The Offical Passing Strange Love Thread (Scaryotypes Unite) — Page 50

I echo the sentiments of aliciag. :)

What? 1 person on ATC loves PS? Will wonders never cease? Ha! Ha!
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=1598878

Updated On: 7/10/08 at 10:05 PM

How close were you sitting, Jade? I think you are Stew's new BFF!?!? Well, he's always looking for interaction, sooooooooo....
I love your story.
As for the "a capella" version of "Love Like That", It's been that way for about a month or so. It kinda took my breath away, when he did it the first time...I think it's kinda "courageous" and brings a certain low key sensitivity to the beginning of the song. (As opposed to the loudness of other songs). And...it's only the first few bars.....anyway, the "actual filming" is next Sat., 7/19. They are just setting things (pre-film stuff) up this week.

Updated On: 7/10/08 at 02:14 AM

Hi Jade. You know I think they're fiddlin' a bit w/certain sections, especially in Act II, in preparation for the filming. Last night (when S.Lee was there pre-filming), I noticed that the ending was, before and after the curtain call, was much more tight and almost abrupt. Also, some of the Berlin scenes. I guess they have to work certain things out for the cinematography and sound. Film is forever....

tiny, any truth to the rumor just posted on atc?

This is really sad scaryotypes we should go to the final show and show our love.

Damnit....

I am heartbroken. I feel fortunate that I was able to see this gorgeous piece at ALL, and I'm glad it's being filmed and preserved, but I wasn't ready to lose this show quite yet. Especially not while I'm far away from New York.

I can't believe I'll never see it onstage again. f*ck.

Updated On: 7/10/08 at 01:42 PM

I'll be there this Sunday, and then probably most of next week.

We'll be at Joe's pub, too.

From Stew's blog:


"Friends,
Passing Strange is closing on sunday july 20th.
that would be 10 days from now.
so act accordingly.

you can read the below in your spare time.

this broadway chapter has been a compelling addition
to the continuing stew and heidi saga.
Our story has always been about accepting challenges.

It started in LA where our biggest challenge was making
every single show The Negro Problem did at Spaceland or 14 Below completely different from the last.

Later on the challenge was taking our weird little curio of a band into the big rock leaugue
by opening for people like Arthur Lee, Counting Crows and Blondie in America and Europe
and seeing if what worked in sweaty little rock clubs would work on the big stage.

Next came Lincoln Center. I think the big challenge during that phase of our career was stopping ourselves from vomiting as we passed all the pro-war idiots while on route from LA to New York. But playing Lincoln Center was big for us. I mean, it’s Lincoln Center, yenno?

Next came Joe’s Pub. Joe’s Pub was a challenge because in that club for the first time we felt like the lyrics were making as big an impact as the music. Even the between song banter became as much a part of the show as the music and lyrics. And that connection between the between song banter and the music and lyrics is what led us to the place next door to Joe’s, The Public Theater.

The challenge the Public posed was simple: write a musical… even though me and Heidi had never done that before.
They put us in a room with Annie and I brought in stacks of paper and we started. Our relationship with the Public heralded what i would call the beginning of the Real Big Challenges period.

After the Public, the Sundance Institute began to play a huge role in our lives and continues to do so. The Theater, Screenwriters and Director’s Lab at Sundance were simply the most beautiful artistic boot camps anyone could ever be lucky enough to experience. The challenges were unreal and intoxicating. Sundance turned me into a writer, period. Without them Passing strange would not exist.

Then came the business of actually DOING theater. So we had great runs at Berkeley Repertory Theater and The Public Theater of New York. The challenges of doing an actual run of an 8 show a week play were…hmmm, well let’s just say that our experiences at Berkeley Rep (where Heidi and I officially broke up as a couple but not as a creative team) and at the Public Theater (where I almost lost my mind) were experiences we are still unable to fully process because those experiences were folded into the broadway experience without much time to reflect.

Which brings us to now. Again, 8 shows a week. But this time on The Great White Way which is quite a different way than Berkeley or the Public Theater. Exactly how they are different from each other I’ll explain some other time.

But heres the point of this ramble: this Broadway challenge, this chapter now coming to an end, while I accepted it a little hesitantly I’ll admit, is one I would not trade for anything. We accepted it and met it on our own terms. There is no artistic accomplishment in my life that I am more proud of than Passing Strange. Heidi and Annie would say the same. We brought a piece of work to Broadway that
I know gave certain people a kind of hope that maybe there could be more to Broadway than shiny buttons, an uplifting first act closer, and a happy ending (Actually, Spike has provided the happy ending as far as I’m concerned). Anyway, I would like to thank our producers for having the balls to put this crazy play onstage.

I learned a thousand or so things about all aspects of my craft, and life, from being up here.
But the most important thing I learned, for the purposes of understanding how I feel right now,
is that I am NOT a Broadway baby. I was born to do many things but I was not born to be here.
So I am indeed going to be happy to have my life back. Heidi and I have many projects that require our
attention and we are excited and eager to get to them. And I want to spend real time with my loved ones, both
here and in Berlin where I live. And I want to book a gig at some really out of the way dive in some deep, dark
corner of New York Town and make a hellishly melodic, soulful noise all night long.
/stew"

It is a sad day for Passing Strange, but lets salute the fact that this musical played about 164 performances more than anyone expected it to and got some of the most solid reviews of any musical this year.

Good luck to the cast and crew in the future.

Updated On: 7/10/08 at 05:36 PM