The rock musical ‘Passing Strange’ will receive its Southern California premiere at Pasadena Playhouse, with director Zhailon Levingston helming the production. Levingston, who won the Tony this year for best direction of a musical for ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball,’ approached Pasadena Playhouse leadership with the desire to mount this production as a priority project.
The show, created by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, originally opened on Broadway in 2007, where it earned major accolades including Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and recognition from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle. The musical is based on elements of Stew’s personal coming-of-age story and incorporates rock music throughout. The production has traveled to major cities internationally and across North America but notably has not been mounted in Los Angeles until now, despite the creators’ historical ties to the Southern California music scene as former members of the critically acclaimed band the Negro Problem.
Vintage Trouble singer Ty Taylor will star as the Narrator, the character based on Stew, alongside cast members Brittany Campbell, Britton Smith, and Saycon Sengbloh. Stew and Rodewald will not perform in this production, distinguishing it from their involvement in the original Broadway run and pre-Broadway development. The creators have expressed confidence in Levingston’s vision for the material, indicating they are observing the production from a distance rather than directly participating in its direction.
Stew and Rodewald discussed the show’s origins, noting that an earlier preliminary version called ‘Travelogue’ was developed in New York clubs before the Public Theater approached them about creating a theater piece. The creators have emphasized their artistic philosophy centers on creating work that appeals to passionate audiences rather than pursuing mainstream commercial success.
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