Urinetown
Deigner
Yingman Tang
Location
Colwell Playhouse, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Illinois, US
Credit
Photo credits: Darrell Hoemann
Production Team
Director: J.W. Morrissette and Lisa Gaye Dixon
Music Director: Justin M. Brauer
Choreographers: Joe Bowie and Lisa Gaye Dixon
Scenic Designer: Emilia Consalvi and Katie Owen
Costume Designer: Wesley Price
Lighting Designer: Yingman Tang
Sound Designer: Madison Ferris
Dramaturg: Melissa Goldman
Technical Director: Capri Agresta
Properties Head: Sammy Boyarsky
Production Manager: Terri Ciofalo
Stage Manager: Kaitlyn N. Meegan
Fight Director; Zev Steinrock
Vocal Coach: Diane Robinson
Context
Urinetown?!? What kind of name is that for a musical? A very good one, as it turns out. Arising from the creative minds of Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann, Urinetown, The Musical satirizes the ways in which our most basic needs can be turned into cash profits for others.
Urinetown formally opened September 20, 2001. The musical had 25 previews and played for 965 performances. It received ten Tony Award nominations and won in three categories: Best Direction of a musical (John Rando), Best Book of a musical (Greg Kotis), and Best Original Score (Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann).
Urinetown may strike us as an odd title, and, of course, it premiered on Broadway decades ago. But the themes throughout the show still resonate today. A satirical comedy, it indicts latestage capitalism and drives a dystopian narrative to the extreme. Some themes you cannot simply laugh off—some require action.
—Melissa Goldman
Experience
The lighting design for Urinetown was closely integrated with the performers. I attended rehearsals regularly and prepared a detailed cue list in advance, which allowed me to discuss lighting strategies with the director before entering the theatre. As a result, the technical process ran smoothly and efficiently.
The performers were fully engaged, and there was a strong sense of collaboration between lighting and acting on stage. This mutual responsiveness enhanced the overall performance, and the process was both rewarding and enjoyable for me.
