A REVIEW OF THE NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

By Joseph Kopyt
senior,Stuyvesant High School

Unlike anything else you’ll find playing right now on Broadway, Passing Strange offers something completely innovative, reinventing the American musical.

Direct from its highly successful and well-regarded Off-Broadway run at The Public Theater, Passing Strange melds funk and rock with spoken word. This musical takes an unconventional approach, and places all five of its musicians about the stage. The costumes are minimal but effective, and allow the performers (almost all of whom play multiple parts) to seamlessly travel from one character to the next. The show’s vitalizing sound is by Stew (who goes by just one name) and Heidi Rodewald, and the story is by Stew. Both of them are in the show; Stew himself plays a narrator throughout, while Heidi Rodewald leads the band using a variety of instruments.

Passing Strange, which is loosely based on author/performer Stew’s teenage past, takes you back to 1976 South Central L.A., where a black boy simply called “Youth” (the exceptional Daniel Breaker) is bored with his middle-class life. He is highly critical of his mother for her seemingly over-compensating pride in her black heritage, and her somewhat fabricated devotion to her religion and the church (which, according to Youth, is just a “Baptist fashion show”). She, in turn, mocks her son for practicing “Zen Buddhism” and says perhaps he’d enjoy himself much more attending a white church.

When Youth reluctantly agrees to join his mother’s church’s choir, the experience is nothing like he expected. Not only is this where he gets his first hit of marijuana, but he also receives an affirmation of his identity crisis from the other teens. Soon Youth sets out on a journey in search of self-discovery, looking for his artistic and spiritual self. He first goes to Amsterdam and then to Berlin, encountering a number of obstacles on the way. 
With the help of a brilliantly evolving neon light background (which fully compensates for the virtually nonexistent set), this semi-autobiographical tale is propelled forward by the untiring and mostly well-cast actors. Stew proves to be a master of language, showcasing not only his musical talent but his linguistic one as well. Passing Strange is his story, and he lets us know that right away, as he shatters the boundary between the audience and the performers at the start of the show. At times, the musical takes on a rock concert feel (with the decibel levels to boot), but it truly shines when Stew lets the actors tell the story.

As a musician and vocalist Stew is an absolute genius, but ironically, as the Narrator he can fall flat, often delivering the words he wrote in a monotonous fashion. There are also faults in some of the characters he’s written; many of them have little substance past their stereotypes. When Youth goes to Amsterdam, he encounters an abstract artist who doubles as a waitress, a professor who gets paid for sex after hours, a nudist and a neo-hippie. The actors, however, do their best to make the most out of these single-toned characters, even as the script often has them going for the cheap laughs. Thankfully, when Youth travels to Berlin in the second act, Stew introduces more believable characters with multiple layers for Youth to interact with.

While the show does have these weaknesses (it’s Stew’s first musical, so we can give him a break), it is, on the whole, a fantastic work of art. Stew’s story, the band and the actors all have their moments to shine and everyone on stage seems to be having an extra-ordinarily good time. At several points, Stew the rocker takes over the story, charging both his music and the stage with his great presence and energy. At times he even diverges from the storyline and script altogether, turning his attention towards the audience. It is at these moments in which he seems the most real.

The second act is a bit long, yes, but Stew gets his message across. The authenticity of his story, and the way it is presented (no doubt with credit due to collaborator/director Annie Dorsen), makes his tale of a search for identity instantly relatable. Toward the end, Stew tells the audience a story about a friend he invited to a dress rehearsal of the show who remarked: “The kid in your play is looking for something in life that can only be found in art.” Stew responded, “For me, art is more real than life.” How lucky that he gets to see his story—his art—played out for an audience night after night. We can only be extremely thankful that we are able to come along for the ride.

Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. • $25 youth tickets available day of. • Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44 St.
www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com

 

Playwrights and audiences alike have been exploring new shows at The Public Theater ever since they opened their doors over fifty years ago (for example the awesome new Broadway show reviewed left, Passing Strange, started at The Public!). Now, on top of the many new productions every
year this theater presents, every spring they will showcase a theatre laboratory of sorts—a handful of mini-productions by talented playwrights. For just ten dollars, anyone can catch some bright, fresh plays.

Public Lab  New production every month through June 30. • All tickets $10  • 425 Lafayette St. www.publictheater.org