PASSING STRANGE • New Line Theatre

New Line's season opener rocks.  Literally.  Never letting you forget you're watching a play, PASSING STRANGE challenges the preconceptions about what a musical is -- a musical for people who don't think they like musicals.  It's a high-octane, allegorical, semi-autobiographical account of a musician, Mark Stewart, who goes by the single name, Stew, and his journey of self-discovery.  It opened on Broadway in 2008, garnering a Tony Award for Best Book.

Stew (Charles Glenn) serves as the older, wiser narrator, looking back on "Youth" (Keith Parker) who serves as his rebellious younger self, our Hero for the evening.  Pivotal scenes from Stew's life are played out with Youth, and a fully engaged ensemble.  Strong numbers like, "Baptist Fashion Show", "Amsterdam", and "May Day", shine a full light on the electrifying strength of this cast that a New Line production always promises.

OLD ROCK HOUSE PREVIEW: Stew from PASSING STRANGE

It's not every day you get to see a Tony winner in a really intimate venue, but this Thursday, Stew from PASSING STRANGE will be at the Old Rock House.  Stew authored the show’s book and lyrics, composed (with Heidi Rodewald) its music, and was the lead guitarist and musical narrator too.

PASSING STRANGE, a rock ’n’ roll musical about an artist in search of himself made a big splash in 2008.  There really wasn't anything like it on Broadway at the time, and its high-spirited, passionate presentation was lauded by the critics for daring to be different -- doing its share to redefine what musical theatre is.

Drawn from Stew's experiences, this show follows a character called Youth, as he makes tracks out of his middle-class Los Angeles surroundings, and heads to the hash cafes of Amsterdam and the artists' community in Berlin.  Along this coming-of-age journey, Stew interjects insightful, wry commentary as he looks at himself as he once was.

Additional info. about Stew can be found here.

Check it out this Thursday, and enjoy this clip from their Tony Award performance!