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High school's "Urinetown" offends NH prudes — Page 2

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#26

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/26/06 at 6:20pm

I helped a high school put together a musical revue of recent comedies with a sequence on Urinetown that included "It's a Privelege to Pee" and "Run, Freedom, Run." The audience (in Utah) seemed very unsure when the sequence was introduced, but bought into the joke very quickly. Many commented to the cast that it was the highlight of the evening for them. This was a sort of a trial run, as the director was considering doing the show next year and wanted to see how it would be received.

As anyone who's seen it can tell you, there is absolutely ZERO questionable material in the show. I had an email conversation with Greg Kotis about the show a few years ago and he told me the show is so squeaky clean (no profanity, no sex, no vulgarity) because he considers himself a bit of a prude. Obviously these people protesting the production have not seen or heard a word of the actual script.
#28

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/26/06 at 7:46pm

I asked the director of the musicals at my highschool if we could do Urinetown, but he said he would prefer to keep his job... so we are doing Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie and such.

Too bad, because I think that I could make a great Hope.
And then, do you know Monseiur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you.
♥♥♥
#29

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/26/06 at 10:34pm

The fact that they're publicly announcing that they're changing the script isn't such a bright idea....can't they get fined/lose the rights if they do stuff like that?

And...yes, it's insane that this is causing such a fuss.
#30

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/26/06 at 10:40pm

For the record, I am from NH, and this town performing Urinetown is in a low population countrylike area, and does not reflect the progressive people in the rest of the state!!!

Thank you!
#31

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/26/06 at 11:30pm

I think that doing Urinetown is offensive for high schools. When I KNOW they don't have a girl walking around with a high G to belt (or mixy belt)"Privilege to Pee" and they plan on doing it anyway, that's more than offensive!!! THAT'S JUST WRONG!!!
#33

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 12:03am

What I find quite ironic is that this show can be considered, by some people, a metaphor for the right of free speech. I know of high schools in the US that have done far more "risky" shows than Urinetown. I.E. Equis (The story of a boy who has dreams of having sex with a horse).

I think part of the reason it wasn't so popular in NYC was because of they were scared of the title and no one knew how great of a show it actually was.
#36

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 8:37am

As far as MAMMA MIA rights...They're not available, and if this school keeps doing shows illegally they may be facing lawsuits.

As for URINETOWN offending. Please! I went to high school in NH and I encountered similar problems. My school wouldn't let me direct JOSEPH for fear it might offend some. Say what? JOSEPH!? Sure, its based on a bible story...but its not really that religious. Anyway...NH can be a "funny" state.
#37

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 9:02am

*sigh* As a native New Hampshire resident, this really saddens me. I didn't have a chance to read the article, because I have to run, but I'll come back to it later tonight.

<----Misses Urinetown everytime I walk by 43rd St. re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Very sad indeed.

But when did New Hampshire become--Such a backward wasteland of seatbelt hating crazies?...I mean, only 40 people actually live there. The others are just visitors who come for the tax-free liquor and three inches of novelty coastline. John Hodgeman on The Daily Show (1-30-07)
#38

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 9:38am

Hey, New Yorkers:

Who's up for a BWW FIELD TRIP to New Hampshire this spring? I'd love to be in the audience at this production!
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

Updated On: 1/27/06 at 09:38 AM

#39

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 10:04am

"The public knows that it's not the building that's going to educate our kids, but it's what's inside," she said.

The carpet?
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#40

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 10:35am

This is pretty standard fare, I think. Most places eventually seem to find a musical/play which offends someone.
The really interesting thing is that they're going through with it, which says something for the people who are in charge of the decision.
#41

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 10:40am

These mothers who have nothing better to do with their time need to get jobs and let other people do theirs.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
#42

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 10:55am

I laughed out loud when I read the comment about Joseph being offensive--but alas I have heard it before! I was in a production of it a few years ago and two older ladies walked out during the Pharoah's number. A friend of mine who was ushering asked them why they were leaving and they replied, "Elvis was NOT in the Bible!"

However, it was not the first time either. While I was doing Forum we got a letter from a patron who said the show was so offensive that they left during the first five minutes. I kept trying to think of which part of "Comedy Tonight" was that offensive?? Another time an angry patron wrote a letter to the local newspaper which was published. It denounced the recent production of Gurney's play Sylvia as being lewd and inappropriate for the community theatre. They went on to complain about the profanity and how all the shows at the theatre should be "family" shows.

C'est la vie
"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

Updated On: 1/27/06 at 10:55 AM

#43

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 3:12pm

Hey, this'll piss off the prudes a little more:
Tough S-H-I-T!
It's a brilliantly funny show, it's not really dirty, with the exception of the pee-concept. Big deal.
#44

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 5:05pm

Someone email the school this thread.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
#45

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 5:08pm

And yet when they did it at my old high school this year...nobody really cared.

Funny. I never thought the Kansas school system was known for being forward-minded.
"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"
#48

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 9:47pm

"It's centered around the right to pee."

If THAT is what they truly think theshow is about, then they don't deserve to see it anyway. I mean, my mother had interest in seeing it because she thought it would be about something totally different, but then our tickets for another show fell through and told me I could choose any show and she would go see it. I chose Urinetown so she gave it a chance and now it's one of her favorite shows.

Goes to show, people....hard to keep an open mind sometimes but it's worth it when you give shows (or anything in life, for that matter) a chance because you may not only be pleasantly surprised.
(formerly bronte604) "You really just love money and power and capitalism? You know they're never going to love you back." "Things happen for the best...I don't even believe that myself."
#49

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/27/06 at 10:24pm

Lorelai, maybe they don't deserve to see it... but the students involved certainly deserve an audience.
"`I grow old... I grow old... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.` What does that mean, Mr. Marlowe?" "Not a bloody thing. It just sounds good." He smiled. "That is from the `Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.` Here's another one. `In the room women come and go/Talking of Michael Angelo.' Does that suggest anything to you, sir?" "Yeah -- it suggests to me that the guy didn't know very much about women." "My sentiments exactly, sir. Nonetheless I admire T. S. Eliot very much." "Did you say, 'nonetheless'?" - The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
#50

re: High school's 'Urinetown' offends NH prudes

Posted: 1/28/06 at 1:02am

I love how when they metion the offensive aspects of 'Dark of the Moon', they neglect to mention the rape that occurs in a church.

I just saw the first ever regional production of Urinetown...it was one of the best performances I have EVER seen...I can't even begin to IMAGINE how the Broadway version (which I never saw) was better.

working on my review as we speak...

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