Don’t Let 'Passing Strange' Pass You By
Irene Martinko
Yay! Hamilton is available to watch online! Finally, we’re starting to see professionally filmed theatre made available to the public. But once you watch Hamilton a few thousand times, what’s next on your quarantine theatre adventure? I suggest the 2008 Broadway rock musical Passing Strange.
Written by Stew, a rock musician so cool that he only needs to go by one name, Passing Strange is a beautiful, semi-autobiographical rock musical that no one ever seems to talk about. It received Tony nominations and critical acclaim, but it’s Broadway run didn’t last a full year and now, sometimes it feels like it never even existed. Luckily for us, the famous Spike Lee saw something special in Passing Strange and knew that it needed to be documented and made available to the public. Now there is a fantastic recording so that the show can live on in movie form.
Here are five reasons why you should drop everything you’re doing, track down the filmed version of Passing Strange, and watch it right now.
The Personal Story that Any Artist Can Relate To
Passing Strange depicts the coming-of-age story of a young man simply referred to as the Youth. Stew himself narrates the show as the audience follows the Youth’s journey of self-discovery as he desperately searches for an artistic phenomena which he calls the Real. The story is personal, having been partly drawn from Stew’s actual life experience, and it’s told in a way that is sensitive, funny, and hard-hitting all at once. What artist can’t relate to this young man’s quest?
This Show is Representation Done Right
Passing Strange is written by an amazing Black musician and it also features an entire cast of incredible Black performers. This show deals with race and identity in a way that’s powerful, complex, funny, heartbreaking, and riveting, and it provides an opportunity for Black artists to see themselves onstage in a way that they don’t often get to. As we search for anti-racist theatre and strive for better representation onstage, it’s important to remember that Passing Strange exists and it is beautiful.
The Music!!!
Seriously, the music in this show is fantastic. I can’t stress that enough. Just listen to “Come Down Now” and you’ll be hooked. In the show, the Youth is constantly on a search for the Real, but I like to say that I experienced the Real for the first time in my life when I heard the song “Church Blues Revelation.” When the ensemble burst into their chorus, I felt like I was being lifted out of my chair. With a rock band onstage and musicians that will blow your mind, this is the kind of music that will get stuck in your head in the best way.
The Poetry of the Lyrics
I don’t have anything to say about this because I truly believe that the lyrics of Passing Strange speak for themselves. Look up the lyrics of “Work the Wound” and “Come Down Now” and I hope that you find them as entrancing as I do.
Acting That Will Knock Your Socks Off
Did you know that Daniel Breaker, the lead in Passing Strange, is the same actor who played Donkey in Shrek the Musical on Broadway? He is also the most recent Aaron Burr in Hamilton! And this guy can act. Every single member of the cast of Passing Strange shines on that stage, bringing an emotional depth and comedic timing that you just don’t get to see everyday.
I hope that you enjoy Passing Strange as much as I do! Let it brighten your socially-distanced world and let yourself fall in love with the music of Stew.