Showing posts with label Urinetown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urinetown. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

IT’S FRINGE TIME!


My favorite annual event, the St. Lou Fringe, opens tonight and runs through Sunday. I’m still the house photographer and now I’m president of the board of directors so I’ll have a busy week. We have a record 50 shows with about 100 total performances. I’m scheduled to shoot 27. I don’t know if I have it in me but I’ll sure try.

The illustration is a favorite from last year’s festival, Urinetown, which had a long run in New York and was performed here by talented high school students. Locals, come see us!                 

Sunday, August 25, 2024

URINETOWN

 

I’m falling way behind here. Too much going on and far too many pictures to edit. My path through The Fringe is now up to the provocatively-named Urinetown, which ran on Broadway for a number of years. It is a complex story but, in essence: it is set in a future time when there has been a profound drought. There is far from enough water for sanitary systems, leading to the “stinky times.” A crass capitalist manages government-sanctioned toilets which require a steep fee, much to everyone’s, um, discomfort. The workers and people revolt, depose the magnate and restore bladder equity. However, at the end, a return to the stinky times threatens. There is a detailed summary at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinetown .

The most remarkable thing is that it is performed by immensely talented high school students through Ignite Theatre Company, https://ignitewithus.org/ . We have seen their work at The Fringe before and it is extraordinary.

I may be offline for a while later this week. Spine surgery on Wednesday, which is not as big a deal as it sounds. New, minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedure, small incision, clean out a couple of nerve roots, two hours’ work, home the same day. Still, I may be spacey for a bit.