Passing Strange
Musical in 2 Acts. Book and lyrics by Stew; Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. Orchestrations by Stew and Heidi Rodewald.
Belasco Theatre, Broadway - Opened 28th February, 2008; Closed 20th July, 2008(165 perfs. 20 previews)
Note
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. It premiered on October 19, 2006, at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California. It was then produced off-Broadway at The Public Theatre in New York City, running from May 14, 2007, through June 3, 2007.
Synopsis
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 neighbourhood 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.
Musical Numbers
- Prologue (We Might Play All Night)--Narrator, Heidi and the Band
- Baptist Fashion Show--Narrator and Ensemble
- Church 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
- Keys (It's All Right) - Narrator
- We Just Had Sex--Youth, Marianna and Renata
- Stoned--Youth,Marianna,Ensemble
- Berlin, A Black Hole With Taxis - Narrator
- May Day--Narrator and Ensemble
- What's Inside Is Just A Lie/And Now I'm Ready To Explode - Mr Venus, Youth, Narrator
- Surface--Mr. Venus
- Damage-- Narrator, Desi and Youth
- Identity--Youth
- The Black One--Narrator and Ensemble
- Come Down Now--Heidi and Desi
- Youth's Unfinished Song - Youth
- Work the Wound–Youth and Narrator
- Passing Phase--Youth and Narrator
- Cue Music - Mother, Narrator
- Love Like That--Narrator and Heidi
Roles and Original 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