Reefer madness
October 2-11, 2026​
Written by Kevin Murphy & Dan Studney
About the show
Run Time: 2 hrs
Intermission: 15 mins
Cast: 4w, 4m
Genre: Musical, Satire, Political Satire
Setting: A small town in America in 1936
Themes: Love, Family, Adolescence
When a clean-cut kid from a stand-up American family falls prey to marijuana, his descent into the pit is filled with jazz, sex and violence. This pointed political satire will go straight to your head!
Inspired by the original 1936 film of the same name, this raucous musical comedy takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria caused when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana, leading them on a hysterical downward spiral filled with evil jazz music, sex and violence. You won’t be able to resist the spoofy fun of Reefer Madness. The addictive, clever musical numbers range from big Broadway-style showstoppers to swing tunes like “Down at the Ol’ Five and Dime” and the Vegas-style “Listen to Jesus, Jimmy,” featuring J.C. Himself leading a chorus of showgirl angels. Reefer Madness is a highly stylized and satirical political commentary that will leave you wanting more.
​
Winner! 2000 L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards, Best Production
Winner! 2000 L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards, Best Musical Score
Winner! 1999 Backstage West Garland Awards, Best Production
content
advisory
Due to the high volume and wide breadth of work we present, we are often not able to proactively offer content advisories for individual performances. However, if you have specific concerns about stage effects (such as strobe lights or fog/haze) that might have a bearing on comfort or well-being, or if you would like to know more about the age appropriateness of the performance, please contact us at (515) 309-0251 or business@iowastage.org
ACcessible
performances
Audio Described and ASL- interpreted Public Performance :
​
Sunday, October 4 at 2:00 PM
MEDIA
“A delirious romp... reaches highs of intoxicating goofiness.” – USA Today
“Reefer Madness: The Musical broadly expands on the skeleton plot of the original film and turns it into a deliciously campy, wickedly funny romp… This show combines the main character from Godspell with the kinkiness of The Rocky Horror Show and the traditional musical theatre aesthetic of A Chorus Line.” – Strand (Toronto)
​
“Reefer Madness... is deliberately outlandish and silly. And that's what makes it so good... [the show includes] a dozen or so over-the-top and hilarious production numbers.” – New York Daily News
​
“The funniest thing to come down the pike – or the pipe – in a while.” – Backstage
​
“The musical stage version of Reefer Madness! really deserves to be a phenomenon unto itself. You don't even have to inhale to enjoy it.” – After Dark
COMING SOON
Cast & artists
THE ARTISTS
featured company
members
explore ticket options
Everyone is welcome at Iowa Stage Theatre Company, and we've got something for everyone!
Save money with this 3 ticket package, receive priority seating, and enjoy special perks!​
$41/ticket
Standard tickets are our most flexible offering. Purchase as many as you want, when you want, for whichever show you want!​​​​
$50/ticket
RUSH Tickets
Only available for Wednesday, Thursday, and matinee performances 2 hours prior to show time at the box office. Subject to availability. ​​​​
$10/ticket
Save money with this 4 ticket package, receive priority seating, and enjoy special perks!
$41/ticket
Community-sponsored tickets are for those who may be a student, are working within a budget, or find this price more approachable.
$25/ticket
Special rates for groups of 10 or more. Call the DMPA ticket office at (515) 246-2340.​​​
​​
Starting at 20% off
Iowa Stage is committed to presenting theatre to everyone, without regard for financial circumstance. If you or your group would like to attend a show, but cost or transportation is a barrier, please contact us at business@iowastage.org about further options. Thank you to our generous donors for making theatre accessible.