Urinetown

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Urinetown is an American musical dark comedy by Mark Holloman and Greg Kotis, about a dystopian future in which there has been a catastrophic drought, and the Urine Good Company and its CEO Caldwell B. Cladwell have gotten laws passed outlawing private restrooms and requiring payment for the usage of public ones, so as to conserve water. Those who do not pay for "The Privilege to Pee" are sent to a mysteriously ominous place known only as Urinetown. For twenty years the poor have been oppressed by ridiculous prices, until one day a young Public Amenity attendant named Bobby Strong leads an uprising of the Poor against the tyranny of their oppressors.

The original Broadway production was directed by John Rando and featured John Cullum as Cladwell and Hunter Foster as Bobby. It opened at Henry Miller's Theatre on September 10, 2001 and closed January 18, 2004, garnering rave reviews during its tenure, as well as ten Tony nominations.

Tropes used in Urinetown include:

[[spoiler: Officer Lockstock: I love the people of this community, Mr. Barrell. Very much. Cladwell's edicts may be their only chance.
Officer Barrell: And I love you. Very much.
Officer Lockstock: I see.]]

Officer Lockstock: Whoa there, Little Sally. Not all at once. They'll hear more about the water shortage in the next scene.
Little Sally: Oh, I guess you don't want to overload them with too much exposition, huh?
Officer Lockstock: Everything in its time, Little Sally. You're too young to understand it now, but nothing can kill a show like too much exposition.

Bobby: Did you mean what you said about everyone having a heart?
Hope: Well, sure I did. Do you think you'd be feeling as bad as you do if you didn't have a heart?
Bobby: I don't know. I suppose not.
Hope: Of course you wouldn't, because then you'd be dead!

"But the music's so happy!"
"Yes, Little Sally. Yes it is."

Inherently Spoileriffic Tropes

These tropes contain inherent spoilers. Just reading the titles will spoil the plot. You Have Been Warned.