lavatories, loo roll and love ballads: risking the traditional model in urinetown
TRANSCRIPT
Lavatories, Loo Roll and Love Ballads
Risking the Traditional Model in Urinetown
Adam RushUniversity of Lincoln
@adamrush1
Theatrical Cannibalism
Urinetown the Musical (2001)
Meta-Musicals“affection and witty insight”
Jessica Sternfeld and Elizabeth Wollman
“satire and parody at once”John Bush Jones
“ironic and self-reflexive”Stacy Wolf
“characters who call out their own key changes”
Jeremy McCarter
“idea cupboard is bare”Mark N. Grant
Broadway, BroadwayHow Great You Are
[…]Bright Lights, White
LightsRhythm and Romance
Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy (1959)
Oklahoma! (1943)
1998 National Theatre Production
Urinetown the Musical (2001)
Officer Lockstock
“a town like any town ... that you might find in a musical”
The Producers (2001)
Little Shop of Horrors (1982)
Too Much ExpositionLOCKSTOCK: Whoa there, Little Sally. Not all at once. They’ll hear more about the water shortage in the next scene.LITTLE SALLY: Oh. I guess you don’t want to overload them with too much exposition, huh?LOCKSTOCK: Everything in its time, Little Sally. You’re too young to understand it now, but nothing can kill a show like too much exposition.LITTLE SALLY: How about bad subject matter?LOCKSTOCK: Well -LITTLE SALLY: Or a bad title, even? That could kill a show pretty good. (Kotis and Hollmann, 2014, 10)
‘Follow Your Heart’ ’– Urinetown (2001) ‘Snuff that Girl’ ’– Urinetown (2001)
‘People Will Say We’re In Love’ – Oklahoma! (1943) ‘Cool’ – West Side Story (1957)
“heightens the energy level and dramatic interest in the second act”
Paul R. Laird
‘Run, Freedom Run’– Urinetown (2001)
‘Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat’ – Guys and Dolls (1950)
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcs52VjoPkM•LONDON TRAILER