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Urinetown
''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. The show also parodies musicals such as ''The Threepenny Opera'', ''The Cradle Will Rock'' and ''Les Misérables'', and the Broadway musical itself as a form. Productions ''Urinetown'' debuted at the New York International Fringe Festival, and then was produced Off-Broadway at the American Theatre for Actors from May 6, 2001, to June 25, 2001. The musical then opened on Broadway at Henry Miller's Theatre, running from September 20, 2001, through January 18, 2004, totaling 25 previews and 965 performances. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won three. It was directed by John Rando and featured music and lyrics by Mark Hollman, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, and choreography by J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Rando
John Rando is an American stage director who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for '' Urinetown the Musical'' in 2002. He received his 2nd nomination in the same category in 2015 for the 2014 Broadway revival of '' On the Town''. Early life Rando grew up in Houston, Texas and attended the University of Texas in Austin, studying theatre. He received a Fulbright Program fellowship and studied theatre in Germany and Italy and then studied directing at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, graduating in 1988. He next worked as an assistant director at the Old Globe Theatre (San Diego). Career Rando has directed Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. His first Off-Broadway play was ''Fortune's Fools'', by Frederick Stroppel, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in 1995. He directed the musical ''The Toxic Avenger'', which opened Off-Broadway in 2009, after it premiered at the George Street Playhouse (New Brunswick, New Jersey). Rando has directed several ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Kotis
Greg Kotis (born 1965/1966) is an American playwright, best known for writing the book and co-writing the lyrics for the musical ''Urinetown''. Biography Career Kotis studied political science at the University of Chicago, where he was a member of the improvisational and sketch comedy group Off-Off Campus. He dropped out when he took a course on the Short Comic Scene, realizing that he wanted to be part of the theatre industry instead. Kotis became a member of the Cardiff Giant Theatre Company and the Neo-Futurists. He moved to New York City in 1995 where he established a branch of the Neo-Futurists together with his wife Ayun Halliday. While moonlighting in fringe theater, Kotis worked as a location scout for the show Law & Order. ''Urinetown'' By 1998, Kotis had a daughter with his wife, and thus the responsibility of supporting a family. Kotis began writing ''Urinetown: The Musical'', deciding it would be his last work: "I told myself, I tried to find a life in the theater ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Cullum
John Cullum (born circa 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and ''On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for each. In 1966 he gained his first Tony nomination as the lead in ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'', in which he introduced the title song, and more recently received Tony nominations for ''Urinetown The Musical'' (2002) ( Best Actor in a Musical) and as Best Featured Actor in the revival of '' 110 in the Shade'' (2007). Some of his other notable roles included tavern owner Holling Vincoeur in the television drama series '' Northern Exposure'', gaining an Emmy Award nomination (Best Supporting Actor in a Drama). He was featured in fifteen episodes of the NBC television series '' ER'' as Mark Greene's father. He also played the farmer, Jim Dahlberg, in the landmark television drama ''The Day After''. He has made multiple guest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Carrafa
John Carrafa is an American theater and film director/choreographer best known as the two-time Tony Award nominated choreographer of the Broadway musicals ''Urinetown'' and ''Into The Woods'' and the Media Choreography Honors Award winner for the Robert Zemeckis film ''The Polar Express''. He was a dancer and assistant to Twyla Tharp before becoming a choreographer and director for Broadway, film and television. He currently resides in New York City and in Los Angeles California. Broadway and theater *''Love! Valour! Compassion!'' - Off-Broadway (1994) Broadway (1995) *'' Dirty Blonde'' - Off-Broadway (2000) and Broadway (2001) *''Urinetown'' - Off-Broadway (2001) and Broadway (2002) *''A Little Night Music'' - Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration, 2002 *''Into The Woods'' - Broadway (2002) *'' Dance of the Vampires'' - Broadway (2003) *''Good Vibrations'' - Broadway (2005) Filmography *''Love! Valour! Compassion!'' - (1997) *''The Last Days of Disco'' - (1998) *'' The Thomas C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spencer Kayden
Spencer Lemon Kayden (born May 27, 1968) is an American actress, comedian and writer. Kayden played Little Sally in the Broadway musical ''Urinetown'' and was a cast member on sketch comedy series ''MADtv.'' She also voiced Mrs. Pepper on ''Blue's Clues'', taking over the role from Penelope Jewkes after the first season. Biography Spencer Kayden was born the only girl out of four siblings to a father who worked as a pop-up book publisher and a mother who worked as a psychotherapist. Kayden grew up in Orange County, California, and went on to study drama at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.McKinley, Jesse"Theater; 'Urinetown' Uptown? Her Moment Has Come"''The New York Times'', September 2, 2001 She joined the Chicago cast of ''Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind'' and moved to New York in 1993 to start the New York run of the show. Kayden received critical acclaim and notice for her performance in the musical ''Urinetown'', where she played Little Sally, the pig-t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jennifer Laura Thompson
Jennifer Laura Thompson (born December 5, 1969) is an American actress and singer, best known for her theatrical performances. She originated the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Tony Award-winning musical, ''Dear Evan Hansen'', and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Hope Cladwell in ''Urinetown''. She is also known for being the first replacement for Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda in ''Wicked'' on Broadway. Career Thompson made her Broadway debut in 1998 as Ariel Moore in the original cast of ''Footloose''. She also originated the role of Hope Cladwell in both the off-Broadway and Broadway productions of ''Urinetown''. She received a Tony Award nomination for the 2002 Best Leading Actress in a Musical category for her performance as Hope in ''Urinetown''; the award went to Sutton Foster for her performance in ''Thoroughly Modern Millie''. Thompson is also well known for being the first replacement actress for the role of Glinda in the Broadway hit musical ''Wick ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hunter Foster
Hunter Foster (born June 25, 1969) is an American musical theatre actor, singer, librettist, playwright and director. Career After touring in several shows and playing on Broadway, in 2001 he was cast in his breakthrough role of Bobby Strong in ''Urinetown'', for which he received a Lucille Lortel Award and a nomination for an Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2003, Foster starred as Seymour in the Broadway revival of '' Little Shop of Horrors'', for which he received his first Tony Award nomination. Foster appeared as Leo Bloom in '' The Producers'' on Broadway, Ensign Pulver in '' Mister Roberts'' at the Kennedy Center, and Ben in ''Modern Orthodox'' off-Broadway. He also starred as Molina in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. Foster's writing includes the libretto for an off-Broadway 2002 musical based on the motion picture ''Summer of '42'' and writing an adaptation of the film ''Bonnie and Clyde'' with ''Urinetown'' co-star Rick C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Miller's Theatre
The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre Company, the modern 1,055-seat theater opened in 2009 at the base of the Bank of America Tower. The current theater is mostly underground and was designed by Cookfox, architects of the Bank of America Tower. It retains the landmarked facade of the original Henry Miller's Theatre, which was built in 1918 by Henry Miller, the actor and producer. The original theater was designed in the neoclassical style by architects Paul R. Allen and Ingalls & Hoffman with 950 seats. Its facade is protected as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. It was managed by Henry Miller along with Elizabeth Milbank Anderson and Klaw & Erlanger. After Miller's death in 1926, his son Gilbert Miller took over operation. The M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nancy Opel
Nancy Carol Opel (born December 13, 1956) is an American singer and actress, known primarily for her work on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the musical Urinetown. Early life and education Opel grew up in the Kansas communities of Prairie Village and Leawood, and graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School. She trained at the Juilliard School. Career Opel was nominated for the 2002 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Penelope Pennywise in ''Urinetown''. She has appeared on Broadway in ''Evita'' (1979), ''Teddy & Alice'' (1987), ''Sunday in the Park with George'' as Frieda, Betty (1984), ''Anything Goes'' (replacement Hope Harcourt), '' Triumph of Love'' (1997) as Corine ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (2004) as Yente, ''Memphis'' as Mama in 2011 and 2012 and ''Cinderella'' as Madame (the Stepmother) in June 2014 to September 7, 2014. She performed the roles of Mazeppa and Miss Crat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeff McCarthy
Jeffrey Charles McCarthy (born October 16, 1954) is an American actor and director. Early life McCarthy was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Santa Maria, California - growing up blocks away from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, where he studied and performed for several seasons in the 1970s. He completed the masters program in acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before becoming a company member. Television McCarthy made over 35 guest star and recurring appearances on television shows such as ''Elementary'', ''The Good Wife'', '' Madam Secretary'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', '' Ed'', ''Designing Women'', ''Cheers'', ''LA Law'', ''Freddy's Nightmares'', '' Matlock'', and '' In the Heat of the Night''. McCarthy played the father of Wayne (Freddy Geiger) on the short lived CBS show ''Love Monkey''. McCarthy played Albert Schweitzer in ''Albert Schweitzer: Called to Africa'' (2006), a TV film on PBS. David Letterman created a r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Hollmann
Mark Hollmann is an American composer and lyricist. Hollmann grew up in Fairview Heights, Illinois, where he graduated from Belleville Township High School East in 1981. He won a 2002 Tony Award and a 2001 Obie Award for his music and lyrics to ''Urinetown''. He is a former ensemble member of the Cardiff-Giant Theatre Company in Chicago. He played trombone for the Chicago art rock band Maestro Subgum and the Whole, and piano for The Second City national touring company and Chicago City Limits, an improv company in New York City. He attended the musical theatre writing workshop Making Tuners at Theatre Building Chicago and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop in New York. While at the Making Turners workshop he began a show with Chicago-based writer Jack Helbig that became "The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat," which has had professional productions in Los Angeles and Chicago. Hollmann is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and ASCAP. He lives in Manhattan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musical Theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals. Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times, modern Western musical theatre emerged during the 19th century, with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by the numerous Edwardian musical comedies and the musical theatre w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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