cannabisnews.com: 'Reefer Madness' Dopey but Fun 'Reefer Madness' Dopey but Fun Posted by FoM on October 08, 2001 at 15:42:05 PT By Elysa Gardner Source: USA Today When Mayor Rudy Giuliani let on that it's OK to be funny, I don't think this was quite what he had in mind.A musical comedy tracing the wacky misadventures of dope-smoking teenagers and the lascivious adults who stoke their habits is not, I suspect, one that Hizzoner would prescribe as comic relief for grief-stricken New Yorkers. Throw in a lounge-lizard Jesus and similarly irreverent caricatures of Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty, and you have a show with the potential to tick off political leaders across the country, especially at this sensitive juncture. But for the laughing, cheering theatergoers who attended a preview last week of the new off-Broadway musical Reefer Madness (* * * out of four), which opened Sunday at the Variety Arts Theatre, these shenanigans were clearly just what the doctor ordered. Based on the anti-drug-propaganda-film-turned-camp-classic of the same name, Madness is the brainchild of Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, whose songs and script carry the nothing-is-sacred philosophy espoused by current musicals such as The Producers and Urinetown to a new level. There is something here to offend everyone, even those who share the creators' view that the legal prohibition of marijuana is a sure step on the path to totalitarian oppression. On the other hand, I doubt that even the staunchest opponent of mind-altering substances could resist entirely the effects of this delirious romp, which at its best reaches highs of intoxicating goofiness.Though set in 1936, the year of the film's release, Madness cannily incorporates musical styles ranging from jazz and doo-wop to rock and disco, and it provides characters that are accessible to young audiences even as they parody old-fashioned stereotypes. The show's virginal sweethearts, Jimmy and Mary -- played by Christian Campbell and Kristen Bell with a swell mix of squeaky innocence and snarky knowing -- could have been lifted out of a '50s TV series; Gregg Edelman's stern, oafish narrator is just as drolly anachronistic. As the dastardly drug dealer Jack and his ''junked-up chippie,'' Mae, Robert Torti and Michele Pawk infuse sleazy clichés with winking irony. And Erin Matthews deftly plays Sally, the buxom blonde who lures Jimmy into Jack and Mae's clutches, as the missing link between Mae West and Reese Witherspoon.1980s pop star Paula Abdul's choreography draws similarly on classic and contemporary influences, veering from giddy swing-era routines to a brash, MTV-esque mock orgy. In an especially cheeky moment, Mary gets stoned and turns into a gyrating dominatrix, rhapsodizing about phone cords and candle wax. Periodically, a leggy hoofer sails by, waving placards emblazoned with such dire warnings as ''Reefer makes you giggle -- for NO GOOD REASON!'' Not all of the giggles in Madness are so readily digestible. When an actor dressed as Sally's baby sings about how Mommy sold him ''to get her daily fix,'' it's enough to make the most ardent black-comedy enthusiast squirm. And some of the more violent bits of shtick, from Jack's frequent beatings of Mae to a skit depicting the accidental murder of an old man, simply aren't funny enough to justify their tastelessness.But as this generally entertaining show should help remind us, the freedom to be controversial, troubling or silly in artistic expression is part of what distinguishes us from those who wish to end our laughter permanently. Source: USA Today (US)Author: Elysa GardnerPublished: October 8, 2001- Page 5D Copyright: 2001 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.Contact: editor usatoday.comWebsite: http://www.usatoday.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Reefer Madnesshttp://www.reefermadness.org/Scent of Marijuana Wafts Toward Evilhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11050.shtmlCannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by ekim on October 08, 2001 at 17:59:40 PT: Good going FOM --here is the Party line US NY: Satire Up In Smoke URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1753/a03.html Newshawk: Wars On Too Many Fronts - End The WOD Pubdate: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 Source: New York Post (NY) Copyright: 2001 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc. Contact: letters nypost.com Website: http://nypostonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/296 Author: Donald Lyons Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)SATIRE UP IN SMOKE GRANDDAD'S joke may be a bit tired by now. "Reefer Madness" was a 1936 "scare" movie about the dangers of marijuana. It took teenager Jimmy Harper from the malt shop to a dope den, where one puff of pot turned him into a crazed murderer. The film was so ludicrous, so overwritten, so poorly acted that it's been a giggle since it came out. Now it's a musical trying ( why? ) to make fun of the preposterous old film. Wasn't the film absurd? it asks. Of course, but so what? In truth, the musical "Reefer Madness" is so bad, it might serve as a warning for satirical musicals, just as the film has for anti-drug movies. The tunes ( lyrics by Kevin Murphy, music by Dan Studney, book by both ) are unappealing and unmelodic, with leaden titles like "Jimmy Takes a Hit" and "The Orgy." The direction by Andy Fickman and the choreography by Paula Abdul are clumsy and unfunny. The acting - by Christian Campbell as Jimmy; Kristen Bell as his stupid girlfriend, Mary; and Robert Torti, playing both the dope-pusher and Jesus Christ in a silver-lame loincloth - is shrill and obvious. Interestingly, a witty and melodic '30s musical parody is in town right now. See "Urinetown" for a smart take on the "Reefer Madness" period. [SIDEBAR] REEFER MADNESS, Variety Arts Theatre, 110 Third Ave. Call Telecharge, ( 212 ) 239-6200. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 08, 2001 at 17:41:06 PT Doug We just downloaded the songs and they are really good. I didn't have a good enough computer before this one to get MP3s and it's like a new toy to me. The one that is the best is Listen to Jesus Jimmy we think. Then Reefer Madness Finale. They both are worth the download. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Doug on October 08, 2001 at 17:22:06 PT Compare with the NYT It's interestin to compare this review with the one from the New York Times. The Times obviously had an agenda to enforce, and that overcame their review. In fact, the NYT review was the only bad one I've seen for this play, which started out in Los Angeles. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 08, 2001 at 16:03:52 PT The Reefer Madness! Song Repository We just listened to Reefer Madness the Finale and it was good. I'm downloading The Stuff now. The sound bytes are downloadable MP3 files and are the entire songs. Their file size is large, and their sound quality is high. Also, the clips are intended to give you a sampling of the show so you want to buy the original Los Angeles Cast Recording compact disc. The Reefer Madness! Song Repository http://www.reefermadness.org/clips/clips.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment