PV High Drama Flows Through Pandemic For “Urinetown the Musical”
• Palos Verdes High drama takes its talent to the silver screen.
The Broadway hit, Urinetown: The Musical, will be presented by the Palos Verdes High School Drama Department for six performances May 14-16 and 21-23.
Winner of three Tony awards, including best book and score, the musical is a hilarious, satirical tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.
Urinetown is set in a futuristic city where a 20-year drought has forced corrupt city officials to come up with a unique way to conserve water: all private bathrooms are banned and the citizens must use public pay toilets regulated by a monopolistic company. Those caught breaking the law are arrested and sent to the mysterious “Urinetown,” never to be seen or heard from again. Amid the townspeople, a heroic custodian decides he’s had enough, and plans a revolution to lead everyone to freedom.
What’s even more unique than the title is the fact that each of the 21 cast members had to perform the show separately.
“Due to COVID restrictions, students were not allowed to sing on campus and were required to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart, which makes it pretty difficult to stage a musical. So, we got creative. Students recorded their vocals at home, rehearsed blocking and choreography at school, and then we filmed each student separately and edited them all together,” says Palos Verdes High School Drama teacher Nicole Thompson, who directs the production.
“It sounds crazy, but it was an incredible experience. I don’t think we have ever worked this hard on a show, and the finished product is really something. They may have had to film individually, but it took an incredible amount of teamwork to make it all happen.”
Performances will stream online May 14-16 and May 21-23. Tickets may be purchased online at www.pvhsdrama.com. For further information, please visit the website.
— email reports
