Maverick Theater (Fullerton, CA)
Staged Cinema Productions presents Reefer Madness: The Musical. This tongue-in-cheek show, based the camp classic 1936 propaganda film, was written by writers from TV's The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. The story of a boy whose life is plunged into debauchery and chaos by marijuana features a live five-piece band, elaborate dance numbers, zombies, Jesus, and FDR.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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We had a bit of a hard time finding the place since the sign for Walnut was a bit hidden. If you're driving north on Lemon St. and have gone under the overpass, then you've gone too far. I suggest looking at this map to give you an idea of where to turn:
http://www.mavericktheater.com/assets/images/autogen/a_Map-to-Maverick04.gif
Once we got there, parking was easy since there is a lot of free street parking.
The earlier you get there, the better seats you will have since it's general admission. First come, first serve. The theater is pretty intimate so there really is no bad seat.
There is a bar where you can order bottle water, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks before the show and during intermission.
They ask that you not use the restroom during the show and hold it for intermission or after the show is done, since you can see people going into the bathroom from the theater seats and it would be distracting. The people in the audience for the show I was at respected that policy.
The show was great and the girl I took loved it. It exceeded her expectations and we couldn't stop laughing. The cast was great.
My favorite casts:
The Lecturer
Jesus
Sally
My favorite lines:
"You stir me up like beef chow mien"
"Body of me?" - Jesus
After seeing the show, it makes me want to see the movie which supposedly has reached a cult-status to see how it compares.
Loved it. Cast did a wonderful job. Surprise after surprise. I recommend it and will see it a second time.
Very funny musical satire of government sponsored paranoia, based on a 1936 "educational" movie about marihuana (as they spelled it). Cast is uniformly top notch, down to minor roles and the dancing chorus. Aleesha McNeff as a drug-addled floozy is a hoot, as is Robert Dean Nunez as the fast-talking pusher. Songs are full of snappy one-liners you may not catch first time around. As in any theater this size with a live rock band, sound mix is a problem, and at times we struggle to hear the singers, but mostly they've got this handled. Definitely worth seeing. Not for kids.
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The Maverick Theatre opens its new theatre space in June 2005. The look of the theater is designed by historic theater designer Joseph Musil, who has been involved with some of the biggest historical theater renovations in the country. The most famous is the El Capitan in Hollywood. One of his current projects includes the Fox Fullerton Theater. Joseph's Art Deco design style is a difficult sty
<p>Lock up the youngsters, cover grandma's eyes and batten down the hatches because Reefer Madness: The Musical is coming to the Maverick Theater. Based on the 1936 propaganda movie, this outrageously twisted musical of sex and drugs is the brain-child of Dan Studney (Desperate Housewives) and Kevin Murphy (The Simpsons), who felt the campy movie was just begging to be made into a musical.
Reefer Madness: The Musical tells the tale of Jimmy Harper, an All-American youth whose life falls into a pit of debauchery and despair after one puff off the evil marijuana cigarette. But his love for the beautiful Mary Lane might be his only hope to save him from the wickedness of the Mary Jane! What can you expect from a show that has zombies, Jesus and FDR… almost anything. The production has big dance numbers backed up by an outstanding five piece band.</p>