Bismarck, North Dakota - News

Upon finding out that a musical called "Urinetown" is hitting a Bismarck stage in April, people interviewed around town recently had similar facial expressions.

And there were mixed reactions about whether they'd attend. But they let their imaginations fly and tried to guess what it was about.

Susan Jacobson, 54, of Bismarck, said she thought it might be about urinalysis or hospitals. "Sounds grim,"she said.

Marissa Sipes, 14, of Bismarck, said she guesses it's about a guy who comes to town whose name is Ernie, but he spells it starting with a "U."

Another person thought it might be about a rural person who comes to town and is made fun of because he's from a rural area, a country boy. Another thought it might be about relationships. Another person thought it might be about horses. Or about going to the bathroom.

Several thought it might be a play on words, and was really the "You're In Town" play.

Even Brandon Forde, 21, of Mandan, a lead actor in the upcoming Bismarck State College production thought, when he first heard the name, that he was going to be acting in the "You're in Town" play.

He said he didn't know what to think after realizing it was "urine,"but said he quickly found out the Tony Award-winning musical is a political satire with an important message - told in hilarious fashion.

"I hope the name doesn't turn people away from the show,"he said. "It has won so many awards.It's really a great show."

He said the underlying message has to do with the need for people to come together to solve society's major problems, that "no one person has the answers ... we have to think about it together."

The play is set in a Gotham-like city that, because of a 20-year drought and water supply problems, has outlawed private toilets and people are forced to go to pay-as-you-go public toilets where the price keeps rising.

Those caught trying to "go" elsewhere besides the public toilets operated by the Urine Good Company are sent away to Urinetown, never to be seen again.

Eventually, the people rise up, headed by the heretofore meek "Bobby,"a bathroom mopper, who starts a revolution after becoming remorseful that someone he cares about is sent to Urinetown and Bobby hadn't done much to stop it.

The musical, the most frequently produced musical at colleges across the country, has almost no bathroom humor in it, says Dan Rogers, the musical's director and associate professor of theater at BSC.

"Getting people past the title was an immediate goal of mine,"he said.

The musical in 2002 was nominated for 10 Tonys and for best book, best music and lyrics for creators Greg Kotis and Mark Hollann, and best direction for John Rando. The musical also has won three Outer Critics Circle awards, two Obie Awards and two Lucille Lortel awards.

Rogers said the music is wonderful, and terribly difficult compared to music in other musicals he has worked on. The show celebrates and spoofs the best of Broadway traditions, defies musical theater conventions, and parodies such blockbuster shows as "Les Miserables," "West Side Story" and others. Tom Porter, associate professor of music at BSC, worked with the vocalists. John Darling, assistant professor of music, put together an instrumental ensemble that includes a clarinet, trombone, guitar and more. There's no canned music in the show.

The cast of 23, which includes nine soloists and a couple of choruses, tackles music that at some moments has six different individuals and groups singing six different parts.

"It's vocal chaos," Rogers said.

Roger said Urinetown fits into the tradition of satirical social commentary and protest theater pioneered in the early 20th century by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill and Clifford Odets.

Rogers said "Urinetown" is a tale about polarity ­;­;- the haves and haves not, the powerful and powerless - an endless list of divisive separations, and that the play's goal is to reveal both polar extremes as dangerous and useless in dealing with real problems.

Rogers said the set is spectacular. The set of various platforms, welded steel, 14 feet high, was designed by Craig Moxon, the college's technical theater instructor, and built by Jaden Hertz, welder, BSC student and assistant technical director.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and April 4 and 5; and also 2:30 p.m. April 6.

For ticket information, call 224-5511.