Passing Strange

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Passing Strange

Music	Stew Heidi Rodewald
Lyrics	Stew
Book	Stew
Productions	2006 Berkeley 2007 Off-Broadway 2008 Broadway

Passing Strange is a musical with lyrics and book by Stew and music and orchestrations by Stew and Heidi Rodewald.

The musical was developed at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in 2004 and 2005, one of the only works ever to be invited back for a second round of development^[1]. It premiered on October 19, 2006, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California.^[2] It was then produced off-Broadway at The Public Theatre in New York City, running from May 14, 2007, through June 3, 2007.^[3] The musical began previews at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway on February 8, 2008, and officially opened on February 28, 2008.^[4]

Passing Strange won the 2008 Drama Desk Awards for outstanding musical, music and lyrics (out of seven nominations), among a number of other awards and nominations. Reviews on Broadway have been positive.

1 Plot summary
2 Roles and original Broadway cast
3 Song list
4 Critical reaction
5 Awards and nominations
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Plot summary

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A young black musician travels on a picaresque journey to rebel against his mother and his upbringing in a church-going, middle-class, South Central Los Angeles neighborhood in order to find "the real". He finds new experiences in promiscuous Amsterdam, with its easy access to drugs and sex, and in artistic, chaotic, political Berlin, where he struggles with ethics and integrity when he misrepresents his background as poor to get ahead. Along with his "passing" from place to place and from lover to lover, the young musician moves through a number of musical styles from a background of gospel to punk, and then blues, jazz, and rock. He finally returns home.

[edit] Roles and original Broadway cast

Narrator - Stew
Youth - Daniel Breaker
Edwina/Marianna/Sudabey - De'Adre Aziza
Mother - Eisa Davis
Mr. Franklin/Joop/Mr. Venus - Colman Domingo
Terry/Christophe/Hugo - Chad Goodridge
Sherry/Renata/Desi - Rebecca Naomi Jones

[edit] Song list

Act I

Prologue (We Might Play All Night)--Narrator, Heidi and the Band
Baptist Fashion Show--Narrator and Ensemble
Blues Revelation/Freight Train--Narrator and Ensemble
Arlington Hill--Narrator
Sole Brother--Youth, Terry and Sherry
Must've Been High--Narrator
Mom Song--Narrator, Mother and Ensemble
Merci Beaucoup, M. Godard--Narrator and Stewardesses
Amsterdam--Ensemble
Keys--Marianna, Youth and Narrator
We Just Had Sex--Youth, Marianna and Renata

Act II

May Day--Narrator and Ensemble
Surface--Mr. Venus
Damage-- Narrator, Desi and Youth
Identity--Youth
The Black One--Narrator and Ensemble
Come Down Now--Heidi and Desi
Work the Wound–Youth and Narrator
Passing Phase--Youth and Narrator
Love Like That--Narrator and Heidi

[edit] Critical reaction

Charles Isherwood wrote in The New York Times: "Although it is far richer in wit, feeling and sheer personality than most of what is classified as musical theater in the neighborhood around Times Square these days, its big heart throbs to the sound of electric guitars, searing synthesizer chords, driving drums and lyrics delivered not in a clean croon but a throaty yelp.... Passing Strange is bursting at the seams with melodic songs, and it features a handful of theatrical performances to treasure.... Call it a rock concert with a story to tell, trimmed with a lot of great jokes. Or call it a sprawling work of performance art, complete with angry rants and scary drag queens.... I'll just call it wonderful, and a welcome anomaly on Broadway...."^[5]

On 6-3-08 during the end of a phone interview with Howard Stern, Rosie O'Donnell commented about this performance and said that he must bring his kids to see it.

[edit] Awards and nominations

Tony Awards Nominations

Best Musical
Best Actor (Stew)
Best Featured Actor (Daniel Breaker)
Best Featured Actress (de'Adre Aziza)
Best Original Score (Stew and Heidi Rodewald)
Best Book (Stew)
Best Orchestrations (Stew and Heidi Rodewald)

Drama Desk Awards

Outstanding Musical (winner)
Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Daniel Breaker) (nominee)
Outstanding Choreography (Karole Armitage) (nominee)
Outstanding Music (Stew and Heidi Rodewald) (winner)
Outstanding Lyrics (Stew) (winner)
Outstanding Book of a Musical (Stew) (nominee)
Outstanding Orchestrations (Stew and Heidi Rodewald) (nominee)

New York Drama Critics' Circle Award: Best Musical

Outer Critics Circle Awards nomination: Outstanding New Score

Drama League Award nominations

Distinguished Production of a Musical
Distinguished Performance Award (Daniel Breaker, Stew)

Lucille Lortel nominations

Outstanding Musical (Produced by The Public Theater, in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre)
Outstanding Director (Annie Dorsen)
Outstanding Lighting Design