The Offical Passing Strange Love Thread (Scaryotypes Unite)- Page 61

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/10/08 at 2:13pm

I got my copy of Rolling Stone in the mail yesterday (#1059 with Robert Downey Jr. on the cover) and was happy to see a small article about Passing Strange. On page 88, in the New CDS Reviews section, under David Fricke's (A senior writer at RS) Picks, it reads:

"Strange Broadway

Before it was in workshop, off-Broadway, then on Broadway, the electric musical Passing Strange was a life story; the already rich, then brilliantly embroidered autobiography of the singer-songwriter Mark Stewart, aka Stew, who wrote and starred in the show. He rightly won a Tony this year for Best Book of a Musical- Passing Strange is his funny, unsparing dissection of growing up weird, gifted and black- but he and his co-composer bassist Heidi Rodewald, deserved more. Recorded in April before an audience at New York's Belasco Theater, the original cast recording (Ghostlight) arrives a little late- the Broadway production closed in July- but preserves the show's acerbic sting and dynamic whirl of New Wave snarl ("Sole Brother"), skewering vaudeville ("The Black One") and shape-shifting soul ("Keys"). You only get the voices of the superb cast and none of the show's visual, ingenious rock-gig pow, but this album will eventually double as a movie soundtrack: Spike Lee filmed one of the final performances."

There was also a small photo of Stew and Daniel Breaker.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 8:28pm

did anyone get a chance to see the play at SPF for which Stew wrote music? HOW WAS IT!?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/14/08 at 11:42am

Saw it ---- the music was mostly background acoustic guitar...there was one song, but I think it was from the play and not from Stew.

The play dealt with pedophilia from a lot of different angles...incredibly well acted, but certainly not easy fare.

[Heybeenfood]

Posted: 8/15/08 at 9:39pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_avq-2RySsE

Stew talking about Sex Ed with Planned Parenthood. I found it amusing.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 2:44am

...this chick looks like Stew's girlfriend? the one seen at the Tony Award Pre-Show??

Stew is so un-New Yorky, it's kind of unsettling, yet amusing to hear his very left coast accent!?

P.S. shout out to Jaystarr! enjoy HAIR tomorrow....
Updated On: 8/16/08 at 02:44 AM

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 1:50pm

SO i have just listened to the album 3 times in a row. I miss this show and really wish it was still open so that I could have seen it instead of Spring Awakening (for a second time). Is there any rumor of it touring because I would kill to see this live.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 2:32pm

anything is *possible*.....

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 5:08pm

I've heard rumors of productions in Chicago, LA and London. How accurate any of that info is, I have no idea.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 5:12pm

Hell all I care about is a chicago production.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 5:18pm

That would work for me too. A quick two hour flight from NY!

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 5:23pm

And only a halfhour train ride for me! I would be there in literally a heartbeat. The music is so beautiful. The lyrics speak to you and you can relate to them in so many ways. The show was so ahead of its time and thank you to spike lee for preserving it.

[gregj63]

Posted: 8/16/08 at 7:30pm

I happened to run into a couple of PS cast members on the street this week, and while I didn't ask them specifically about any future for PS, none of them volunteered anything either. They both seemed to be enjoying their time off.

[Heybeenfood]

Posted: 8/17/08 at 6:43pm

Anyone going to see Chad and Rebecca at Birdland tomorrow?



"Soul Deep: The Anthology of Black Music"
Monday, August 18 @ 7pm
A fundraiser for Broadway Inspirational Voices:
$25 General Admission; $50 Orchestra

Featuring a 9 piece band and members from Turntables on the Hudson with Nick Blaemire, Chuck Cooper, Alex Cooper, Lili Cooper, Chad Goodridge, Jessica Hershberg, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Justin Keyes, Adrienne Lennox, Maurice Murphy, Destan Owens, Sophia Stephens & Harry Thompson. Onstage tribute to Phylicia Rahsad!

Soul Deep: An Anthology of Black Music is a benefit concert aiding in the preservation of African American music. Top Broadway talent will pay homage to the likes of Bo Diddley, Sarah Vaughn, Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Public Enemy and many others. The concert is honoring the incredible Phylicia Rashad and raising money for Broadway Inspirational Voices, a gospel ensemble comprised of actors performing on and off Broadway whose mission is to bring people of all races and religious backgrounds together. Produced by Amy Birnbaum and Dominique Sharpton.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 6:31pm

...got my PS script (fromEbay) a coupla days ago, and wow!, never realized how much dialogue I missed (even working there!?)
I'm even more impressed by Stew's incredible skills! And fun to read and listen to the CD concurrently. What a joy for any Scaryotype to savor every word. I believe it may be published for consumers in Jan '09. (hopefully, in tandem with the Spike Lee Joint)

Anyway, hoping you're all having a great summer - hope I'll be seeing some of you at American Buffalo in November...very interesting cast.

If anyone's interested in seeing BASH'D for a $3.00 fee (comps in my bldg)) on TH, 8/28. or FRI 8/29, let me know asap. They may be gone shortly...

[BenKaye]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 7:55pm

Wait, could someone fill me in on what's happening with Spike Lee's PS film, because I never found out!!

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 8:01pm

We don't really know. At the time of the filming there was no distribution deal yet.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/27/08 at 8:08pm

Here ya go, Benky... one of the many threads...
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardid=1&boardname=bway&thread=969614

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 12:50am

Anyone going to see Rebecca Naomi Jones in WIG OUT at the Vineyard? (Sept 10-Oct 19)?

[gregj63]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 12:52am

Bought a ticket tonight for Sep 13th matinee. It's on TDF.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 1:18am

thanks Gregj!

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 10:09pm

This looks like it could be fun:

The Stew Songbook

featuring Penny Arcade, John Cameron Mitchell and more!

Sunday, October 12 at 9:30 PM

After six months on Broadway with Passing Strange, Stew is tired of hearing himself sing (and Heidi is just tired of Stew, period). But they're not tired of their wonderfully talented friends, whom they've invited tonight to sing their songs on this very special evening. Come witness a palette-cleansing collaboration featuring some of New York's grooviest luminaries from downtown to uptown and beyond.

Joe's Pub History: Stew carved his place into the Joe's Pub heart back in 2003 with his band The Negro Problem, and has mixed up musical genres with his poetic, hook-filled "Afro-Baroque" since then. Stew's relationship with the theatrical world continued to form and thrive at Joe's Pub, where he and band-mate Heidi Rodewald would go on to present their initial ideas and the first workshops of the future Public Theater production Passing Strange which went on to Broadway.

[coolkid11776]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 10:17pm

how do u get tickets?

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 10:36pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=31875

Scroll down a bit. Updated On: 9/3/08 at 10:36 PM

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 11:51pm

I just registered, frogs_, but my questions is, can one buy any tix to this show, or what? Is it ALL virtual line? I hate the virtual line.

[joe5]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 10:43am

Frogs, Thanks for the heads up on this. I will surely try to make it. Thanks Again joe
Updated On: 9/4/08 at 10:43 AM