American Theater Company (ATC)'s production of the quirky show, with music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, will be directed by artistic director PJ Paparelli.

The cast, playing yeast cells singing in the primordial goo, will include Gary Houston (Elder), Sandie Rosa (Sly), Govind Kumar (Chorus), Trista Smith (Chorus), Bethany Thomas (Chorus), Barbara Robertson (Unnamed), Stephanie Kim (New One), Roberta Burke (Chorus), Robert Gerdish (Chorus), Phil Ridarelli (Wise), Wendy Weber (Famished), Bernie Balbot (Wretched/Young) and Melanie Brezill (Sweet). One role is yet to be announced.

Musical direction is by Mark Elliott.

Performances will play Sept. 10-Oct. 18 at the American Theater Company's home at 1909 W Byron Street, Chicago. Opening night is Sept. 17.

The show is billed as "the strangest story ever to be musicalized" (this from the Urinetown creators). The setting is "The Primordial Soup. 3,000,458,000 B.C." According to production notes, "The world's first family, a colony of salt-eating yeasts, float in the brine of the primordial soup under the rule of a tyrannical baritone. When resources deplete and fear pervades, the faith of a single-celled dreamer starts an evolutionary chain reaction that changes the course of existence forever." For more information, visit www.atcweb.org.