The cast includes the jazz and hip-hop vocalist de'Adre Aziza, Daniel Breaker (Well, Fabulation), Eisa Davis (performed music on Showtime's "Soul Food" and at BAMCafé, Joe's Pub and the Whitney Museum), Colman Domingo (Public's Henry V at the Delacorte), Chad Goodridge (Cherry Lane's The Debate Over Courtney O’Connell) and Rebecca Naomi Jones (Caroline, or Change in L.A. and San Francisco).
Passing Strange is a new rock musical by the singer-songwriter-performance artist Stew and Heidi Rodewald, directed by and created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen. Movement coordination is by Karole Armitage.
The Public is co-producing this world premiere with Berkeley Rep. The two theatres also co-commissioned the work, which was developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab and at the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts.
The musicians, led by Stew and Rodewald, will include the guitarist, keyboardist and musical supervisor Jon Spurney (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Marc Doten (bassist for Double Naught Spy Car) on keyboards and guitar and Christian Cassan (ABC's "Spin City") on drums.
The show tell the story "of a young black bohemian in search of self and home who charts a course for 'the real' through sex, drugs, and rock and roll" and journeys "from black, middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin, and beyond," according to press notes. Passing Strange has scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Elizabeth Hope Clancy and lighting design by Kevin Adams.
Stew is a popular Joe's Pub performer, and will be performing there April 16 at 9:30 PM.
Tickets are on sale at the Public Theater box office at 425 Lafayette Street, by phone at (212) 967-7555 or online at www.publictheater.org.