Marijuana musical brings ‘high’ art to John Waldron Arts Center

For marijuana smokers and musical lovers alike, Friday’s opening of “Reefer Madness: The Musical” at the John Waldron Arts Center aims to incorporate sarcasm and catchy numbers to humor showgoers.

The satirical musical finds its roots in the 1930s cult morality film called “Tell Your Children,” which warns parents of the dangers of marijuana.

It’s a drug that is “creeping like a Communist, knocking at our doors; turning all our children into hooligans and whores,” according to a song from the musical.

Shortly after the movie was filmed, it was purchased by a different producer, who re-edited it and distributed it as an exploitation film.

The film was rediscovered in the Library of Congress in the early 1970s and became popular on college campuses. Many students thought of it as an unintentional comedy for its campy production values, overacting and unrealistic portrayal of the effects of cannabis.

It was later rewritten as a musical satire by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney.
The play made it on Broadway, and in 2005, the TV network Showtime made it into a movie starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer and Kristen Bell.

The musical is about a boy named Jimmy who lives in a small town circa 1950. He is an average, all-American boy, who falls prey to the dangers of marijuana and begins to descend into the depths of depravity.

He starts ignoring his girlfriend Mary, slacking off on his schoolwork and having sex, eventually killing a man.