Grab a doobie, Reefer Madness is coming to Los Angeles.
To mark the show’s 25th anniversary, members of the original creative team are reuniting for a limited eight-week engagement at the Whitley in Los Angeles that opens on May 30. Back are Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell and Alan Cumming, who will produce alongside creators Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney. Andy Fickman, who directed 2005’s Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, will also produce with America Olivo Campbell.
Spencer Liff, a veteran choreographer with credits on everything from So You Think You Can Dance? to Spring Awakening, will direct and choreograph the revival. The production team includes original cast member Wendy Parker as executive producer, with Maia Falconi-Sachs, Matthew Rosenthal and Nick Padgett taking co-producer credits. David Lamoureux will serve as music director, and Maxx Reed as associate director and choreographer.
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The musical, with book and lyrics by Murphy, and book and music by Studney, follows what happens in a small Middle America town when the evils of marijuana take hold, centering on a seemingly normal teenager whose life is derailed by a dangerous addiction. The show debuted in L.A. in 1999, before transferring to Off Broadway in 2001. It then became a made-for-TV movie in 2005. Bell, Campbell and John Kassir starred in both the stage show as well as the movie while Cumming joined for the screen adaptation, which also featured Ana Gasteyer, Steven Weber, Neve Campbell, Robert Clarke and others.
The whole Reefer Madness craze dates back to a 1936 anti-drug film that was originally financed by a religious group under the title Tell Your Children. It inspired the satirical takes decades later when it was rediscovered and became something of a cult classic. Per official intel, the revival will include new material from the creators.
Los Angeles audiences will have the opportunity to see the show on stage, and also duck into the “Reefer Den” after the final bow. The post-show nightclub will feature performances from Broadway stars, a house band, surprise guests and drinks and food.
