Passing Strange

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Passing Strange
Music Stew
Heidi Rodewald
Lyrics Stew
Book Stew
Productions 2006 Berkeley
2007 Off-Broadway
2008 Broadway

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

The musical premiered on October 19, 2006, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California.[1] It was then produced off-Broadway at The Public Theatre in New York City, running from May 14, 2007, through June 3, 2007.[2] The musical began previews at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway on February 8, 2008, and officially opened on February 28, 2008.[3]

Passing Strange has received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, seven 2008 Drama Desk Award nominations and nominations for a number of other awards. Reviews on Broadway have been positive. 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...."[4]

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

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. 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] 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)
New York Drama Critics' Circle Award
  • Best Musical
Drama Desk Awards nominations

[5]

  • Outstanding Musical
  • Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Daniel Breaker)
  • Outstanding Choreography (Karole Armitage)
  • Outstanding Music (Stew and Heidi Rodewald)
  • Outstanding Lyrics (Stew)
  • Outstanding Book of a Musical (Stew)
  • Outstanding Orchestrations (Stew and Heidi Rodewald)
Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations

[6]

  • Outstanding New Score
Drama League Award nominations

[7]

  • Distinguished Production of a Musical
  • Distinguished Performance Award (Daniel Breaker, Stew)
Lucille Lortel nominations

[8]

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

[edit] References

  1. ^ Berkeley Rep. listing
  2. ^ New York Times review, May 15, 2007
  3. ^ playbill.com article, Feb. 8, 2008, Welcome to Amsterdam: Passing Strange Begins Performances on Broadway Feb. 8
  4. ^ Isherwood, Charles. "It’s a Hard Rock Life", New York Times, February 29, 2008
  5. ^ playbill article, April 28, 2008, "Drama Desk Nominees Announced; Catered Affair Garners 12 Noms" Retrieved 5-2-2008
  6. ^ playbill article, April 21, 2008, "Young Frankenstein Tops Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominations" Reteieved 5-2-2008
  7. ^ playbill article, April 22, 2008, "74th Annual Drama League Award Nominees Announced" Retrieved 5-2-2008
  8. ^ playbill article, March 31, 2008 "Adding Machine Gets Six Lucille Lortel Noms; Opus, Passing Strange Recognized" Retrieved 5-2-2008

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passing_Strange"
Personal tools