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Welcome to Amsterdam: Passing Strange Begins Performances on Broadway Feb. 8
By Adam Hetrick
08 Feb 2008
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Daniel Breaker and de'Adre Aziza star in Passing Strange
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| photo by Steve Halin | Passing Strange — the new musical created by singer-songwriter Stew and Heidi Rodewald — begins performances on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre Feb. 8.
Featuring book and lyrics by Stew, and music by Stew and his longtime musical partner Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange arrives on Broadway following a critically lauded run at the Public Theater last summer.
The new musical makes an uptown transfer with a host of awards in tow, including four Audelco Awards (including Best Musical Production of the Year), as well as finding itself on the top ten lists of the New York Times and New York Magazine.
With the aid of director and collaborator Annie Dorsen, Passing Strange incorporates autobiographical elements of Stew's life to tell the story of a young black bohemian who leaves behind his middle-class, church-ruled upbringing in Los Angeles to travel abroad in search of his artistic and personal identity.
"We're very keen on bringing the audience with us," Dorsen previously told Playbill.com. "This is a show that gets created by the audience and the performers together - that could be one of the biggest boundaries we're crossing. We want the audience to be as creative as we are in making the night fantastic."
The complete cast from the Public run makes the Broadway transfer: de'Adre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones and the musical's co-creator, Stew. Passing Strange co-author Rodewald heads an onstage band that features Stew as well as Jon Spurney, Christian Cassan and Christian Gibbs.
Passing Strange features choreography by Karole Armitage, scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Elizabeth Hope Clancy and lighting design by Kevin Adams.
Fusing theatre and rock, Passing Strange has found legions of fans, among them some of New York's toughest critics. "At the core, I think the theatre community is interested in words, in unique stories and language. And we have found that with our weird little rock songs, that they actually get them and appreciate them," Stew said. "We're trying to bring that spontaneity we thrive off in the rock 'n' roll world and hope that people get that and say, 'Oh yeah, that was like this tonight, and it's not gonna be like this tomorrow.' I hope they can feel that."
Passing Strange's Broadway venture is produced by the Shubert Organization, Inc., Elizabeth Ireland McCann and the Public Theater. The new musical will officially open on Broadway Feb. 28.
Tickets, are available by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.TeleCharge.com. The Belasco Theatre is located at 111 West 44th Street in Manhattan.
For further information visit www.PassingStrangeOnBroadway.com.
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Stew in Passing Strange
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| photo by Michal Daniel |
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