Passing Strange

I really enjoyed this show, and the CD captures it unusually well. I think it was a great choice the producers made in taping it live, as it captures the heart of the music.

This is an excellent cd.However the show was unreal!I can not wait for the dvd!

I was lucky enough to go to a show of Passing Strange--and be present at the recording of this CD. The music itself is a fantastic blend of genres--Stew and Heidi Rodewald evoke everybody from Kurt Weill to the Sex Pistols--and the story, the portrait of the African American artist finding himself in 1980s Europe--resonates for all of us. We all have to leave someone, some identity behind to grow up, and the result is often complicated and messy. The performers are both terrific singers and great storytellers. Don't miss this show if it comes to your town; in the meantime, remember, "Miracles are commonplace when you're on holy ground."

In 1972, Broadway presented a young prince who yearned desperately to find something "completely fulfilling" in life. That prince was Pippin, son of Charles the Great. He sought for meaning and fulfillment in higher learning, war, sex, politics, religion, art, love and other things. Though set in the Roman Empire in the 9th century, Pippin's quest for purpose was representative of Everyman. Now in 2007, that quest is refreshingly and satisfactorily undertaken by the "Youth" in the phenomenal new musical, Passing Strange.

Passing Strange is subtitled "The Stew Musical" because it presents a semiautobiographical sketch of Stew; the writer of the book and lyrics, co-writer of the music, and the narrator in this recording. Stew's journey, though particularly his own (a California man's search for himself through Amsterdam and Berlin), is also universal. The main character, Youth, is searching for something real, or more poignantly, THE REAL. Not unlike Pippin, his search leads to experimentation with church, drugs, sex, philosophy/rebellion, music, etc. Throughout his journey, every new interest ends up a passing phase. No matter how exciting at first, each ends in ennui. In his words, "She's serving every one of my desires on a platter, but it doesn't even matter anymore... Paradise is a bore." His mother's experience is the same, "Having a big ol' house should make a woman sing... But then you gotta live in it and that's a whole `nother thing." The youth's path leads him in a roundabout from epiphany and fervor to emptiness and confusion.

What's this life for? Perhaps the answer to this universal question is uniquely personal. I am reminded of another musical, the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Once More with Feeling" (season six). Buffy finds herself struggling with life, yearning for something worth singing about. Spike's response, "Life's not a song, life isn't bliss. Life is just this: it's living." Stew sums it up this way: "The Real is a construct... It's the raw nerve's private zone... It's a personal sunset... You drive off into alone." As Pippin's narrator might have said, "Ta-da". Meaning, fulfillment, purpose... they are uniquely our own. So we live.

Beyond the meaning, the story is conveyed with wit, humor, and sincerity. Additionally, this production rocks! Stew, Heidi, and the band have nailed each number taking us authentically from a Holy Ghost Church service to angry punk to a German art-house and beyond. The band and actors all do a fantastic job - beautiful voices, cute accents, believable and touching portrayals. It is even more amazing when considered that this recording is a live performance. Passing Strange succeeds brilliantly both musically and narratively.

I highly recommend having this CD if you have seen this show. If you missed this show you will get a good taste of the show from the music. Whimsical, covers every genre of rock music, very colorful sounds, groovy, beautiful. Stew and Heidi Rodewald have created a masterpiece. Enjoy !

Veronica, NYC