“Urinetown, the Musical,” opens April 8 at the Berkeley Playhouse

A clever, irreverent and humorous commentary on corporate greed as well as an ode to Broadway musicals, “Urinetown, the Musical,” takes place in an urban town in the near future. There, water is scarce and the Urine Good Company and its president Caldwell B. Cladwell regulate all of the restrooms through a corrupt, corporate system.

Pennywise (Jessica Coker) (center) confronts (L-R): Little Sally (Brittney Monroe), Mr. McQueen (Neal Pascua), Bobby Strong (Nikita Burshteyn), Old Man Strong (Phillip Percy Williams) and Josephine (Melinda Meeng) in Berkeley Playhouse’s production of “Urinetown, The Musical.”

The situation creates an unexpected hero, Bobby Strong, a young attendant at Public Amenity #9, a facility utilized by the poorest in the city. When his father can’t afford the daily bathroom fee and suffers terribly because of it, Bobby rises up and sets the scene for a revolt, a love story and toe-tapping musical numbers.

Bobby Strong (Nikita Burshteyn) and Hope Cladwell (Andrea J. Love) in Berkeley Playhouse’s production of “Urinetown, The Musical.”

(L-R): Old Man Strong (Phillip Percy Williams), Josephine (Melinda Meeng), Bobby Strong (Nikita Burshteyn), Little Sally (Brittney Monroe) and Mr. McQueen (Neal Pascua) in Berkeley Playhouse’s production of “Urinetown, The Musical.”

“Urinetown, the Musical. April 6-April 30. $22-$40. Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-8542, www.berkeleyplayhouse.org

Photos by Ben Krantz Studio

-Stephanie Wright Hession