Myah Engelbrecht as Hope Cladwell and John Shoup as Caldwell B. Cladwell are shown in Elkhart Civic Theatre’s production of “Urinetown: Tthe Musical,” opening Nov. 15 at the Bristol Opera House. Photos provided.

News Release

BRISTOL — The campy musical “Urinetown: The Musical” opens Friday, Nov. 15, at Elkhart Civic Theatre’s Bristol Opera House for a two-weekend run.

The production is being directed by Brock Butler, assisted by Stacey Nickel, with vocal direction by Trish Habegger, choreography by Heather Holland and music direction by Karen Huff.

“Urinetown: The Musical” is a satirical comedy musical that premiered in 2001, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement and municipal politics

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom. “Urinetown” is a send-up of greed, love, revolution and musical theater itself. It has won three Tony awards, including Best Book and Best Score.

“Urinetown is a show for almost anyone,” said Butler, Elkhart Civic Theatre’s artistic director. “It’s a campy send-up of old Broadway shows with nods to many of your favorites, such as ‘Les Miserables,’ ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ ‘Guys and Dolls’ and others. It’s a hysterical musical with a slightly off-putting title. But once it starts, you’ll realize how much good clean fun it is.”

The cast of “Urinetown: The Musical” includes:

• Coby Henslee as Bobby Strong
• Myah Englebrecht as Hope Cladwell
• John Shoup as Caldwell B. Cladwell
• April Sellers as Penelope Pennywise
• Caleb Tipton as Officer Lockstock
• Leah Alburtus as Little Sally
• Zachary Rivers as Officer Barrel
• Tony Venable as Mr. McQueen
• Brent Graber as Senator Fipp
• Stephanie Yoder as Josephine Strong et al
• Andrew Galang as Hot Blades Harry et al
• Kala Key as Little Becky Two-Shoes et al
• Dylan Floor as Tiny Tom et al
• Courteney Ebert as Soupy Sue et al
• Alex Schrock as Robby the Stockfish et al

Elkhart Civic Theatre’s season sponsors are Laura and Jack B. Smith Jr. and Gaska Tape. The theater also receives major funding from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and Label Logic Inc. WNIT PBS Michiana is the theater’s media sponsor.

Tickets are available at elkhartcivictheatre.org/urinetown or by calling the box office at (574) 848-4116 weekday afternoons.

Myah Engelbrecht as Hope Cladwell and Coby Henslee as Bobby Strong are shown in a scene from Elkhart Civic Theatre’s production of “Urinetown: The Musical.”

Shown, from left, are Coby Henslee, Stephanie Yoder, April Sellers, Dylan Floor, Kala Key, Andrew Galang, Alex Schrock, Courtenay Ebert and Leah Alburtus in “Urinetown.”