Submitted
Hays High School presents "Urinetown," the musical, as its fall theatrical presentation.
The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Twelfth Street Auditorium (323 W. 12th St. in Hays). There will be two performances on Saturday at 2 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. and one final performance on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available at www.ticketsource.us/hays-high-school or at the door.
"Urinetown" opened on Broadway in 2001 and ran for about two years, garnering public and critical acclaim in the form of Tony Awards, the lengthy run and fantastic reviews.
The show is a satire of social structures and of musical theatre itself. The characters are even aware that the show’s title is awful and worry that no one will come see the show because of it.
“The show is very funny and able to portray complicated issues without providing solutions, being preachy or suggesting any particular socio-political structure is superior to another,” said Alex Underwood, Hays High School vocal music teacher.
This is one reason his artistic team chose this work.
“Most importantly, 'Urinetown' provides fantastic roles for some of Hays High’s incredibly talented students and allows them to shine,” he said.
The cast has been working on the show for two months spending time rehearsing the music, choreography, scene work and incorporating the technical elements.
Seniors Shirley Lee and Carson Brooksher along with Juniors Devlyn Jochum and Seth Tripp lead the cast. Sophomore Calliope Green and ninth-grader Addy Brull also have principal roles.
The cast of 28, along with a crew of eight demonstrate, remarkable teamwork in bringing this hysterical show to life. "Urinetown" is directed by Adrian Rifat, a New York-based actor, who choreographed the last two Hays High musicals, in addition to Underwood’s role as music director.
Lisa Brooksher designed the set and costumes with long-time technical director and HHS alumnus, Jeremy Wann at the helm of lighting and sound. They lead about 15 other adults in creating all of the elements necessary to make a Broadway-scale production happen in Hays.
Cast list
Principals and ensemble
Bobby Strong – Carson Brooksher
Hope Cladwell – Devlyn Jochum
Penelope Pennywise – Shirley Lee
Caldwell B. Cladwell – Seth Tripp
Officer Lockstock – Calliope Green
Little Sally – Addy Brull
Officer Barrel – Nate Henderson
Old Man Strong – Anthony Arial
Josephine Strong – Sydney Wittkorn
Soupy Sue – Spenser Mills-Kulmala
Tiny Tom – Matthew Bollig
Hot Blades Harry – Aspen Seib
Billy Boy Bill – Oscar Flores
Bobbie the Stockfish – Sam Vesper
Little Becky Two Shoes – Brooke Leiker
Senator Fipp – Ansen Miner
Mr. McQueen – Caleb King
Dr. Billeaux – Colton Dodd-Spencer
Mrs. Millennium – Savannah Lawson
Understudies
Bobby Strong – Oscar Flores
Hope Cladwell – Sam Albin
Penelope Pennywise – Samantha Vesper
Little Sally – Brooke Leiker
Caldwell B. Cladwell – Quinton McGuire
Officer Lockstock – Anthony Arial
Little Becky Two Shoes – Kiki Gonzales
Bobbie the Stockfish – Macy Meyers
Old Man Strong – Tea Hartman
Chorus
Sam Albin
Jordan Aschenbrenner
Aliyah Conner
Kiki Gonzales
Tea Hartman
Jesse Leiker
Quinton McGuire
Macy Meyers
Katelyn Willemsen