"Simply the most gripping and galvanizing theater experience in town" New York Times

"A supremely funny, bitingly smart and splendidly enjoyable show" Time Out New York

"The title is so awful, I didn't want to go, but URINETOWN is a happy surprise - irreverent, nimble, with a fine, catchy score. The show takes every Broadway banality and subverts them with refreshing cynicism. The songs abound in wit and panache. They're not just funny, they're genuinely good." Wall Street Journal

Toronto, Ontario - Artistic Producer Martin Bragg announced today that CanStage and Dancap Private Equity Inc. will present the CanStage production of URINETOWN: The Musical, starting previews May 19, opening May 27 and running to July 11, 2004 at CanStage - Bluma, 27 Front Street East. A spirited send-up of musicals and their conventions, URINETOWN was a smash hit on Broadway, winning three Tony Awards, playing to rave reviews and packed houses for three years, and is currently on a national tour across the United States.

Set in a Gotham-like City overwrought by ecological disaster, URINETOWN is a tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is worth its very weight in gold. A depletion of the earth's water supply has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The privilege to pee is regulated by a single, malevolent corporation, which profits by charging admission for one of mankind's most basic needs.

A hit at the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival, URINETOWN went on to Broadway where it has claimed an abundance of awards including 2002 Tony Awards (Best Director/Best Original Score/Best Book); the 2002 Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Broadway Musical/Director); the 2002 Lucille Lortel Awards (Outstanding Musical/Choreography); the 2002 Drama League Award (Distinguished Production of a Play) and the 2001 Obie Awards (Best Lyrics/ Music).

"We've been exploring opportunities to expand our downtown programming to run year-round and partnering with Aubrey Dan of Dancap Private Equity made it possible to do so," said CanStage Artistic Producer Martin Bragg. "We're thrilled to present the Canadian premiere of this outrageous new musical comedy."

A strong supporter of CanStage, Aubrey Dan, President and sole owner of Dancap (http://www.dancap.ca/), is a seasoned businessman with his roots in the generic pharmaceutical industry. Aubrey Dan, a long time patron of the theatre, has become increasingly aware of the need for more variety in the Toronto's Broadway theatrical productions. To this end, he approached CanStage management with the idea of partnering to import Broadway plays that could be produced by Canadians, in Canada, using Canadian actors. Selecting only from productions with a proven track record, the Canstage management team suggested URINETOWN for consideration.

"As part of the due diligence process, I went to New York to see the production - and fell in love with it!" said Aubrey Dan. "The play is a comic parody, brilliantly written and with a superb score, I knew instinctively that it would appeal to a broad spectrum of Canadians of all ages."

URINETOWN is produced in association with its original Broadway producers The Araca Group and Dodger Stage Holding. "We could not be more thrilled with URINETOWN finding a home with CanStage. Their reputation and quality of work is exceptional, and we count ourselves lucky to have such great producing partners in Toronto," said Mike Rego a partner in The Araca Group.

Tickets to URINETOWN go on sale February 23 to CanStage subscribers only and are available through the CanStage Box Office 416-368-3110 or on-line at www.canstage.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public March 22, 2004.