By Chris Tataryn Journal/Brandon Neelin high school is known for putting on outstanding musical productions each spring, and this year is shaping up to be no different with their upcoming production on Urinetown; a show based in a city suffering such a water shortage that people are forced to pay to pee. “It’s a quirky musical comedy with an underlying theme of water conservation,” said Neelin vice Principal Veronica Adams. “It’s going to be pretty funny; we have a unique group of characters this year acting in the show.” “We have a lot of students who are really good at playing quirky, interesting characters this year, so we wanted to pick a show to challenge their abilities,” said Melissa Lausman, Neelin Drama teacher and production director. “The story follows a group of misfits living in a city that has a huge water shortage, and now they have to pay to pee. Most of the group are too poor to afford it, so the story follows the struggle of the poor masses against the rich ‘Urine Good Company.’ The daughter of the company owner falls in love with the leader of the misfits, and they try to overthrow the company with the power of love.” While the story has an underlying message, the ticket sales are going towards a relatable cause. $1 from every ticket sold is going towards Compassion Canada, a charity group that helps with child development and sponsorship programs in third-world countries, as well offering a ‘Gifts of Compassion’ option, in which bed nets, children’s camp programs, and even toilets. “The variety of music in the show is really unique,” said Lausman. “There are pop songs, jazz numbers, and even a gospel number. Urinetown features a really wide spectrum of music, which ends up being really fun and challenging for the students.” Lausman has written the past two musical productions for Neelin, but took a break from writing this year due to some special upcoming projects. “We have a standard of excellence we try to meet every year,” said Lausman. “We don’t want people to remember this is a high school production, we try to have a certain air of professionalism. People really get what they pay for when they come see a Neelin production.” Urinetown will be showing at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium from April 12 – April 14. For tickets or more information, contact the WMCA box office at 728-9510.