Hilarious Highs
2007-07-20
The cacophonous giggles and hazy waves of pungent smoke that have been emanating from TheatreWorks New Milford late in the evenings should not cause any residents undue alarm. The seemingly all-too-familiar-smelling smoke is actually burning alfalfa (seriously) and the laughter springs from audiences experiencing the venerable and venerated theatrical company's latest venture, the "hit" musical "Reefer Madness."
The show is the kind of dark, satiric material at which TheatreWorks New Milford routinely excels—and the enjoy ably over-the-top production features enough talent, expertise and enthusiasm to give the audience quite the contact high. But somehow, the delicious buzz offered by this delightfully twisted musical parody dies out too quickly. Despite some truly inspired performances by TheatreWorks stalwarts Keilly Gillen McQuail, Margaret Ann King and Joe Harding, the production doesn't quite rise to the highs that it could.
Based on a so-bad-it's-good low-budget 1930s exploitation film of the same name—hysterical in tone to the point of parody as it warned of the evils of "Mary Jane" and its pernicious effect on the youth of America— "Reefer Madness" is a wild, campy musical that also provides a sly and timely commentary on a kind of moralizing that wraps itself in the American flag and uses the politics of fear to win its arguments. Once marijuana has been obliterated, the hint by one of the protagonists is that other "bad influences" on American society, such as Darwin's works, are next.
The show begins quietly, with a lecturer (Joe Harding) making his way to a podium. The American flag next to him is the only color in an otherwise gray and white set, and he explains that the cast of the local high school's production of "Green Grow the Lilacs" is about to reenact terrible events that took place in town to encourage the audience to "take up arms against the leafy green assassin." As the cast launches into the number "Reefer Madness," dressed as zombies and lurching through dance, moves that wouldn't be out of place in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, the wild ride begins.
The musical focuses on the transformation—via a toke or two—of young Jimmy Harper (Matthew Koenig) from a 16-year-old so clean he squeaks, into a hypersexed deviant drug addict. The audience is shown how this Jekyll and Hyde change in behavior affects his sweetheart, the almost impossibly pure Mary Lane (Keilly Gillen McQuail), as well as how Jimmy's fate was engineered by slick weed peddler Jack (Ralph Colon, Jr.) and his accomplices, sexy Sally (Amy Grimm) and guilt-ridden motherly moll, Mae (Margaret Ann King).
Along the way to Jack's road to ruin are some rib-tickling moments, including a tastefully staged howler of an orgy and a Vegas-style visitation/hallucination of Jesus that had the audience darn near rolling in the aisles.
"Reefer Madness," with its clever lyrics, is a tasty morsel for the talented thespians that make up the ensemble of this show. Joe Harding makes the most of his role, revealing further depths of his already considerable skills through his wry take on his fear-mongering character, "The Lecturer." His voice's rich timbre and his superb comedic timing are both put to great use here, particularly when "The Lecturer" pops up in the guise of various bit players throughout the course of the play—some of them clad outrageously. (To say more than he makes a fine goat-man would be revealing too much). It's all the more impressive given that the actor has just come off an impressive dramatic turn as the put-upon patriarch in Theatre Works' production of Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs," a role in complete contrast to his inspired silliness here.
It must be said, however, that this show truly belongs to its leading ladies.
The most pleasing revelation was the power and beauty of Margaret Ann King's voice in her number "The Stuff," and its much more frenzied reprise. Her fierce and funny portrayal of the downtrodden (drug) den mother Mae is one of this shows highlights.
Keilly Gillen McQuail as the sweetly ditzy and unexpectedly manic ingenue Mary Lane (Little Sally in last summer's musical smash "Urinetown") reminds viewers just what a triple threat she is—actress, singer and gifted physical comedienne. Her second-act number, "Little Mary Sunshine," a duet with Ralph (James Hipp), one of her boyfriend's fellow addicts, is a show stopper. She is ably abetted in the number by Mr. Hipp, whose Ralph is the most memorably dangerous maniacal gig-gler since Richard Widmark's turn as a killer in the film "Kiss of Death." Mr. Hipp is a skilled comedian and something of scene stealer, himself—particularly in the number "Lullabye." Again, to say more would be spoiling some of the fun.
While not providing quite enough silken menace as the drug dealer Jack, Ralph Colon Jr. is a scream as the lounge singer-styled Jesus admonishing young Jimmy Harper to change his ways and take a hit of God instead of a hit of weed.
As for Matthew Koenig's Jimmy, he demonstrates solid comedic ability as he swings from an upright, uptight all-American teenager to a lewd and lurid dope-fiend who spews apple a la SNL's Mr. Peepers during his case of the munchies. But his singing voice is not quite up to the demands of the role. A few times during the course of the evening, particularly during the second act, he went noticeably flat.
Alas, he was not the only one. The actors are certainly talented and they ara matched in skill by the ensemble of musicians in the orchestra. However, there seems to be some sort of disconnect between the two groups; more than once.it felt as if one was hurrying or drowning out the other. The orchestra either needs to tone down its volume a bit, or the actors need to sing louder. During certain ensemble numbers, such as "Murder," it was not always possible to hear the words being sung. This is a most unusual glitch for TheatreWorks, and not one in evidence of its production of "Urinetown" last summer.
Visually, the show is a treat. The two-story set designed by Scott Wyshynski is compellingly monochromatic, allowing the characters to be all the more colorful. And director Sharon A. Wilcox has utilized it well, choreographing the musical numbers adeptly to take advantage of its levels. Additionally, costume designer Ed Bassett has crafted some eye-catching dresses featuring dazzling prints and patterns—and a mighty nifty sequined loincloth to boot.
While not the most polished production TheatreWorks has ever offered, "Reefer Madness" offers considerable pleasures. It's not an all-time high, but it is still pretty darn good if you don't mind your humor dark, your societal commentary clever and your haze scented like burning alfalfa.