Not-Your-Grandma’s ‘Urinetown’ to Be at JCCC
College Information and Publications 10/18/07 Not-Your-Grandma’s ‘Urinetown’ to Be at JCCC
The original Urinetown, which opened on Broadway, tells of a town plagued by a 20-year drought, where water has become so scarce that private toilets have become unthinkable. At the mercy of a single dominating corporation who maintains a monopoly on the town’s public amenities, the destitute citizens must pay towering taxes and fines to carry out their most private and basic of needs. “That said – this is not your grandma’s Urinetown,” said JCCC’s guest director Jerry Jay Cranford. “We're doing something a little different with this show. It is set 22 years in the future after a generation has ignored the ‘sky-is-warming’ warnings of Al Gore (former vice-president). Our stage is the shell of a DroughtAid Concert, not unlike this summer’s Live Aid, after the celebrities have given up and walked away. This opens up moments of the show for the characters to speak to the audience as rock stars.” Cranford says the irreverent musical is perfect for a college production given that it is outrageously funny, the music is unique with a pop flavor, and the story is all wrapped around a message. Cranford spent seven years with the Broadway and national tour of Les Miserables, starred in the national tour of Singing in the Rain (Don Lockwood) and Anything Goes (Billy Crocker) and was the featured dancer on the European tour of Evita. In television, he sang and danced in the PBS special, Lawrence Welk: Then and Now, and had "blink-and-you'll-miss me" roles on 24 and Without a Trace. He moved back to Kansas City in May from Los Angeles, where he worked for Disneyland performing in its $10 million dollar stage production of Aladdin as the Genie. “JCCC has an amazing cast performing Urinetown,” Cranford said. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets or reservations are required. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3245. |
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College academic theater department will present the satirical musical comedy, Urinetown, at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 15-17, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, in Polsky Theatre of the Carlsen Center.