Lucky Penny swept up in 'Reefer Madness'

NAPA — “Reefer Madness” is back. Lucky Penny is opening the show this weekend. The wildly entertaining musical is based on the 1936 propaganda film of the same name.

It's presented as an over-the-top parody rather than as a serious social warning. As in the original film, clean-cut American teens fall prey to marijuana. But instead of being trapped in a bleak melodrama, it’s a comedic downward spiral filled with evil jazz music, sex and violence.



The show originated in Los Angeles and ran Off-Broadway in 2001. A film adaptation was made in 2005 with a cast including Alan Cummings, Kristen Bell, Ana Gasteyer and Neve Campbell. Lucky Penny’s “Reefer Madness” cast includes Brad Fisher as The Lecturer, Pilar Gonzales as Mary, Nico Jaochico as Jimmy, Chloe Angst as Mae, Skyler King as Jack, Emma Sutherland as Sally, Christopher Fabbro Smith as Ralph, Abby Langhoff as The Placard Girl, and Marjory Harper, Kira Smit, Phi Tran, Arthur Mautner and Shilah Walters as the hard-dancing ensemble.

Stage direction is by Taylor Bartolucci and Barry Martin, with musical direction by Debra Chambliss, choreography by Staci Arriaga, scenic design by Barry Martin, lighting by April George, costumes by Barbara McFadden, and properties by Bartolucci. Tickets are available at www.luckypennynapa.

com , along with tickets for “Other Desert Cities,” which opens April 18, followed by the 2025 version of the Lucky Penny original musical “The Real Housewives of Napa Valley” on May 30. Individual show tickets and a “3 Show Discount Package” are on the Single Show Tickets page at www.luckypennynapa.

com . For more information, call Lucky Penny at 707-266-6305 or email [email protected] .

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