as unlikely as its title, Urinetown takes us to a destitute city suffering from a 20-year drought, where a single malevolent corporation forces citizens to pay up for admission to public facilities or be sent off to a Guantanamo-like secret prison referred to as "Urinetown". Up from the cross-legged masses rises a brave young man named Bobby Strong (Kenny Fadeley) who is willing to start a revolution against the U.G.C. (Urine Good Company) for the basic needs of his fellow man. A singing and dancing cast of twenty supports as Bobby fights against the tyrannical Caldwell B. Cladwell (Rob Albrecht), who is not only the head of the U.G.C., but the father of Bobby's true love, Hope Cladwell (Katelyn Vogias). Officer Lockstock (Eric Oswald) serves as narrator to this tale of greed, corruption, and ultimately love, along with his sidekicks Officer Barrel (Brandon Hood) and the lovable moppet "Little Sally" (Miranda Fantz).

Director David Vosburgh (recently thanked as an early vocal coach by Patti LuPone during her Tony Award acceptance speech) says, "If Ayn Rand had written a musical comedy, Urinetown would be it." The corporate leader doing good for the wrong reasons and do-gooders making things worse would be "right up her alley". In putting the show together with musical director David Keith Stiver and choreographer Pamela LaForce, Mr. Vosburgh has chosen to emphasize the writers' obvious parodying of other Broadway shows. Kotis and Hollmann pay homage to great musicals like West Side Story, Les Misérables and Fiddler with such aplomb that the director notes that the audience could practically be given scorecards to see how many shows they can pick out.

Urinetown is the final show of CVLT's 78th consecutive season. The 79th Season begins with the annual Murder By The Falls fundraising mystery event on September 5th and 6th. Season subscriptions for the 79th Season are now available, including subscriber-exclusive valet parking options and other perks.

Urinetown runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM from July 25 - August 23, with 2 PM matinees on Sundays August 3 and 10. Tickets are $16 regular admission, or $12 for students and seniors. Tickets for CVLT shows and events can be purchased online at www.CVLT.org, or by calling the Box Office at 440-247-8955 between 1 and 6 PM, Monday through Saturday.

Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and is supported by the Ohio Arts Council. CVLT was voted 'Best Community Theatre' by Cleveland Magazine Readers, and 'Best Theatre Group' on the Fox 8 HotList in 2007.

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