Audience members may be wetting their pants with laughter or simply sympathizing with the characters in "Urinetown," premiering tonight in the Rupel J. Jones Theatre.



A contemporary satire written by Greg Kotis, the musical pokes fun at a dark situation where a town suffering from a water shortage must cope by paying to urinate.



Guest director Jeff McCarthy, who was a part of the original cast on Broadway, said the show presents the disgusting situation in a comical manner and makes a joke out of musical theater as well.



"It has several dark things to say about being wasteful," McCarthy said.



Actor Joel Hughes, musical theater sophomore, said the musical reflects a prediction by political economist Thomas Malthus that the human population would grow so large that people would actually drown in their own urine and feces.



"There were people [in our musical] that did research on real water shortage problems," Hughes said. "It actually is a problem in some places."



Hilary M. Nortz, stage manager and theater management senior, said though the show is funny and a bit scary, it is a big joke. The big meaning in the play is caught in one particular scene involving Senator Phipps and the young girl Sally, Nortz said.



"Little Sally is counting her pennies to have enough to pee, and the joke of it is - it looks like the rich can afford it and the poor can't, but then later the senator goes off and he's counting his money too," Nortz said.



Unique to the OU musical theater department's production, the team added a bit of relevant current event humor.



"When [the actors] come out to show the fee hikes for urination... it looks like a gas price sign," Nortz said.



The actors are performing on a stage with a complex set design. Nortz said the stage was designed by many designers and headed by faculty member Michael Fain. The design started as McCarthy's vision, and stage designers added to it.



McCarthy said in New York he would have liked something more for their set design.



"What was lacking in New York was I wanted a big hulking display," McCarthy said.



With a two level set complete with stairs and balconies, McCarthy said he's pleased with the outcome for OU's production.



"No kidding around. It's just been an incredible experience," McCarthy said.



Most of all, he said seeing these students becoming professional yet remaining youthful off the set has been an entertaining sight to see.



The performers say McCarthy has been a benefit to their work as well.



"Jeff said treat it more like a tragedy," said Con O'Shea-Creal, musical theater sophomore. "[He said] we should be pissed off at the audience 'cause they're all fine."



Aim?e Fortier, musical theater freshman, said while working so hard at getting into her character, she forgot it was also a funny story.



"When we finally had an audience, I was surprised when they were laughing," Fortier said.
hello there & you too