Breaking the Fourth Wall: How “Urinetown” Parallels the Flint Crisis

The award winning musical by Greg Kotis and Mark Hallmann opened on Broadway in 2001, and has been highly successful with both major and minor productions ever since. The musical satire provides commentary on topics ranging from capitalism, environmentalism, corporate management and theatre itself.

When asked, students connected the plot of the show with the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Evidently, being involved in the arts can help our students make sense of broader societal themes and dilemmas.

Additional video courtesy of “Bella Rebel” and “M Live” via YouTube. Licensed under Creative Commons.

tags: theater, flint, Michigan, water crisis, northampton high school,