Passing Strange - the movie

Sometimes simply filming a musical onstage doesn't really grab me. But in the case of Passing Strange, I think Spike Lee has done a great job capturing what I enjoyed about this show when I saw it on Broadway in 2008 and made me see it in a fresh way.

Passing Strange tells the story of a young black man whose journey of self-discovery takes him from his middle class Los Angeles home to the drugs and sex and radical politics of Amsterdam and Berlin. It's more or less the life of rock musician Stew, who fronts the onstage band and narrates.

I loved the performance by Daniel Breaker as Youth, an aspiring musician and Stew's younger version of himself. (Just to drive the point home, they both wear red T-shirts and sneakers!)

Breaker, who received a Tony nomination, is exciting to watch. He's a wonderfully expressive actor and being able to see him up close - the look on his face and in his eyes - just demonstrates that even more.

Also, Passing Strange is really funny. I'd forgotten how much I laughed.

Stew won a Tony for his book and also wrote the lyrics. (The music was composed with his longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald.) He has some very witty and perceptive things to say about race and politics, as well as about family and being true to yourself as an artist.

This is a musical with quite a few intimate scenes between Youth and the people in his life - including his strict but loving churchgoing mother, played by Eisa Davis. Maybe it was watching them on a small screen but those moments seemed even more poignant this time.

Four actors: Chad Goodridge, Colman Domingo, Rebecca Naomi Jones and De'Adre Aziza, move seamlessly from the teenage Youth's friends in L.A. to Dutch artists to German anarchists. I especially loved Domingo as Franklin, the minister's son and choir director who sets Youth out on a path about which he himself can only dream.

I know Stew has mentioned The Wizard of Oz as an inspiration and I can see that. Youth's adventures reminded me so much of the mix of apprehension and exhilaration that comes from being in a foreign country for the first time.

The only thing that bothered me about the filming of Passing Strange, and I don't know whether this had something to do with the camerawork or my PBS station, but a few times actors on the left side of the stage were cut off, so you could only see half of their bodies. I noticed the credits were the same way.

When I wrote my review, I said that while I admired the show's innovation I missed the elaborate sets and big, choreographed dance numbers that you usually find in a Broadway musical. (Also, while I enjoyed the vibrant mix of rock and punk and gospel, among other sounds, I have to admit it was a bit loud for me at times.)

But the second time around, that really didn't matter. There's something I like even better than big sets and dance numbers - a well-told story. And Stew is a masterful storyteller. I'm so glad we have Passing Strange preserved on film.

PBS to air Passing Strange

Fans of Passing Strange who can't get to New York City this weekend will have to wait a bit before watching the film of the 2008 Broadway musical.

PBS has acquired the rights to Spike Lee's film and plans to show it in 2010 as part of the Great Performances series. But this Variety story says the producers are exploring a limited theatrical release in late summer or early fall.

Lee has been making the rounds of the festivals with his movie. Earlier this year, Passing Strange was shown at Sundance and tomorrow, it's being screened in New York as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.

At Sundance, the movie garnered a pretty enthusiastic review from film.com:

"Spike used 14 cameras at once to capture the action like it's never been done before. Amazingly, you never see a camera you weren't meant to see. Intimate shots were gathered in gorgeous high-definition over the course of three shows and seamlessly edited together. It's a technological triumph as well as an artistic one."

While I'm glad someone bought the rights, I'm a little disappointed that Passing Strange won't get a big theatrical release. Even though it's a fairly intimate show, I'd still rather see this rock concert/coming of age story at my local multiplex, larger than life.

Some memorable moments from 2008

It's hard for me to pick my favorite shows of the year because truly, I loved almost everything - just some more than others. These are some of the songs, choreography, scenes and characters that amazed me, made me laugh or cry or simply made me think a little bit harder about the world this year. There were probably another dozen I could have picked, too.

One of the things that struck me as I looked over the list of plays and musicals I saw in 2008 was how many of them dealt with adolescents struggling to find their place in a world that's not always very accepting.

Some have done things that their parents simply can't understand. Others dream of a life that their parents simply can't imagine. They want desperately to fit in with their classmates, to live up to the expectations that their families have of them. But they also want to be true to themselves. While they're not all on this list, to some extent all of their stories resonated with me. Maybe it has something to do with the power of theatre, but I felt for them all.

1.) For thrilling spectacle, it's hard to beat the opening minutes of Disney's musical The Lion King. Once a pair of giraffes ambled across the stage followed by a parade of animals up the aisles of the theatre in the opening number, "Circle of Life," I was hooked. My jaw dropped in amazement and my inner child was activated. Director (and designer) Julie Taymor uses elaborate costumes, masks, puppets and video projection to create a show that's so visually rich and vivid. I'm not a big fan of comic book stories but knowing that Taymor (and Bono!) are two of the creative forces behind the new Spider-Man musical definitely makes me interested.

2.) Black Watch brought home the experiences of a Scottish regiment in Iraq in such an imaginative, visceral way. Soldiers silently act out reading letters from home; one member of the unit relates the history of the Black Watch as he's being dressed, undressed and turned every which way with military precision. At one point near the end of the play I closed my eyes and winced in anticipation of a bone being broken. It was a moment of potential violence that was unexpected and it seemed so real.

3.) I had the pleasure of seeing Harvey Fierstein on stage twice this year - in A Catered Affair and last month, reprising his Tony-winning role as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. When Harvey sings "Coney Island" at the end of A Catered Affair, suitcase in hand, ready to start a new phase in his life, it was so touching. And in Hairspray, I had a chance to see Harvey's wonderful comic timing. I just have to smile whenever I think of him jumping on the hot dog cart in "Welcome to the Sixties" or the hilarious duet with Wilbur Turnblad in "You're Timeless to Me." They were priceless moments.


4.) Brooks Ashmanskas is an adorable, teddy bear of a man. I loved him and Kate Baldwin as feuding coworkers who don't realize they're pen pals in She Loves Me at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company. What a sweet, wonderful little musical. Baldwin has a great comic touch in "Vanilla Ice Cream" and I got choked up when she sang "Dear Friend," while waiting in a cafe to meet her pen pal. But I think my favorite moment was watching Ashmanskas, a truly expressive, physical actor, dance his way across a bare stage bathed in blue light while performing the title song.

5.) I remember as a kid watching Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals when they came on television - Oklahoma! and The King and I and above all, Cinderella with Lesley Ann Warren. But until I saw the revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center this spring, I had never seen a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical on stage. From the opening strains of the overture, when the stage slid back to reveal a 30-piece orchestra, I was captivated by this production. There were many great moments with Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot and Matthew Morrison as the leads. I especially loved the lively staging of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair." But really, it was all great.

6.) Seeing Patti LuPone as Mamma Rose in Gypsy was on my list of top theatrical moments of 2007. When the musical moved from the City Center Encores! series to Broadway, I saw Gypsy again. And once again, it makes my list of top theatre moments. This time, I want to mention Laura Benanti's performance. The moment when we first see Benanti transformed from gawky, plain-Jane adolescent Louise to glamorous, confident stripper Gypsy Rose Lee was stunning. Her hair is different, her clothes are obviously different, even her personality seems different. I could hardly believe she was the same person. Really, the brilliance of her Tony-winning performance just blew me away.

7.) I've written numerous times about my admiration for Daniel Breaker's performance in Passing Strange, especially the moment when he leaps across the stage in imitation of a big Broadway dance number. There's another scene that's stayed with me, too. When Breaker's character, Youth, is living in Berlin, he's made friends with a group of left-wing artists and activists. He fully expects that one of them will invite him home for Christmas. But they're not too keen about bringing a young black man to their small towns to meet the family. It's a painful moment when Youth realizes that there are limits to acceptance and friendship.

8.) I really enjoyed In the Heights, winner of the 2008 Tony for Best Musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda was great as bodega owner Usnavi, rapping his way through the opening number, featuring Andy Blankenbuehler's awesome choreography. But Mandy Gonzalez really won my heart as college student Nina, whose story is at the center of In the Heights. She returns to her Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City from Stanford feeling like a failure. I think her voice is beautiful and she's heartbreaking in "Breathe," when she sings about her guilt at having let down her family and her community.

9.) I though Laurence Fishburne was mesmerizing in Thurgood, as he took us through the life of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court. This was my first time seeing a one-person show on stage. Fishburne is a great storyteller as he goes through the details of Marshall's life and the fight to end school segregation in this county, culminating in the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. For me, he was such a commanding presence. I was in the third row, on the aisle, so when he sat down in a chair on stage at one point, he was literally right in front of me. I didn't dare take my eyes off of him - he was looking right at me, or at least that's what it felt like.

10.) The more I think about it, the more I like 13, Jason Robert Brown's musical about Evan Goldman, a Jewish kid who moves from New York City to Indiana after his parents get divorced. He's trying frantically to get the cool kids in his new school to come to his bar mitzvah. I loved the energetic young cast and the choreography and the rock 'n' roll score. At the end of the musical, in a very nice scene, we see Evan, played by Graham Phillips, during his bar mitzvah, a yarmulke on his head and a prayer shawl draped around his shoulders, chanting in Hebrew. The show could have left that moment out, soft-pedaled the religious angle, but it didn't - to its credit.

11.) Just about any moment that involves dancing in the musical Billy Elliot is memorable. I loved the dream ballet between Billy, played by Trent Kowalik at the performance I saw, and an adult dancer, played by Stephen Hanna. I loved seeing Billy in the middle of all those tutu-clad little girls in "Shine" and the big scrum of kids, miners and police in "Solidarity." I loved a very tender and bittersweet embrace between Billy and his father, played by Gregory Jbara. And any moment with Haydn Gwynne, who plays Billy's dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson, is wonderful. But the scene where Billy reads a letter from his dead mother is heartbreaking. Listening to it on the cast recording, I'm in tears.

12.) I can still picture Brian J. Smith as Brandon Hardy, a high school senior in the 1980s in Roberto Aguirre Sacasa's play Good Boys and True. At one point, Brandon angrily denies to his friend Justin (Christopher Abbott) that he's gay. He hurls vile, homophobic insults, taunting Justin that he'll have a better life, he'll make more money, be more successful, be happier, because he's not going to be gay. To me, it was a powerful moment not solely because of what Brandon does to Justin - although that's bad enough - but because it shows, in a very stark way, what Brandon is doing to himself out of fear.

Reading, watching, listening

I always like to check out the weekly list of upcoming theatre-related book, cd and dvd releases on Talkin Broadway. Here's some of what I'd like to be listening to, watching and reading:

Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked: Wow, that's a pretty long title. Now granted, I'd probably just skip ahead to the section on Wicked, but according to the publisher, author Carol de Giere spent 80 hours interviewing the composer and talked to more than 100 of his colleagues friends and family. The 544-page biography reveals "never-before-told-stories and explores both Schwartz's phenomenal hits and expensive flops." Available now.

The Grapes of Wrath: I don't anything about composer Ricky Ian Gordon, but I've been a big John Steinbeck fan since high school. My favorite work of his is actually the nonfiction account of his 1960 trip across America, Travels with Charley. Still, I'm curious about Gordon's opera version of Steinbeck's Depression-era novel The Grapes of Wrath. This 3-cd set was recorded last year with the Minnesota Opera. Available now.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular: I took a tour of Radio City Music Hall last year and it was great. Unfortunately, because a show was going on, we didn't actually get to go into the auditorium. So until I can see those high-kicking Rockettes in person, this may be the next best thing. This 90-minute dvd features last year's 75th anniversary production, including the reportedly spectacular Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. Release date: Nov. 4.

In Spite of Myself: A Memoir: I loved Julie Andrews' memoir, Home, and now her Sound of Music costar, Christopher Plummer, is weighing in with a 656-page autobiography. The early reviews sound good. Publisher's Weekly calls the book “An enchanting observer of the showbiz cavalcade, drawing vivid thumbnails of everyone from Laurence Olivier to Lenny Bruce and tossing off witty anecdotes like the most effortless ad libs. The result - a sparkling star turn from a born raconteur for whom all the world is indeed a stage.” Release date: Nov. 4.

The Gospel at Colonus: Since seeing The Dreams of Antigone last week, I'm on kind of a Greek tragedy kick. The Gospel at Colonus is a retelling of Sophocles' play Oedipus at Colonus through the medium of modern gospel music. This is the 9o-minute filmed version of a 1985 Philadelphia performance and features Morgan Freeman as a Pentecostal preacher and The Blind Boys of Alabama, collectively, as Oedipus. Release date: Nov. 18.

13: Even if I don't get to see Jason Robert Brown's new musical, I'll still pick up the original Broadway cast recording. I don't feel compelled to buy the cd of every new musical, especially if I've never seen it. But I enjoy Brown's music - whether I've seen the show, like Parade, or whether I haven't, like The Last 5 Years - and this is the kind of catchy pop score that's usually right up my alley. Release date: Nov. 25.

Hair: Let the Sun Shine In: If I could travel back in time to see the original Broadway production of a musical, Hair would definitely be high on my list. Maybe it's not so shocking today, but I can only imagine what it was like to see it 40 years ago. This 55-minute documentary, which also includes an hour of bonus footage, "conveys a portrait of an era, a generation and its politics." Release date Dec. 9.

Passing Strange: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical: Stew won the Tony award for Best Book of a Musical for writing Passing Strange and I can understand why. The dialog was smart, witty and memorable. I'm curious to see how his words hold up when I read them rather than listen to them. Release date: January 15.

Getting excited about Shrek

Sometimes, one performer can make the difference between "eh, not interested" and "I have to see this."

A couple of my fellow bloggers have already weighed in on the casting changes announced earlier this week for the Broadway-bound Shrek, which begins previews Nov. 8. But I want to send out a little blog love of my own to Daniel Breaker, who will be the musical's new Donkey, replacing Chester Gregory II.

While I do feel bad for Gregory, who was cut after the show's Seattle run, I guess that's part of what shows do in out-of-town tryouts. The creative team sees what works and what doesn't and makes changes. As a Broadway performer, I imagine you understand that's the way the system works and there's always a chance you'll be replaced. He's a veteran, talented actor and hopefully he'll be back on stage soon.

Up until this week, I had next to no interest in seeing Shrek. I watched the 2001 movie a few years ago, and it was okay. The best part was Eddie Murphy as the Donkey. (I wonder if this is a little dig at Murphy: In the New York Times story, he's referred to as the "Norbit auteur.")

But Breaker's involvement with Shrek changes everything. He was just so memorable in the musical Passing Strange and I'd jump at the chance to see him in another role. Yes, I was that impressed. In fact, I liked everyone in the cast.

Breaker is a wonderfully expressive, physical actor. He can do so much just with the way he slouches in a chair. And he made the character of Youth, who journeys from Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Berlin in search of "the real" so sweet and appealing. One of my absolute favorite Broadway moments from 2008 was watching Breaker leap across the Belasco Theatre stage in imitation of a big Broadway dance number.

Here's a good Los Angeles Times interview with Breaker from June. He recalls his childhood in Germany as an Army brat, coming to New York to study at Juilliard, his Tony nomination for Passing Strange, and his impending fatherhood. And in The Washington Post in 2005, Breaker talks about his love for performing the classics.

According to his Facebook page, Breaker's son, Rory, was born last month. So even though he'll be long gone from Shrek by the time his son is old enough to start going to the theatre, it's kind of cool that Breaker's next Broadway role is based on a classic children's book.

Sound and light shows

When I filled out my imaginary Tony Awards ballot this spring, I was a little stumped by the sound and lighting categories. (Along with best orchestration. Even though I now know what an orchestrator does, I still don't feel any more qualified to give an opinion, even an imaginary one.)

What made me think about sound and lighting is that the recipients of this year's MacArthur "genius" fellowships have been announced, and there's at least one theatre-related winner of the $500,000 prizes, veteran Broadway lighting designer Jennifer Tipton.

The 71-year-old Tipton won Tony awards in 1977 for The Cherry Orchard and in 1989 for Jerome Robbins' Broadway. Originally a dancer, Tipton also designs lighting for dance and opera. She's taught at Yale and trained many other designers in the craft, including Donald Holder, Tony winner in 1998 for The Lion King and in 2008 for South Pacific, and Howell Binkley, the lighting designer for In the Heights and Gypsy.

The biography at the MacArthur Foundation Web site says, "Best known for her work in dance, Tipton’s painterly lighting evokes mood and defines and sculpts movement. Preferring a small but powerful palette of colors, she pioneered the use of white light in theatre and dance."

"Her subtle, shifting lighting for Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten (2005) gave visual support to the play’s delicate balance between vitality and deep sadness; in the final scene, the cleansing warmth of approaching dawn affirms the sense of peace and forgiveness finally achieved by the protagonists."

Sadly, when I'm writing my review, sound and lighting are two areas I tend to forget about, whereas I almost always remember to mention the sets and the costumes. Of course, there are exceptions, like Kevin Adams' very dramatic colored lights that usher in the Berlin phase of Passing Strange, or the blackout that occurs during In the Heights.

Sometimes, I neglect to mention them because I don't realize who deserves the credit for something I really enjoyed. For example, I loved the whole staging of "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair" in South Pacific. But I didn't realize that it was Scott Lehrer's skillful sound design that allowed Kelli O'Hara to sing and wash her hair at the same time - without getting electrocuted.

So in my effort to become an ever-more perceptive theatergoer, and in recognition of all the designers' great work, I'll try to consider sound and lighting more closely. Maybe next spring when the Tony Awards come around, I can at least venture an opinion.

Passing Strange will pass into history

So, I guess this was inevitable, given its lackluster box office: Passing Strange, the musical about a search for "the real," now playing at Broadway's Belasco Theatre, is closing July 20.

I had mixed feelings about the show. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to love in this musical about a young African-American man's journey of self-discovery that takes him from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Berlin, all set to a rock 'n' roll beat. (Which actually, for me, was a bit loud at times!) While I liked Passing Strange a great deal, and I wouldn't have missed seeing it for anything, I think that way down deep, I respected and admired it more than I truly loved it.

Stew, who received the show's sole Tony award, for the book of Passing Strange, has written some very witty, insightful dialog about race, about family, about finding your place in the world. I love the way the show is structured as a kind of homage to The Wizard of Oz. And Daniel Breaker, who plays Youth, is amazing. Really, I love the entire cast, most of whom play multiple characters Youth meets at various points on his journey.

I also think it's great that this year we have two shows, In the Heights and Passing Strange, in which Latino and African-American artists are telling their own stories, in their own words and music. For me, the thing that's so great about Broadway is that there are so many voices, so many different experiences, represented in a 10-block radius. I'd love to see all of them.

And when I go to New York City for a weekend, I can see five shows easily. For me, Passing Strange definitely has a place in that mix. But I know that I'm not the average New York City tourist. The average tourist sees one, maybe two shows. Obviously a show like Passing Strange, without a recognizable story or cast, is a much more difficult sell.

Look at the box office totals from last week. We live in a world where the Broadway revival of Grease plays to a higher capacity and has a higher average ticket price than the revival of Gypsy, which has three amazing, Tony-winning performances. How can that be?

I wish Passing Strange could have gotten some of the audience for rock 'n' roll musicals that went to see Spring Awakening or Rent. Maybe part of it was the marketing. Perhaps Daniel Breaker as Youth should have been featured more prominently. I mean, Stew's a great guy and all, and he does a great job acting as kind of a narrator for Passing Strange, but he's not the whole story. You want people to realize that this is a love story, a story about a young man's journey, a story about race and about family. I'm not sure any of those things came through unless you actually bought a ticket and went to see it.

Anyway, I'll be looking forward to Spike Lee's film of Passing Strange. And as I said in my review of Passing Strange, while I like musicals with big choreographed dance numbers, showstopping songs and lavish sets, it would be pretty boring if every musical were like that. I'm glad that there was something so unique on Broadway, and I loved seeing a show that challenged my expectations.

My Tony thoughts

Whew, the Tony awards are over! Lots of observations:

Whoppi Goldberg is funny! I'm so happy for Rondi Reed! I love In the Heights! Lin-Manuel Miranda is one classy, talented guy! Patti LuPone is one fierce Mama Rose! Tracy Letts should have been given more time to talk! Paulo Szot is tall! During the musical number for Sunday in the Park with George, I think I saw Daniel Evans' tonsils! Stew has a weird sense of humor!

And a few questions:

What was Boeing Boeing's Mark Rylance talking about in his acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Play? What does Anna Shapiro, who won for best director of a play for August: Osage County, have tattooed on her arm? Why didn't Stephen Sondheim show up to accept his lifetime achievement award? I understand why there's lots of love for musicals, and that was terrific, but couldn't there be a little more love for the plays?

In the Heights was my pick for Best Musical, so I'm ecstatic that it won, and I thought its musical number, "96,000,'' sounded great. I admired and respected Passing Strange but I loved In the Heights. It won my heart and made me want to dance, despite the sad fact that I was apparently born without a sense of rhythm. This is a musical that has a great message in its celebration of a Latino neighborhood at the top of Manhattan: we're a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it.

Plus, Lin-Manuel Miranda's acceptance speech in the form of a rap, when he won the Tony for Best Score for In the Heights, was terrific. And his reference to Stephen Sondheim was so sweet: “Look, Mr. Sondheim, I made a hat where there never was a hat and it’s a Latin hat at that.” Very nice. I hope Miranda stays in musical theatre. The funny thing is, I heard him during the red carpet interviews. He really doesn't talk like a rapper all the time.

Other highlights for me:

I'm thrilled that as expected, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of August: Osage County won for Best Play, Best Director, Best Actress in a Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play. And Todd Rosenthal, winning for Best Scenic Design of a Play, on the Tony preshow, started it all off. Seeing that big old three-story house was the first time I ever had an immediate, visceral reaction to a set on a stage. I was just fascinated by it, by the size and the clutter and the shabbiness, and I'm so happy Rosenthal won.

Rondi Reed winning for Best Featured Actress in a Play was the one I was really, really rooting for, because she's such a wonderful person as well as a great performer. Steve, Doug and I talked to her for at least half an hour after August: Osage County ended one night. She is a warm, funny, gracious, down-to-earth woman. And she is an absolute hoot in this play. (Unfortunately, Sunday was her last performance. She's headed back to Chicago).

The success of August: Osage County, a transplant from Chicago, is truly a testament to the great work being done on stages all over this country. Being on Broadway and winning a Tony must seem like a pipe dream to these actors who toil far from New York. August's Deanna Dunagan, who won for Best Actress in a Play, summed it up perfectly: "After 34 years in regional theater I never even thought about it. I watched it on tv like everyone else."

Hearing from the original cast from Rent was so moving, especially when they were talking about Jonathan Larson and how he came to write the musical at a time when so many people he knew were dying of AIDS, and then his own untimely death. It was cute to see Idina Menzel and her husband, Taye Diggs, who met while they were in Rent, right next to each other. And even though I saw The Lion King, with its incredible parade of animals, on Broadway a month ago, the giraffes are just as thrilling the second time around.

I loved Patti LuPone singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy. Her standing ovation was well deserved. She is fierce. Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines looked terrified! They also really deserved their Tonys for Best Featured Actress and Actor in a Musical. I've said before that Benanti gave one of the best performances I've ever seen as she transformed from a shy, awkward teenager into a glamorous, confident stripper.

And LuPone, the Best Actress in a Musical, did have a great acceptance speech: "It's been 29 years!" Let the woman talk! I also liked the way she thanked her husband and son right off the bat, instead of going through her list of agents, producers, etc. So many winners at these awards shows end up having to shout out the names of their loved ones just as the music starts up.

Also, I was glad to see The 39 Steps pick up a couple of Tonys: Mic Pool won for Best Sound Design of a Play, and Kevin Adams won for Best Lighting Design of a Play. It is such a fun, inspired 90 minutes of theatre, and I hope the awards give it a little bounce.

There were a few spots where I thought the Tony producers slipped up.

When Lincoln Center's Andre Bishop accepted the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical for South Pacific, the camera should have been ready to turn immediately to Rodgers & Hammerstein's daughters, who were sitting together in the audience, not 20 seconds after Bishop mentioned their names.

Playwright Tracy Letts should have been given a little more time to accept his Tony for writing August: Osage County. I mean, how often do we get a major new American play on the scale of this one? (Perhaps he should have gotten a little assertiveness training from Patti!)

And the segment where they had Daniel Breaker, James Snyder and Kerry Butler do the little spiel about all of the American Theater Wing's educational programs mentioned the Wing's radio shows but failed to mention that they're available as free downloads from its web site, or as podcasts from iTunes. In fact, why not flash the Web site on the screen? Duh! Missed opportunity!

And what's up with taking the Tony for best choreography out of the televised portion of the ceremony? How can the Tonys not recognize the winner of that category on national television? I mean, so much of Broadway is musicals and choreography is such an important part of why we love them. Anyway, I'm glad that Andy Blankenbuehler won for In the Heights.

Apparently, some of the nominees were surprised that their categories were in the preshow, too. Passing Strange's Stew, who won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical, said he was looking in his pocket for some M&Ms when his name was announced. His speech was lame, so maybe he's serious when he says he was unprepared. And Stew turned me off with the funny nose and glasses he wore when they showed the nominees for Best Actor in a Musical. Ugh.

Ok, I may have more to say later, but that's enough for now. Except that I'm glad some of my favorites: In the Heights, South Pacific, Gypsy and August: Osage County did so well and I'm thrilled I was able to see so many amazing Tony-winning performances. I hope I get to see as many next season.

Travel plans

Just as exciting as anticipating what's coming to Broadway next season is seeing which shows are going out on tour. And there are several bits of news this week that make me a very happy theatergoer.

First, Curtains, which, I'm sad to say, ends its Broadway run at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on June 29, will hit the road beginning in the fall of 2009.

And second, Gavin Lee, who created the role of Bert the chimneysweep in the London and Broadway production of Mary Poppins, will join his Broadway costar Ashley Brown on the musical's national tour, which begins March 11, 2009, at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. Stops in Cleveland, St. Louis and Los Angeles also have been announced. It's not an everyday occurrence for the stars of a Broadway show to take it on tour, so this is great news.

Also on the touring front, the creative team behind the rock 'n' roll musical Passing Strange is considering taking their act on the road. I liked Passing Strange a great deal. It's really thought-provoking and the music has stayed with me. But I'm not sure how the story, about a young man's journey of self-discovery that takes him from Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Berlin, would play nationwide in theatres that can be double or triple the size of a Broadway house. There's not much in the way of a set, and in some ways it's kind of an intimate show.

Here's what Stew, who narrates the semiautobiographical story, had to say recently: "I personally spent a lot of my life touring, and I would love to take this play to anywhere and everywhere. That would be a dream. I don't know how it will all work contractually, but personally, I would love to do Passing Strange in all kinds of places. I would love it."

I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway last summer. While I liked the show and definitely recommend it, I thought it was a little long at nearly 3 hours and it didn't engage me emotionally as much as some other musicals. But I really enjoyed Matthew Bourne's choreography on the big musical numbers, and the many magical elements. Lee's performance was definitely a highlight. He is so charming and brings a great deal of warmth and humor to the role. I hope Disney will be able to include some of the magical touches on tour.

The Curtains tour will be produced by, among others, Atlanta's Theater of the Stars. I'm not at all familiar with Theater of the Stars, but apparently it brings Broadway shows to the city's fabulous Fox Theatre. (Fabulous doesn't actually seem to be part of its official name, but that's almost always how I see it mentioned). Since 1953, TOTS has produced or presented more than 700 productions around the world.

I've read some chatter on Broadway message boards speculating about how Curtains would do without David Hyde Pierce in the role of Boston police Lt. Frank Cioffi. While I absolutely adore the gracious and talented Mr. Hyde Pierce and I think he's wonderful in the role, I think it can be a popular show with someone else playing the part.

Sometimes, an actor gets so identified with a role it's hard to think of anyone else stepping into his or her shoes. I missed The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway, so I didn't get to see Bob Martin, who created the role of its main character, the musical-theatre loving Man in Chair. But I loved The Drowsy Chaperone on tour, and its Man in Chair, Jonathan Crombie, was terrific. And after all, most Broadway musicals tour with actors who aren't household names.

While Curtains doesn't have the recognition of a Wicked or Hairspray, hopefully it'll benefit from some good word of mouth. Plus, one thing I've noticed from going to see shows in Boston and Providence is that there's a large, loyal group of people who can't get to New York, but really want to see Broadway shows. I saw both Wicked and Hairspray on tour and they're two of my favorites.

And I think that Curtains, the final musical from the legendary team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, is a real crowd-pleaser. It's got memorable characters, lots of humor, big song-and-dance numbers and a backstage murder mystery plot. I love listening to the Broadway cast recording - it really gives you a good sense of what makes the show so entertaining.

Since Curtains unfolds backstage at Boston's Colonial Theatre, during the pre-Broadway tryout of a new musical, it seems like a natural for the national tour to kick off there. While no cities have been announced yet, I'm assuming that with an Atlanta-based producer, the tour will start in Atlanta. Still, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Broadway times two

When I reviewed the current Broadway revival of South Pacific, I mentioned that if you combine it with August: Osage County, you have a perfect pair of bookends for the Greatest Generation that grew up during the Great Depression, fought and won World War II, and sired the baby boomers.

South Pacific is the idealized, romanticized beginning of the Greatest Generation - full of youthful optimism and self-confidence. August: Osage County is when it all comes crashing to an end, in old age and illness, in a torrent of anger and bitterness. Together, they'd make a very interesting and thought-provoking day at the theatre.

Well, I've been thinking about some other shows that would make great Broadway double features. Here's my list so far:

Thurgood and Hairspray: Ok, this one's practically a no-brainer. They're both about the civil-rights movement. Hairspray takes place in Baltimore, and Thurgood Marshall was from Baltimore. I understand that one is a musical about a fictional character and the other, starring Laurence Fishburne, is a one-man play about a legendary civil-rights lawyer who became the nation's first African-American Supreme Court justice. I'm not trying to make light of Marshall's achievements by comparing the show to Hairspray, and I haven't seen Thurgood yet. But they both recall an important time in American history, one that changed this country in profound ways. They're both about the power of the individual to affect change. And I think, or at least I hope, that they both have the ability to educate and inspire as well as entertain.

Passing Strange and Sunday in the Park with George: I've only seen SITPWG on DVD, with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. But like Passing Strange, it's about the process of creating art and all of the struggle that involves for the artist. In one case, it's a painter working on a canvas, in the other, an aspiring musician trying to compose a song. They both examine all of the people and events that pass through an artist's life and help to inspire his or her work. I also think that Passing Strange bears more than a passing resemblance to The Wizard of Oz, so pairing it with Wicked would work, too.

Wicked and The 39 Steps: Both of these take classic films and reimagine them in very creative, inspired ways. Ok, The 39 Steps is pretty much a word-for-word retelling of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, as opposed to Wicked's expansion of the story and characters we know from The Wizard of Oz. It doesn't take the story any further or expand our understanding of it the way Wicked does. Still, despite the differences, I think these are two interesting examples of taking material from another source and putting it on stage.

The Lion King and Macbeth: Yes, one's from Disney and one's a bloody Shakespearean tragedy about a power-hungry Scottish general that's clearly for an adult audience. But let's examine the plot of The Lion King: a young prince, believing his uncle is responsible for his father's death, tries to avenge the crime. I'm not the first to notice that it bears a strong resemblance to Hamlet. I'll be taking in both The Lion King and the current revival of Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart, next month, although not, unfortunately, on the same day. But close enough for comparison.

Passing Strange

Gratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****

Usually, I have to wait until a show starts to get a chuckle out of it, but Passing Strange made me smile before I even entered Broadway's Belasco Theatre. Outside, there's a picture of the cast with this quote from Stew, whose semi-autobiographical story I was about to see played out on stage: "Life is a movie starring you. Your whole family is the cast and crew."

That line is funny, playful and brimming with insight - and that's what I loved about Passing Strange. The dialogue is smart, witty and memorable. In fact, I think the last show I saw with so much memorable dialogue was probably the newly minted Pulitzer winner for best drama, Tracy Letts' August: Osage County.

Passing Strange is a minimalist musical - it doesn't have much in the way of lavish sets or big production numbers and the cast doubles up on roles. But it's got terrific performances, an incredibly appealing main character and very big ideas about race and identity and family and what it takes to create meaningful art.

Stew, who wrote the music with his partner Heidi Rodewald, narrates the story accompanied by his rock 'n' roll band. I love David Korins' scenic design that has Stew's band partially submerged into the stage. And the way Stew uses music to tell stories reminded me a little of another singer-songwriter I love - Bob Dylan. (I downloaded some of the songs from the Passing Strange Web site, but until I saw them in the show, I didn't really know what they were about).

Stew, born Mark Stewart, is an easygoing kind of guy. Reviewers usually describe him as "roly-poly" and note the thick black glasses perched on his head. He doesn't at all mind engaging with the audience when a theatergoer who's a little too caught up in the moment shouts to him from the balcony.

A character known only as Youth, an amazing Daniel Breaker, and the rest of the equally talented cast act out scenes from his life. First, we see him in 1970s Los Angeles, a middle-class black teenager rebelling against his loving but strict churchgoing mother, played by Eisa Davis. After that, he embarks on sojourns to hedonistic Amsterdam ("a place that makes Berkeley look like the Bible Belt") and radical Berlin, all in search of "the real."

One thing that's really struck me about all the theatre that I've seen during the past year is how many of the stories revolve around the relationship between parents and children. Obviously, there's lots of drama - and comedy and music - to mine in that relationship. Plus, it's pretty universal. We've all had parents - and our parents have all had children.

Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones and De'Adre Aziza are wonderful playing the very different characters Youth meets at different points in his journey. I hope there are many more Broadway roles for all of them. I especially liked Domingo as the church choir director/Berlin performance artist and Goodridge as a drummer in Youth's teenage punk rock band who, after two years, laments that he still hasn't found a sense of rhythm. He's equally adept later, as a left-wing German militant.

It's clear that Youth is a stand-in for Stew: they're dressed alike in red shirts, black pants and black sneakers. And I can't say enough about Breaker. He's energetic and he does so much without even talking as he moves from sheltered teen to wide-eyed world traveler. Just the expressions on his face and the way he slouches in a chair convey so much meaning. At one point, after Stew explains how Passing Strange isn't going to be like a traditional Broadway musical, Breaker leaps across the stage in imitation of a big Broadway dance number. It's so unexpected, hilarious and graceful, and I think it's one of the most delightful moments I've seen on stage - or in the movies or on television for that matter.

In fact, Breaker makes Youth so sweet and likable I couldn't quite square it with the way he treats his mother. In the end his actions, or inactions, make him come across as kind of selfish. But I guess Stew's point is that we all do foolish things when we're young, things that we regret as we grow older, when it's too late to make amends.

I also like the way Passing Strange offers a nod to an earlier generation of African-American expatriate artists, people like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. It connects Youth's journey to a larger tradition.

I saw Passing Strange and In the Heights on successive nights, and one of the things I appreciated about both of them is that each allows African-American and Latino characters to tell their own stories. Like Mandy Gonzalez' Nina, the young Latina college student whose story is at the heart of In the Heights, Youth is trying to find his place in the world. And Stew reminds us that the world's not always a very accommodating place for a young black man, even one as endearing as Youth.

At one point, the teenage Youth is told that on the one hand, he's "not black enough" but on the other hand, he shouldn't be so black that no one will hire him. He flinches at being stereotyped, but in Berlin he becomes a stereotypical ghetto kid and hip-hop artist. He's delighted and touched to be accepted and trusted by a young woman he meets in Amsterdam. (And it's the subject of "Keys," a beautiful song from Breaker and Aziza.) Yet later he learns, painfully, that there are limits to his acceptance, even by people who appear to be his friends.

In the end, I have some mixed feelings about Passing Strange. My immediate reaction was, well that was different. I liked it and I'm glad I saw it and I'm looking forward to listening to the Broadway cast CD, but I didn't feel compelled to see the show again. For one thing, parts of it are pretty loud. Sometimes I had trouble understanding some of the lyrics. And I thought the second act dragged a bit. (Although Stew's jabs at radical politics in Berlin are priceless. One artist tells Youth: "My pornography is men in business suits making deals.")

Call me shallow, but I guess I did miss the big choreographed dance numbers, showstopping songs and lavish sets. Still, it would be pretty boring if every musical were like that. I'm glad that there's something so unique on Broadway and I love seeing a show that challenges my expectations. And I was pretty captivated by Breaker's performance. Plus, Passing Strange does give you an awful lot to think about afterward. Ok, I'm wavering a little. Maybe I would see it a second time, if only to ponder Stew's words and delight again in Youth's fleet-footed leap across the stage.

Before I saw Passing Strange, I listened to an interview with Stew on the public radio program Studio 360. He talked about some of his inspirations, most notably The Wizard of Oz. That's one reason, he said, why he has African-American actors play the white characters Youth meets in Amsterdam and Berlin.

At first, I wasn't sure whether it worked. I thought maybe the contrast would have been greater if white actors had played those roles. Youth would have seemed even more like a stranger in a strange land. But as I started to think more about the whole Wizard of Oz comparison, I realized that I like what Stew's done. It's actually pretty inspired.

For all of its nontraditional look and storytelling, Youth does go on a pretty traditional journey of self-discovery. It's very Dorothy-like. Kevin Adams' design moves the show from subdued, dim lighting to brilliant color, just like the Wizard of Oz. Youth argues with his mother, just like Dorothy fights with Auntie Em. And he sees some of the same people who were in his life in the first part of the musical playing different roles in his life in the second part, just like The Wizard of Oz.

Youth struggles as a musician because he doesn't yet realize that you have to write about what you know - your life experiences, what excites you, the things you feel passionate about. Then the writing comes easy, because it comes from the heart. That's what's "real." And his epiphany, well, you've seen The Wizard of Oz, so I know you can figure it out. If you need a hint, just close your eyes and click your heels together three times. It'll come to you. I know it will.

No ghosts in sight

Ok, last night was Passing Strange at the Belasco. I liked it a lot but I didn't love it quite as much as my fellow bloggers.

First of all, it's really, really loud at times. I hate to sound like an old fart, but it's been a long time since I've listened to music quite that loud. And I don't know, maybe it was just a little too minimalist for me. Maybe I just like my musicals more traditional, with big dance numbers, elaborate sets and catchy pop tunes.

But Daniel Breaker as Youth, whose journey through life we follow, is amazing. He made me realize how much an actor can do without words - his expressions, the way he carries himself, the way he slouches in a chair. It's worth the price of admission to see him leap across the stage in imitation of a big Broadway dance number. (I'm still smiling about that). In fact, everyone in the cast is wonderful.

And there's a lot of really witty dialogue - about race, about art, about politics. At a time when an African-American is waging a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Passing Strange seems to have extra relevance and urgency.

I have to think about it some more, and I'll be writing a review. Passing Strange certainly gives you a lot to think about afterward.

On the way to the Belasco, I did one of my favorite things to do in Times Square - take pictures of theatre marquees. I've never passed a marquee - or a giant poster on a building - that I didn't want to stop and photograph. Call me tourist - I don't mind.

Tonight, it's the salsa and hip-hop infused Latino musical In the Heights. I think it says something great about the theatre that on successive nights, I'm seeing musicals featuring a young African-American man and a young Latino man telling their own stories.

And no ghosts at the Belasco, I'm sorry to report.