Urinetown, a comedic yet also reflective musical that pushes character stereotypes, depicts a 20-year drought in a gothic-like town along with the differing perspectives of the wealthy and the impoverished, and how the lack of water affects people’s ability to use the restroom. While the rich antagonists of the musical enjoy a monopoly over the water and utilities business, the audience witnesses the poor pleading for money and suffering under oppressive laws.

The musical follows several different characters, allowing the audience to make their way through the impoverished and opulent lifestyles with songs that highlight Urinetown’s wide variety of comedy, love, and action themes.

One of the significant characters making the story come to life is Little Sally, played by Seveen Eslami, a junior at CdM. Being part of the poor faction, Eslami shared her experience throughout the production of Urinetown. Everyone has something that motivates them to try or explore new things; Eslami was no exception. “I was motivated to try out for Little Sally just by knowing that I could do great [in] that role and by truly loving and understanding the character,” Eslami voiced. The most difficult thing about preparing for the show was managing schoolwork with rehearsal. Many times, I would do schoolwork when I was offstage,” Eslami stated.

There are, nevertheless, always thrilling aspects behind the scenes. “My favorite thing about preparing for the show was learning new choreography and doing “Snuff that Girl,” which was my favorite number to be in,” Eslami expressed, continuing with, “My favorite song that I sang in the show was “Tell her I love her,” because I loved playing with the physicality and delivering my lines [in] a different way each show.” Finally, when the musical came together, Eslami enthusiastically expressed, “I am very happy with the outcome of my performances. I am very passionate about performing and put all my energy into every show I do!” The evidence of loads of hard work came from the end-product, which surely didn’t disappoint (judging by the constant laughter and applause from the audience).

Sophomore Cameron Firoozi played Officer Lockstock, one of two cops keeping “law and order” in Urinetown. He doubled as the narrator of the show as well, speaking to the audience one-on-one. To prepare for his role, Firoozi stated, “Coming into rehearsal space and stepping into character was such a joy to have. This came with lots of work out of rehearsal, even going as far as being mentored by someone who previously played my character.” He mentioned that his ability to click with his character stemmed from his first time seeing “cop song” live. Firoozi exclaimed, “I would say I’m very happy with the final outcome of the show. I had the opportunity to work with some amazing people and together I think we put out something really special.”

With so much happening on stage, there is little focus on the backstage crew. Sophomore Emma Figueroa was the assistant stage manager for the musical and helped build the intricate sets. Figueroa stated that “building the sets took almost everyone involved in this production to help,” continuing with, “it’s one of the best sets we’ve ever done.” When asked what her favorite part of preparing for the show was, she responded, “My favorite thing about preparing for Urinetown was hanging out backstage with the set crew before the show and us all hoping that everything went right.”

Urinetown, though a satirical musical, cleverly explores themes of capitalism, corruption, and social inequality with a unique spin. The captivating production showcased the talent and dedication of CdM’s young performers and backstage crew, whose time and efforts truly shine on the stage.

Photo courtesy of @shotbyjp_ @urinetown.cdmhs on Instagram

Photo courtesy of Mady Lubavin @urinetown.cdmhs on Instagram