Passing Strange musical arrives at Pasadena Playhouse after two decades
The rock musical Passing Strange opens its Los Angeles production at the Pasadena Playhouse following a long wait since its Broadway debut.
Creators discuss delayed arrival
Brian Stew and Heidi Rodewald created the show which won Tony Awards in 2007. The creators did not perform in this new production unlike previous runs. Director Zhailon Levingston leads the team who won a Tony for Cats recently. Vintage Trouble singer Ty Taylor stars as the narrator character in the cast. Brittany Campbell and Britton Smith also appear alongside Saycon Sengbloh in the roles.
History of the musical
The creators previously formed the band Negro Problem before moving to New York. Many successful shows have taken cues from this rock musical regarding social issues. The production features a live band on stage for the audience members. Angeleno theater buffs who missed the original run will now see it here.
Directors avoid giving advice
Stew stated they would not dare to interfere with Levingston's vision for the play. The director knows the material better than the original writers could possibly know it. Rodewald noted that Levingston understands the project without needing any external guidance from them.
Reported by one outlet
Only one outlet has published this. Nothing here has been checked against a second report, so read it as that outlet's account and follow the link below for the original.
Reported by
1 independent outlet. Headline as published. Links open the original report.