Imagine a future without private toilets. Imagine that you have to pay to use public toilets controlled by a megacorporation.
That’s the premise of the satirical comedy “Urinetown: The Musical,” which the Cal Poly Pomona Music Theatre Workshop will present on May 8-10.
“It’s very edgy and a darker musical and very funny,” says director Joel Wilson. “All of this is a very different direction from the musicals this class has done in past years.”
The musical is set in the future, after a 20-year drought has caused a terrible water shortage. People must pay to use toilets, and there are harsh penalties for those who refuse to pay: Offenders are sent to a penal colony dubbed “Urinetown,” never to return. The oppressed masses revolt in favor of a world where everyone can be happy and “pee for free.” Forbidden love, mayhem and murder ensue.
“Urinetown” was written in 2001 by playwright Greg Kotis, who got the idea after encountering pay-per-use toilets while traveling through Europe as a student on a budget. The musical satirizes the legal system, capitalism and corporate mismanagement. It also parodies scenes from several iconic musicals, like Les Miserables.
“We break the fourth wall a lot, and there are several tongue-in-cheek jokes about the genre,” Wilson says.
The all-student cast will give three evening performances at the Music Recital Hall. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $10 for students or $7 with student subscription.
For more information or to buy tickets online, visit https://csupomona.tix.com. Tickets are also available at the Music Box Office, Building 24, room 188, from noon to 1 p.m. weekdays or one hour prior to show time.