This content was published: February 17, 2006. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC musical a lesson in bad company
Photos and story by James Hill
PORTLAND, Ore. – Don’t let the title fool you. The new production by the Portland Community College theater arts program doesn’t stink.
“’Urinetown’ is one of the newest and most exciting musicals available right now,” said Michael Najjar, director of the play and PCC theater arts instructor. “I wanted something edgy, fresh, and really challenging. This musical has a terrific look and really wonderful music.”
“Urinetown,” is a musical by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann about a world on the verge of ecological disaster, trapped by corporate greed and a revolution by the masses that just want to pee for free. Set in a “Monopoly” game-style world, this make-believe drama with a touch of comedy pits the 1930s rich against the depression-era poor.
“This inspired me to think of the idea of monopoly and how the entire musical is a game between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, and the good versus the evil,” Najjar said. “Over and over the images of the game came to mind, so we’ve used the art of the original board game and the 1930s in which it was created as our inspiration.”
The curtain on “Urinetown” will be raised at 7:30 p.m., March 9-11 and 16-18 in the Performing Arts Center at the Sylvania Campus, 12000 S.W. 49th Ave. There will be a special matinee showing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. A sign language interpreted performance will be held on March 17. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for seniors, students, and PCC staff. Tickets are available for pre-sale beginning March 2 at the PCC Sylvania Bookstore. For tickets, please call 503-977-4949 or purchase tickets one hour prior to the show starting at the box office.
Musical direction for the show is by John Mery (music instructor), vocal direction by Chrisse Roccaro, choreography by Kimm Mahoney-Watson (theater instructor), and set design by Dan Hays (theater coordinator) and Margaret Chapman (costumer).
The student cast includes David Galic (Vancouver, Wash.) as Officer Lockstock, Monica Daily (Forest Grove) as Little Sally, Nartan Woods (Lake Oswego) as Bobby Strong, Donzelle Richardson (Oregon City) as Hope Cladwell and Chris Green (Oregon City) as Caldwell B. Cladwell. Other cast include Anne Applegate (northwest Portland), Evan Aldrete (Aloha), Adam Jones (Oregon City), Joseph Vermire (Hillsboro), Doug Martell (southwest Portland), Kat Arno (southwest Portland), Kim Stites (Warren), Sara Gomez (northwest Portland), Mattie Ellis (Wilsonville), Lia Elliot (southwest Portland), Katherine Ogilvie (southwest Portland), McKenna Twedt (Tigard) and Brittney Hancock (Newberg).
“Urinetown” is the winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Circle Critics Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards. After a successful Broadway run, “Urinetown” has become a hallmark musical of the past decade. For more information on the theater arts program at PCC, please visit pcc.edu/theatre.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »