Way back in the day, people were told that marijuana was a national epidemic that was taking over the bodies of vulnerable, naive teens and basically turning them into monsters with no self-control. That smear campaign against the intoxicating plant that is becoming far less regulated may or may not have been spearheaded by one William Randolph Hearst, and it came to a head when the cautionary tale entitled Reefer Madness was released. This film is now considered to be so hysterical that someone decided to make a parody musical of it.
That musical has made it all the way to New Orleans where a troupe of incredibly talented local actors have brought us the tale of two young lovers who find themselves tangled up in a sinister cloud or reefer. We're led through this hilarious and tragic tale of Jimmy (played by Eli Timm) and his sweetheart Mary Lane (played by Maggie Windler) by our lecturer who tells us exactly how vicious, sometimes deadly, this new drug can be. Jimmy was led to have wild sex, leave school, and even kill his beloved Mary who had just succumbed to the devilish plant moments before and was riding a fellow pothead while whipping him.
For how small the stage was for a production of this magnitude, the show was fabulous in so many ways. The production truly enveloped the space as the actors would appear all around you as Vegas-style angels, reefer victims, or even the thonged Devil with a dildo staff. For how difficult the songs were, I was floored by the vocal work of the entire cast; they were absolutely on point. I would not just recommend this show to people wanting to see something funny, timely, and excellently-played, I would buy them tickets for gifts.
You can catch the show at Rivertown Theater February 2nd-12th. And they won't bust you if you show up high.
