PASSING STRANGE

The Opening Night audience of Passing Strange at the Pasadena Playhouse went absolutely nuts over this twenty-year-old Broadway musical! It was the most raucous, excited, appreciative audience ever, which was perfect for this super-high-energy show! The “Narrator” riles the crowd up before the curtain, which is soooo much fun, so do not be late when you see it!

That being said, it was a little yin-and-yang for me, even though I’m a hip-hop chick from way back. Of course, I recognize that it is a really excellent production, but thanks to the embarrassment of riches that the Pasadena Playhouse offers us, their recent production of Mexodus has sort-of ruined all other rock musicals for me. I couldn’t help but keep comparing the two, and since, as I wrote in my review of Mexodus, it’s “quite possibly the best show I’ve ever seen!,” Passing Strange pales a smidge  in comparison for me. However, since Passing Strange came first, it was the trailblazer for all the rest of the modern musicals, including Hamilton, so kudos to them for that unique accomplishment. (Nygel D. Robinson from Mexodus even did a heartfelt social media promo for this show, which you can see right here: www.facebook.com/reel/2016673582356859.)

Taken on its own virtues, (if you’ve never seen the other one, or are not prone to comparisons, as I am,) Passing Strange is non-stop high quality. And I thank the Playhouse for introducing me to both musicals. (My friend Ketty loved it! More on her thoughts in a minute. Much more.)

I’m impressed with the tons of work that went into Passing Strange—the concept to begin with; the writing of it, (which won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical); all the music; then producing it all; and finding top-notch singers who are also touching and funny actors because there is lots of humor in the work. And now the Pasadena Playhouse team is doing it all again two decades later here in LA. On top of all that, the show is so hip that it looks like it was just written in the past couple of years!

And any presentation that is so admired by my fellow Brooklynite, Spike Lee, is good enough for me. He loved the musical sooo much that when he saw it on Broadway in 2008, he then filmed it as is and released it as a movie! Before the Pasadena Playhouse presentation on Opening Night, its young director, Zhailon Levingston, (who won a Tony in June for Cats: The Jellicle Ball,) was introduced from the audience by the theatre’s Producing Artistic Director, Danny Feldman, who told us that Zhailon had seen this film as a youngster, and it positively affected his view of what a musical can be. And now here he is, directing the first-ever LA production of the show! I love that!

Passing Strange is the semi-autobiographical tale of a real-life musician named Stew, (who is now a *Professor of the Practice of Musical Theater Writing at Harvard University! Very impressive.) It takes us from his teenage years in South Central Los Angeles through his time in Europe and then his emotional trip back home. There’s the young Stew, (who is labeled “Youth,”) his mom, four other actors playing multiple roles, and the all-important Narrator who is actually the grown-up “Stew,” looking back on that time in his life. And there are two musicians on each side of the stage. It’s all so well-done. Not a weakness or hole in any of it! (On Opening Night, the mother even tripped getting off the back of the stage in her final scene, and, because we all heard the thump, the actress called-out, “I’m okay, everybody,” to the audience’s delight.) *[Note: The last credit on his Harvard introduction page is: “Stew is the composer of Gary Come Home of Sponge-Bob Squarepants fame, which, honestly, is all anyone cares about anyway.” Hilarious! You know I had to go listen to the song right away.]

Stew’s journey actually made me envision my own life as a musical, (as I’m sure it does for many audience members,) from growing-up in Brooklyn, to driving cross country as a teen to I didn’t know where, to joining the circus, (my poor mother!,) to getting two degrees from my fourth college in Rhode Island, and back to LA. (But never really leaving Brooklyn in my heart.) And of course, I always went home to see my little mother through it all. (As opposed to Stew’s, though, my journey was all accidental. Don’t ask.) But my music would have to be the very first piano book because I have zero musical talent; that’s part of why musicians are absolute magic to me!

This Passing Strange features such an accomplished cast. Everyone on that stage is incredibly talented. However, once again, Devere Rogers was the stand-out for me, just as he was when I reviewed The Peterson Show about a month ago. And let me tell you—that guy is not shy about getting almost naked on stage!!! I think I recognized his half-bare body before I recognized his face!

And Ty Taylor, as the Narrator, has enough energy to light-up the whole city! I can see why he has a zillion credits to his name. I also admired the beautiful voice of Saycon Sengbloh, who plays the mother.

One important message that I took from Passing Strange is: Be good to your mother! I could feel the real Stew’s regret in that situation come through his writing loud and clear, without any dialogue to that effect. This made me appreciate that I went home all the time, especially when my mother was alone those last dozen years. I feel the whole show is a lesson to young ’uns. As someone who also ventured out on my own as a teenager, I totally understand a lot of what he went through in life. (Except for the drugs and indiscriminate sex, of course.) And because I was so in tune with my mom, I really understand his mother’s point of view, as well.

My pal Ketty felt that the show “moved, touched, and inspired the audience” because it “deals with subject matters that society faces today.” She added that the narrative gives us “all the different little insights and raw truths of the characters, and lessons they learned along the journey of life, such as being free to be authentic,” while still trying to figure-out “who you really are.” (Yeah, what she said.)

As far as the actual music goes, hearing such fabulous live music is always a pleasure. And this is superior. It’s so good, in fact, that for once, I was not the only audience member who was bopping to it. The young-ish artist in front of me was rocking-out so hard that I thought he was going to have a heart attack!

But one thing I found, well, strange, (and not in passing,) is that, with all the accolades for this musical in the two decades of being around, I don’t think any of the songs have become famous or popular. I could be wrong, but I’ve never heard them before. I feel that the music is actually secondary to the story.

And, at over two and a half hours, it is waaaay too long, although it seemed like some of the audience wanted it to never end. It looks like a few songs were cut from the Broadway offering, so that’s good. But the rousing song, It’s All Right, should really be the one to end Act I. Everyone in the audience I was with was up and dancing and happy at that point—it was hard to sit back down and listen to a couple of slow songs, just so they can wrap-up the guy’s time in one city before moving on to another location to open the second half. Just sayin’.

On the flip side to the music, the writers of Passing Strange came up with some brilliant lines. One is, “If it were any more real, it would be fiction,” which is repeated throughout the show. Another is, “I can’t get too comfortable or I’ll forget all the shit I have to complain about!” What a great quote. And one that made the entire audience laugh knowingly, is, “It’s not love if somebody has to change.” I’m sure that one will always be fodder for some big discussions when couples get home. And there’s the sadly prophetic, “LA is just death row with palm trees.” That was written sometime between 2004 and 2008, and incredibly shamefully, that is sort-of the case here now for immigrants. (Don’t get me started. Grrrr.)

One line that particularly resonated with me is, “Your entire adult life is based on a decision you make as a teenager.” The Narrator said that in one late sentence. I think he meant it as a negative, but for me, it’s all positive. If I hadn’t come out to LA as a teenager, my life would have been totally different. I’m so grateful for that one crazy decision. I’m sure we can all reflect on exactly that premise for ourselves, good or bad. It’s sort-of the same message as the one in Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken. Thank goodness that in my case, it worked out perfectly. It looks like it did for Stew, as well. I hope that all of you can say the same thing for yourselves.

Passing Strange running through November 29, 2026
Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena
626-356-7529 www.pasadenaplayhouse.org