1998 жылғы "Reefer Madness" музыкалық сатирасы

1998 musical satire of the 1936 film of the same name

Reefer Madness is a musical satire of the 1936 propaganda film and cult classic Reefer Madness that opened in Los Angeles in 1998. The book and lyrics were written by Kevin Murphy and the book and music by Dan Studney. Directed by Andy Fickman, it was initially shown at the Hudson Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals now administers the stock/amateur rights, and the show has been produced by local theater groups in several cities, including Long Island, Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia, Charleston, Sacramento, Raleigh, Norfolk, Minneapolis, and London. The 2008 production at the Studio Theater in Washington, D. C. won two Helen Hayes Awards, for directing and outstanding Resident Production. The Canadian premiere was produced by Hart House Theatre in September 2006 with both Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney in attendance. The show returned to Canada during The Lower Ossington Theatre's Toronto production, June 9–18, 2011. The show made its Australian debut in Sydney on July 24, 2008, and UK premiere in London on March 24, 2009. A film adaptation of the same name by Fickman, Murphy and Studney themselves was made in 2005, with several actors reprising their roles. On April 20, 2014, an all star benefit concert version of the musical was presented at New World Stages. It featured Alan Cumming, Christian Campbell, Thomas Dekker, Andrea McArdle, Lesli Margherita, James Snyder, Harry S. Murphy, John Kassir, Amy Spanger, Jenna Leigh Green and Lea Delaria. It was directed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz, produced by Shoshana Feinstein, and was a benefit for the BabyQuest Foundation. On March 7, 2024, it was announced the show would receive a 25th anniversary Los Angeles revival with Christian Campbell, Alan Cumming, Kristin Bell, Andy Fickman, Dan Studney, Kevin Murphy, and America Olivo Campbell producing.

This synopsis reflects the current version of the show as licensed. For information about other versions of the show, and cut songs, see below.

The year is 1936. As the play opens, the Lecturer, a stern, conservative authority figure, informs a group of parents (the audience) of the new drug menace, "marihuana", which threatens the American way of life. (His warnings are reinforced by the Placard Girl, who throughout the play holds up large signs that clearly state scenes' moral lessons.) From his podium, the Lecturer warns the audience that action must be taken immediately before the children of America succumb to the Demon Weed ("Reefer Madness"). The Lecturer illustrates his point by re enacting "the Harper Affair", which he claims is a true and horrific scandal. He begins by introducing us to Jimmy Harper and Mary Lane, a lovable pair of wholesome teens who hold hands, sip hot cocoa, and think pure thoughts while studying Shakespeare for English class ("Romeo and Juliet"). The Lecturer then shows us the seamier side of life at the Reefer Den, populated by drug addled denizens. We meet Mae, the Reefer Den hostess, who is abused by her slick, pusher boyfriend Jack. She'd leave him, but Jack keeps her supplied with the marijuana she craves ("The Stuff"), despite his physical and sexual abuse. The Lecturer brings us now to the five and dime, a local teen hangout where wholesome kids indulge in the risqué rhythms of swing jazz music, as performed by Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and other "ginger colored agents of evil" ("Down at the Ol' Five and Dime"). The Lecturer assumes the guise of kindly Mr. Poppy, the singing and dancing proprietor. Jack, trolling for youthful victims, arrives at the five and dime, where he meets Jimmy and lures him back to the Reefer Den under the pretense of offering him swing dancing lessons. There, Jimmy encounters Ralph, a psychotic ex college student who communicates primarily with cackling, maniacal laughter. He also meets Sally, a marijuana addicted prostitute who works to support herself and her baby. Jimmy is pressured into taking his first hit of marijuana ("Jimmy Takes a Hit") and tastes the forbidden fruits of sensual abandon in a wild hallucinatory dance sequence featuring weird sex, belly dancers, fire eaters, and Goat Man, a frightening satyr played by the Lecturer ("The Orgy"). Over the next few weeks, we watch Jimmy make a terrifying transition from "good egg" to "bad apple". He mouths off to his parents, brutalizes a puppy, and even attempts to tongue kiss a shocked Mary, sending her running off in tears. Alone in church, Mary prays that her sweetheart will regain his senses and return to her ("Lonely Pew"). Later, Jimmy and Ralph break into the church to steal from the poor box. While Ralph goes off to smoke some frankincense, Jimmy receives a vision of Jesus Christ! Jesus (played by Jack) warns Jimmy (in a Tom Jones style production number) to kick his reefer habit or suffer eternal damnation ("Listen to Jesus, Jimmy"), but Jimmy ultimately refuses to heed Jesus's warning. Back at the Reefer Den, Jimmy is completely out of control. A desperate Mae warns Jimmy to avoid her own mistakes – he must escape the Reefer Den while he is still able. The drug addled Jimmy won't listen. Even the revelation that Sally has sold her baby for drug money fails to snap him out of it. Sally's baby (played by Ralph) appears and sings a plaintive solo ("Lullaby"). Jimmy's misbehavior culminates with his stealing Mary's Packard and taking it for a reckless, marijuana induced joyride with Sally. His joy, however, proves short lived – Sally, who is driving, runs over a helpless old man crossing the street, killing him. Finally regaining his senses, Jimmy returns the stolen Packard to Mary's house and apologizes to her, pledging his love ("Mary Jane/Mary Lane".) Before he can give her his school ring as a token of his undying love, a siren sounds in the distance. Jimmy, now wanted for a hit and run, realizes that he must get far away from Mary lest he bring her down with him. He runs off into the night with no explanation. Mary doesn't know the exact nature of Jimmy's demons, but she vows he will not face them alone. She drives her Packard into the night in search of "her poor lost Romeo". Meanwhile, back at the Reefer Den, Jack and Mae hear a radio broadcast announcing the hit and run accident. Police are looking for a young man in a late model Packard. Jack, fearing Jimmy will be arrested and lead the cops back to him, grabs a pistol and ominously vows to bring Jimmy back to the Reefer Den "one way or another" ("Act I Finale").

Several songs were cut out of the show during its varying incarnations, though they have appeared on the original cast recording. They include:
"We Know Best" – Jimmy's parents (played by the Lecturer and Mae) lecture him on the dangers of marijuana, using racially tinged examples from papers owned by William Randolph Hearst and praising the newspaperman. They then gather neighbors and other adults together to give Jimmy a dose of corporal punishment so he will remember not to think for himself. Cut two weeks into the original run in Los Angeles. "The Monkey Song" – Jimmy, alone on the streets, suffering from withdrawal, has a hallucination where he boxes the literal Monkey on his Back (his addiction) in a match refereed by Sally. Cut towards the end of the LA Run when the show was substantially rewritten in preparation for its move to New York and replaced with "The Brownie Song." "The Trial" – Jimmy's trial, where he is condemned by both the Prosecution (the Lecturer) and the Defense (Ralph) for his "Reefer Madness" and sentenced to death by the Judge (Jack). Cut towards the end of the LA Run when the show was substantially rewritten in preparation for its move to New York. "Dead Old Man" – Jimmy mourns the Old Man he has run down with Mary's Packard. Cut from the film version of the show, and replaced by "Mary Jane/Mary Lane" both there and in the licensing script. a finale reprise of "Reefer Madness" in which all the dead characters, (the entire cast, barring the Lecturer) rise from the grave and recite ridiculous morals about how Reefer has ruined them. Cut for the film version.

The 2008 Squabblogic production was mounted as the Australian Premiere. It opened on July 24 at Cleveland Street Theatre and ran for 4 weeks. This small, boutique production starred Australian TV legend, Barry Crocker as The Lecturer, Brad Facey as Jimmy and Jess Burns as Mary Lane. Also starring: Emily Cascarino, Andy Cook, Lucas Hall, Katie Headrick, Jay James Moody, Sophia Katos, Richard Lovegrove, Belinda Morris and Celeste O'Hara.

The UK premiere took place at the Bridewell Theatre in London in March 2009.

The original cast recording was released by Madness Records in 1999, and has all the original songs (i. e. "The Monkey Song", "The Trial") plus two bonus tracks (the cut song "We Know Best", and "Weather Changes" from the musical "Valley of Kings"). In October 2008, Ghostlight Records released a soundtrack for both the original 1998 cast and the 2005 movie musical in a 2 disc CD set.

In 2005, Showtime released a movie musical adaptation of the show, following the same plot and songs, and starring Kristen Bell as Mary, Christian Campbell as Jimmy, Ana Gasteyer as Mae, Steven Weber as Jack, Amy Spanger as Sally, John Kassir as Ralph, with Alan Cumming as The Lecturer and Neve Campbell as Miss Poppy.