John Carrafa to Direct Wagner College’s Urinetown

Wagner College Theatre’s production of Urinetown: The Musical, performing in the Snug Harbor Music Hall February 22-March 4, will be directed and choreographed by John Carrafa, the Broadway production’s Tony-nominated choreographer.

In Urinetown, a 20-year drought has caused a terrible water shortage, making private toilets illegal. All restroom activities are done in public toilets controlled by a megacorporation called Urine Good Company, or UGC. To control water consumption, people have to pay to use the amenities. There are harsh laws ensuring that people pay to pee — and if those laws are broken, the offender is sent to a penal colony called Urinetown, never to return.

In this new production, Carrafa aims to keep the musical current by mirroring the Occupy Wall Street movement through the characters and plot of the show to underscore the rich/poor dichotomy at the core of the story.

Urinetown features Tony Award-winning music by Mark Hollmann, book by Greg Kotis, and lyrics by both. Wagner faculty member Lauri Young is musical director, and senior Theatre Studies major Prerna Bhatia is assistant director. The cast includes Chelsey Alfredo (Penelope Pennywise), Mike D’Amico (Robby the Stockfish/Urine Good Company Executive 1), Paul Emrich (Mr. McQueen), Brian Krinsky (Officer Lockstock), Brittney Santoro (Hope Cladwell), Trevor Sideris as Bobby Strong, and Chelsea Vann (Soupy Sue/Cladwell Secretary).

For more information and Urinetown tickets, call 718-390-3259.