A LITTLE 'MADNESS' GOES WITH A 'WICKED' OPPORTUNITY

In 1936, a church group put together a movie to let parents know of a new
scourge -- the real Public Enemy No. 1, it warned -- that was targeting
America's youth: marijuana.

Almost 70 years later, "Reefer Madness" has become a cult classic with
late-night screenings and even a Broadway production of the film.

On Sunday, Northwestern University students will get a sneak peek at the
newest version of the movie -- a campier, revamped musical that will
premiere April 16 on cable's Showtime network.

The producers are on a national college tour with the film, giving students
the opportunity to see the original -- a cautionary tale about clean-cut
kids who fall into a twisted, hilarious downward spiral of reefer, sex and
murder -- and then will take a look at the 2005 tongue-in-cheek version.
The NU stop will be a homecoming of sorts for one of the movie's stars, Ana
Gasteyer.

An alum of the Evanston school's theater department, Gasteyer will be
preview the movie with the students, answer questions and talk about her
career. The NU screening is the beginning of what will be a lengthy stay in
Chicago for the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member. She was recently
named as one of the stars of the Chicago cast of "Wicked," the "Wizard of
Oz"-based musical that will have an open-ended run here starting in June.

"I am excited to be going back to Chicago," Gasteyer said during a phone
interview. "I have always seen Chicago as the 'real' American city where
you can make a living as an actor. There is a vibrant theater community in
Chicago -- it's part of the daily life."

There is also a love for song and dance in Chicago, which it turns out is
pretty lucky for her.

That's because the former improv actor known for her dead-on impressions of
Martha Stewart and over-the-top spoof of Celine Dion during her six years
on "SNL" is really a music theater lover -- or a music theater nerd, as she
calls herself -- at heart.

"I was a music major as a freshman at Northwestern, that's what I wanted to
do," Gasteyer said. "Singing has been a part of my life since the
beginning. I competed in classical performances in high school. That has
always crept into many of my characters."

It's no surprise then that since leaving the NBC-TV sketch comedy show,
Gasteyer has made her mark on the theater, making her Broadway debut in
2001 in "The Rocky Horror Show." It was during that run, that she was cast
for her part in "Reefer Madness."

Gasteyer plays the role of Mae Coleman, the sympathetic mistress of the
reefer den. Although she had never seen the original ("It was incredibly
tedious," she said), Gasteyer was familiar with the movie and thinks it
will connect with all audiences -- even college students who may have never
heard of the original.

"It's really funny," she said. "It's like Mel Brooks meets 'Scream' meets
'Chicago.' There are elements from all of those in this movie."

Producers think the movie will resonate with college kids because it
explores a favorite theme: rebellion.

"To me, this was always about questioning authority. In every decade, for
every generation, dealing with politics and grownups, school figures and
church leaders, there's always an opportunity to question authority," said
Andy Fickman, the movie's director. "We questioned authority and broke off
from Queen England, and now look at us. In a way, we're really reflecting
history with this film."

Gasteyer enjoyed her time making the musical parody -- with its campy
song-and-dance routines and 1930s spoofish characters -- but is looking
forward to her extended stay in Chicago.

Her role in "Wicked" is expected to last well into the fall, a pretty long
run for most theater actors, especially ones with A-type personalities. But
Gasteyer welcomes the steadiness of the role.

"I find when I am doing the same show every day, it's like going to the gym
for me, you really get into a rhythm," she said. "That's very peaceful. For
a crazy, obsessive comedic actor, it can be like a brain time-out."

The show also allows her to get back to playing a villain. In "Wicked,"
Gasteyer will play the evil Elphaba, the green-skinned young woman who
becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

"I've been a stepsister, a witch and an ax-murdering drug whore by this
point of my career," she said. "I guess, I'm just drawn to the dark side."

Dorothy better watch out.

'REEFER MADNESS' When: 7 p.m. Sunday Where: Norris University Center, 1999
Campus Dr., Northwestern University, Evanston Admission: Free Phone: (847)
491-2301