PASSING STRANGE Reviews- Page 3

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 8:47am

New York Sun is Positive:

Other moments don't fare nearly as well. The playwriting dictum "Show, don't tell" was clearly invented in the days before acid trips, judging from the unusually tiresome example shown here, and a Western-style R&B ballad for Youth's girlfriend in Berlin (an irresistible Rebecca Naomi Jones) is as tuneful as it is inappropriate. Worst of all, Stew and Ms. Dorsen fail to flesh out the final plot twists from a dramatic perspective, settling instead for a Stew mini-concert with Mr. Breaker in a decidedly secondary role, and the rest of the company stranded on the sidelines.

All of these problems were there at the Public, and it is discouraging that they remain. But the enormous goodwill engendered by Stew, his uniformly skilled band of brothers and sisters, and a thunderously eclectic rock score more than compensate. The search for the Real is hardly confined to those who make art. For those content to see it made in front of them, loudly and lovingly, "Passing Strange" is a great place to look — a place where, in the words of our roly-poly ringleader, "whether you get it or not — it's got.

http://www.nysun.com/article/72107

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 9:04am

I definitely agree with the Sunday in the Park parallels. That was one of the most distinct things about the show to me, actually. It's got those really similar themes about love being sacrificed for art, and loving art so much that you cannot fully love another person. There's a part in the show where the Youth is basically like, "well, I'm writing this song about you and that means I love you," and the girl essentially tells him that no, she doesn't want to be a song, she wants to be loved. She wants a real, human connection that being written about in a song, which may be beautiful and flattering, cannot give her. That is so Sunday in the Park With George. Granted, Sondheim handles those themes in a much more moving way, but they're definitely central to Passing Strange, too.

*******

^^^ those are such beautiful words...I could agree with you more. I saw Passing Strange a week before Sunday in the Park... and I was so moved by the two shows..
is that love for ART/ Theater...what a driving force...but sometimes we forgot to connect to people who love us most...

I know its too early to say...buy after I saw PS & SITPWG.. I felt like I already saw the two best musicals this season...and I am just happy to rest for now...meaning= not going to Broadway everyweekend.

I am very touch with what you said!

Thank you

J*

Updated On: 2/29/08 at 09:04 AM

[joe5]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 9:20am

Congrads on the reviews, can't wait to see it!!!!!!!

[bschneid76]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 9:47am

I still don't get it, but congrats to them on the reviews.

[burntplains]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:30am

bschneid, Me niether... two plus hours of confusion.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:47am

Yes, I was hoping for something grand, but was disappointed. Ah well, if it has a healthy run, good for them!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:24am

Thanks, jay. That's really sweet. The last thing I had seen when I was Passing Strange was Sunday, which I haven't stopped thinking about in like, over two weeks. One of the things that disappointed me about Passing Strange, though, was that I didn't feel anything. Whereas with Sunday, I almost cried like nineteen times. I think Sondheim just has a gift for getting at the heart in ways that you're obviously not going to find as prominently in other writers. It kind of gets under your skin without you even realizing it has until you're sitting there crying. Passing Strange, for me, was like... all of those things were laid out very neatly in front of me and I could see them, but I didn't feel a thing. They never got under my skin, so to speak. I was just aware that they were there. A lot of the writing is very beautiful and remarkably poetic, but despite that, it just seems to... sit. And that's sad, because the show has a lot of great, profound things to say; I just wish they could go that one step farther, you know?

Updated On: 2/29/08 at 11:24 AM

[trinaaron]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:24am

I am quite excited to see this, but there was an interview (it was on NY1's On Stage...maybe?) in which Stew says (and I am paraphrasing) that there have been lots of shows that claim to be rock musicals, but he wrote the first REAL rock musical. Why does it seem like every new rock musical claims to be the first authentic one? Maybe those of you who have seen it can say why this is so much more "real rock" than the many that have come before it.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:27am

blaxx: "You're right! I'm so silly, how could I forget when the Tony committee changed the category from Best New Musical to Best Musical that Everyone Wants To See? My bad."

Haha. You must not know how the Tony committee works. Passing Strange will never win Best Musical because it's not marketable to tour audiences. Why do you think Legally Blonde got shut out of a nomination last year? Because if it had been nominated, it would have won based on its marketability, even though it was not the best new musical.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:30am

Because figuring out who was first depends on how you define "rock musical." And all of these shows define it, literally in terms of themselves. Passing Strange is more hybrid rock concert-musical than it is a true musical, but at the same time, structurally, I think it's more of a musical than is Spring Awakening. But I guess in this case, that "real rock" claim comes from the fact that the people who created Passing Strange are not theater people. (But of course, neither is Duncan Sheik.) And so the music is Passing Strange can be seen as legit rock put into a musical, as opposed to a bunch of rock-infused showtunes.

That wasn't as well-articulated as I had hoped.

Updated On: 2/29/08 at 11:30 AM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:34am

Congrats on the good reviews, but I believe this will still be a hard sell to the general public.
Time will tell.
I do have a problem with the same critics re-reviewing the same shows.
It's like stroking yourself. We know Isherwood loved it and now he seems to be glowing in the fact that he helped it move to Broadway, where despite the good reviews, it will have an uphill battle finding an audience.
Good Luck to them.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:45am

Check out BWW photo coverage on PASSING STRANGE opening night:
https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=25589

uh... I wanna get one of those t-shirt... I like the Welcome to Amsterdam t-shirt! -Is the shirt pink or red?

J*
Updated On: 2/29/08 at 11:45 AM

[trinaaron]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:51am

"Because figuring out who was first depends on how you define "rock musical." And all of these shows define it, literally in terms of themselves. Passing Strange is more hybrid rock concert-musical than it is a true musical, but at the same time, structurally, I think it's more of a musical than is Spring Awakening. But I guess in this case, that "real rock" claim comes from the fact that the people who created Passing Strange are not theater people. (But of course, neither is Duncan Sheik.) And so the music is Passing Strange can be seen as legit rock put into a musical, as opposed to a bunch of rock-infused showtunes."

Interestingly enough, I think it was the creators of Spring Awakening (especially Stephan Slater) that caused me to have a negative reaction to this particular comment from Stew. They (Spring Awakening) just semmed so pompous and self-important with all their talk about how they were breaking new ground whe all they really did was climb on the backs of people who had come before them. By the way, I loved Spring Awakening for what it was, but really don't like the creators.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:54am

I think it goes without saying, though, that you can't just like, plop down something that's literally completely new; because every ground breaking new step or new trend does, in some way, build on what came before it. Even if that building comes in the form of breaking the entire mold. But without a mold to break, what you're doing wouldn't be revolutionary. So, I agree -- credit where it's due. I suppose people are reluctant to give it because it might make them look less new and revolutionary, but the result there is just apparent self-importance.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:52pm

Jay,

I THINK it was pink... almost certain. Saw it really fast on Tues night on way out of the theatre.. Was so nasty out, that I rushed just to get home !!

Btw, I agree with some of the others. I liked it very much, but I think its gonna be a really hard sell despite the reviews (which I am thrilled were mostly raves !!)

This is a great cast !! (although I felt that Chad Goodridge, and the other gentleman that played the "Venus" role (and others)- my apologies for forgetting his name) had voices that were a bit annoying)

Daniel Breaker was amazing !!

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 12:54pm

It's redd-ish pink. :)

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 2:21pm

Haha. You must not know how the Tony committee works. Passing Strange will never win Best Musical because it's not marketable to tour audiences.

Omigod you guys, you're so learned you're making me crazy in the head! Honestly you know so much about the Tonys. It's kinda like when Sondheim's Passion won over Beauty and the Beast, right? Please, keep telling me if it is like that, I mean EVERYONE knew that Passion would have packed houses on tour, not like a Disney show...tell me more, you know so much.

[TheBoyDownstairs]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 2:34pm

I'm so happy that Passing Strange is getting such great reviews, its my second favorite new work that I've seen in 2008 thus far (after Speech & Debate)...the cast is great, especially Daniel Breaker and the 3 females in the cast.

Its a show with great music, and a good message, even if its not communicated as well as it could have been. The only thing about it that disappointed me is the ending, it definitely needed to be stronger, but it doesnt change what an enjoyable night of theatre it was.