Why Did I Like the Passing Strange film more than the stage show?

Its been over a year since I saw the stage version of "Passing Strange". I have rarely had such an "Emperor's New Clothes" experience. I found everything but the actual staging cliche. And the music wasn't cliche...it was just repetitive and a little boring (except for the Amsterdam numbers). But I saw the film version recently and enjoyed it. I can tell Spike Lee did not think the show sacrosanct...I'm guessing he cut (I remember a number with the Valley Girl which was superfluous and SHOULD have been cut as well as a bigger number for the Mother after she died). Can anyone tell me the differences in the film and the stage show?

Updated On: 9/26/09 at 01:26 PM

I haven't seen the film, but I thought it was basically a filming of the show as it was. Why would it be that different?

You can digest a film much differently than a live show (which can be much more overwhelming). Maybe that is why.

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Did you see the show at the Public...or in Berkeley? The show did change a bit from the Public version, and I believe it may have changed a little from b'way previews. I know they took out "Shower Hum Song" and extended Mr. Venus' number, but I don't remember a Valley Girl sequence.