The critically acclaimed Broadway musical PASSING STRANGE - currently nominated for 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical - will celebrate its 100th performance at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) on Sunday, May 25th with its 3:00pm performance. PASSING STRANGE will then perform its 101st performance, with an added 8:00pm performance on Sunday, May 25th. In addition to its Tony nominations, PASSING STRANGE won three top awards in two days earlier this week: the New York Drama Critic's Circle Awards (Best Musical), the Village Voice Obie Awards (Best New Theatre Piece), and the Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Musical).
PASSING STRANGE was also the recipient of two additional Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Music for Stew and
Heidi Rodewald & Outstanding Lyrics for Stew); one additional Village Voice Obie Award (for the PASSING STRANGE acting ensemble -
De'Adre Aziza,
Daniel Breaker,
Eisa Davis,
Colman Domingo,
Chad Goodridge,
Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Stew); and two Theatre World Awards (for
De'Adre Aziza and
Daniel Breaker).
A diverse group of key figures have been flocking to PASSING STRANGE in recent weeks, included among them are
Samuel L. Jackson,
Terrence McNally, Angela Davis (aunt of PASSING STRANGE actress
Eisa Davis), Toni Morrison,
Rosie O'Donnell,
Lauren Bacall,
Audra McDonald,
Sara Ramirez and
Harry Belafonte.
Additionally, the eagerly anticipated original cast recording of the Broadway musical PASSING STRANGE - which was recorded in front of a live audience at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) last month - will be released as the first-ever iTunes "Digital Exlusive Release" on Tuesday, May 27 and to celebrate, the PASSING STRANGE cast, crew and creative team will throw a listening party, which will be free and open to the public, at Saju Bistro (120 West 44th Street, directly across from the Belasco Theater) on Tuesday, May 27 at 9:30pm (directly following the 7:00pm performance of PASSING STRANGE).
On Tuesday, May 13 PASSING STRANGE received 7 Tony Award nominations: Best Musical; Best Book of a Musical (Stew); Best Original Score (music Stew and
Heidi Rodewald, lyrics Stew); Best Actor in a Musical (Stew); Best Featured Actor in a Musical (
Daniel Breaker); Best Featured Actress in a Musical (
De'Adre Aziza); Best Orchestrations (Stew and
Heidi Rodewald).
With book and lyrics by the popular singer/songwriter Stew, and with music by Stew and his longtime musical partner
Heidi Rodewald, PASSING STRANGE is directed by and created in collaboration with
Annie Dorsen. PASSING STRANGE is the first musical by Stew and
Heidi Rodewald, best-known for their rock-and-roll music since 2000 when they formed the band The Negro Problem, also known as STEW, promptly winning two Album of the Year Awards from Entertainment Weekly for their acclaimed works "Guest Host" and "The Naked Dutch Painter."
PASSING STRANGE is the tale of a young black musician on a journey of escape and exploration: leaving the confines of his middle-class, church-reared youth in south central L.A., the further he travels the more he discovers the voyage within is the one that counts.
The PASSING STRANGE recording features the original Broadway cast:
De'Adre Aziza,
Daniel Breaker,
Eisa Davis,
Colman Domingo,
Chad Goodridge,
Rebecca Naomi Jones and Stew, himself, as well as the band of musicians, who join the cast on-stage at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) each night, including the musical's co-creator
Heidi Rodewald, along with
Jon Spurney,
Christian Cassan,
Christian Gibbs and Stew.
PASSING STRANGE opened on Broadway on February 28, 2008 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) to such rave reviews as: "Bursting at the seams with melodic songs," (New York Times), PASSING STRANGE "is truly unlike anything you've seen on Broadway" (USA Today). "Call it a rock concert with a story to tell. Call it whatever you want, really. I'll just call it wonderful" (New York Times). PASSING STRANGE "taps into the energy of rock with high-voltage enthusiasm," (Associated Press), and is a "brilliant work" (The New Yorker). "From 'Hair' to '
Rent' to '
Spring Awakening,' composers have sought to reinvigorate musical theater by harnessing the energy and raw expressiveness of rock. But PASSING STRANGE, the defiantly unclassifiable musical by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Stew is a magical mystery tour." (Variety)
PASSING STRANGE performs Tuesdays at 7pm; Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8pm; Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2pm; and Sundays at 3pm at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street) on Broadway. Tickets are priced $111.50 - $66.50 - $36.50 - $26.50, and are available through Tele-charge at
www.TeleCharge.com, or by calling 212-239-6200.
For additional information on PASSING STRANGE, visit
www.PassingStrangeOnBroadway.com.
Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
