PASSING STRANGE

The first half of the Tony-nominated musical Passing Strange is exhilarating and polished and satisfying, virtually a show in itself. The second half wasn't quite as absorbing for me, but it's got enough smarts and good music to make Passing Strange one of the outstanding shows of recent Broadway seasons.

The story of a young man from Los Angeles seeking his "own reality," Passing Strange is a kind of soulful Siddhartha concocted by Stew with his frequent collaborator Heidi Rodewald. Daniel Breaker does a great job as the Youth, while Stew himself presides as the Narrator, the Youth's older self. The direction of Annie Dorsen and the choreography of Karole Armitage create a strong sense of theater with minimal set elements; in the supporting cast, Colman Domingo stands out in his role as a choir leader.

It's tempting to play with the word "stew" when writing about this musical, which skillfully blends many musical ingredients including gospel, soul, and show tunes. Passing Strange draws on a tried-and-true recipe as a coming-of-age story, but its specifics imbue it with a distinctive and enriching African American flavor. Adventure, confession, romance, revelation, and satire are all part of the mix. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are well-represented, too.

I can imagine Passing Strange's producers considering its ingredients and picturing how the show could be a big hit, another sign of how an original and edgy and exciting new Broadway show can be a success. Throughout the show are elements that might have reminded them of musicals such as Rent, Hairspray, and Spring Awakening, to cite just a few examples.

Reaction to the show has been very positive from its early days, when Spike Lee wrote "this fresh musical is an unstoppable force of energy, music and mayhem, just what Broadway needs." The raves continued when Passing Strange made it to Broadway. Charles Isherwood of The New York Times called it "wonderful" and "bursting at the seams with melodic songs, [featuring] a handful of theatrical performances to treasure."

Passing Strange has earned such deservedly good reviews—along with three Drama Desk Awards, two Theatre World Awards, two Obies, the top prize from the New York Drama Critics' Circle, and seven Tony nominations—that one might imagine it hard to find tickets to the production. Sadly for the show (but possibly very good for you), many tickets seem to be available at present. The show even has an excellent rush policy that can net you a pair of orchestra seats for $26.50 apiece. I took advantage of the policy last weekend and joined the rest of the audience in giving the show a well-earned standing ovation. If you haven't yet seen Passing Strange, why not give it a try lest it pass you by?

Here's a Passing Strange medley, broadcast on The View, in which the Youth finds a new home in Amsterdam.



Source (5:53)