Passing Strange

A heartfelt, one-of-a-kind musical event, Passing Strange takes audiences on a journey from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Berlin, and beyond. Rock musician Stew makes a powerful debut as playwright and narrator, telling the story of a nameless Youth who is on a quest to find “the real.” On the way, this young, African-American, middle-class man discovers what a bohemian life really involves, “passing” through the worlds of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’roll -- and all the ups and downs in between. With soulful lyrics and soaring, heart-pounding music, Passing Strange is a unique experience that breaks theatrical boundaries, crosses musical genres, and ultimately brings the audience home with a new understanding of personal and creative authenticity.

Act One

• Prologue: We Might Play All Night — Narrator and the Band
• Baptist Fashion Show — Narrator, Band and Ensemble
• Blues Revelation; Freight Train:
• Listening is Waiting — Heidi (from the Band) and Narrator
• Church Blues Revelation — Reverend Jones, Narrator and Ensemble
• Music is the Freight Train in which God Travels — Narrator and Ensemble
• Edwina Williams — Edwina and Narrator
• Arlington Hill ; Everything's Alright — Narrator; Narrator and Ensemble
• Sole Brother — Youth, Terry and Sherry
• Must've Been High — Narrator
• Mom Song; Philistines — Narrator, Mother and Ensemble; Youth and Ensemble
• Merci Beaucoup, M. Godard — Narrator and Stewardesses
• Amsterdam — Band and Ensemble
• Keys:
• Keys #1 — Marianna and Youth
• Keys #2 — Narrator
• It's Alright — Narrator and Ensemble
• We Just Had Sex — Youth, Marianna and Renata
• Paradise:
• Paradise/Stoned — Youth, Marianna and Ensemble
• Keys (Reprise) — Youth and Narrator
• Paradise (Reprise)/Starting to Feel Real — Youth, Marianna, Band and Ensemble

Act Two

• May Day:
• Berlin: A Black Hole with Taxis — Narrator
• May Day (There's a Riot Goin' Down) — Narrator, Heidi, Youth, Nowhaus and Ensemble
• Desi — Narrator, Youth, Desi and Ensemble
• Are You Ready to Explode? — Narrator and Ensemble
• Surface:
• What's Inside is Just a Lie — Mr. Venus
• Are You Ready to Explode? (Reprise) — Mr. Venus, Youth and Ensemble
• The System Does All Kinds of Damage — Narrator, Desi and Youth
• Identity — Youth
• The Black One — Narrator and Ensemble
• Come Down Now:
• Listening is Waiting (Reprise) — Heidi
• Come Down Now — Desi and Heidi
• Starting to Feel Real (Reprise) — Narrator, Desi, Heidi and Ensemble
• Youth's Unfinished Song — Youth
• Work the Wound — Narrator
• Passing Phase — Youth and Narrator
• Cue Music (Is It Alright?) — Narrator and Mother
• Epilogue: Love Like That — Narrator and Heidi
• Encore: It's Alright — All