"You know what's weird? You wake up one morning and realize that your entire adult life is based on a decision made by a teenager..."

Day 14

So I finally got to watch "Passing Strange" on PBS tonight. I'm not going to lie, I first saw it on the Tony awards the year it was nominated. The performance they had was awful, I thought. So when I heard that Spike Lee was filming it and putting it out for the world to see, I was extremely hesitant. I wondered why they would want to film this show compared to other really great shows that sort of fade into history. So, I finally sat down and watched the whole show.

Let me say, I liked it more than I thought I would. I actually enjoyed it immensely. The way they establish the atmosphere of the show before any music is played or anyone speaks helped me out a lot. You get the feel really quick that this isn't going to be your typical Broadway musical. And going in knowing that helped me enjoy it a lot more. They only used about 5 or 6 main actors, plus a narrator (Stew). They had the entire "orchestra" (in this case it was practically a band) on the stage and the cast got the chance to interact with them at some points during the show. The set was very simple; a practically bare stage with chairs and tables. The lighting was fantastic. They had this really neat back wall made up of different sizes and shapes of bright neon type lights. It's hard to explain, you just have to see it. It really added a lot to the show.

I thought the major themes of the show were excellent as well. The entire cast is African American, and one of the conflicts was dealing with your true heritage and not just the stereotypes. But it wasn't just about that. I find a lot of shows with all African American casts seem to focus on the white vs. black issue, but this one didn't really deal with that at all. It was more focused on the main character's personal journey, which dealt with a lot of different issues. He was an artist (singer/songwriter specifically), and so it was interesting to see his struggle to find himself creatively. I could relate to a lot of the struggles he was going through. One interesting part was when he was younger and moved to Amsterdam and was pretty much in his personal paradise; he eventually left because, while life was perfect, he wasn't stimulated creatively. He had to live somewhere where he could just live life with its trials and tribulations. That's something I've pondered over in my head; the thought of going through trials and becoming a better actor because of it. More on that later.

But, on a musical level, the songs were very catchy. It wasn't typical musical music. It was funky, cool, meaningful, hip, etc. There was a lot of rapping/speak-singing going on, but it fit the feel of the show. And the actors gave it 110%, which I admired greatly. When you can see actors busting their asses the entire show, it makes you appreciate their work a lot more. And the fact that they all were sweating like maniacs! You could see sweat dripping off their faces. I felt bad for them...like they should turn down the heat or something!

All in all, I would have really loved to see this show live. You could feel the electricity coming through the screen even sitting watching it at home. It also made me realize that I shouldn't judge a show by a sliver of a performance before seeing the entire thing. Minus one for that. But I highly recommend it to everyone. It might not be your cup of tea, but I think it's a representation of how musical theatre may be evolving within the next couple of years, so you should pay close attention.