After seeing “Urinetown: The Musical” in his junior year of high school, Bryan Hunt knew he wanted to direct the play some day.
This became a difficult task when the now junior began his college career at SMU since the Meadows school has no musical theater program and rarely puts on musicals.
Still, this didn’t stop Hunt, who is now directing a production of “Urinetown” that runs this weekend at the Margo Jones Theatre.
“I’ve been trying to put it together every year I’ve been [at SMU]. This year something clicked and the right group of people all became available and we started rehearsals,” says Hunt.
The student production began rehearsing about a month ago for a few hours everyday. While the process could have been overwhelming to some after classes and main stage theater department productions, the students say it is a great opportunity.
“It seems like everyone in the cast was just so desperate to have musical theater back in their lives that we have been able to pour much more energy into the show and make it what it is,” says Bryan Lewis, who plays the male lead.
According to Victoria Winkelman, public information officer for Meadows, “An established musical [is] something that has not been done at Meadows in about six years.”
Melissa Paige Wright, who plays the role of Hope in the production, says she would love for there to be more collaboration between the theater, music and dance departments. “So many of us have such a deep love for all art forms and have talents among all three that I think it would benefit all three departments to be able to open the doors and their minds to the idea of more collaboration.”
This collaboration was something the students felt so passionately about that they were not only willing to give their time, but also came up with the funds to pay for the rights to produce the musical.
In Evan Farrior’s (playing Caldwell B. Cladwell) words, the oddly titled musical displays the life of a city “in the future when water is scarce and the distribution of water has been privatized. Yet even amidst the arid environment the soil of love remains fertile as two young people plant the seeds of change only to discover the true meaning of ‘Urinetown.'”
This Tony-Award winning musical that has been called “hip” and “exuberant” by The New York Times has become a favorite in the eyes of the students as well.
The students all hope their work on this musical marks the beginning of a new path for musical theater at SMU.
“I hope that musical theater will blossom at SMU and become a more accepted form of theater,” says Hunt.
While all the students involved in the production praise Hunt for his determination to put on this production, Hunt humbly admits “without them this would not be remotely possible.”
“Urinetown: The Musical” will play Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Margo Jones Theatre in the Owen fine Arts Center. Admission is free to all.
