PASSING STRANGE Film Soaring at Sundance

Passing Strange- the film directed by Spike Lee is showing at Sundance 2009 and is gaining raves from both critics and audiences alike at the famous Utah film festival. The film is being screened during the Spectrum Documentary Spotlight program through Feb. 25, 2009.

The long, exciting trip continues for Passing Strange, the rock musical that was born at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, enjoyed an extended off-Broadway run at The Public Theater, and then burst onto Broadway with its original cast intact.

Celebrated director Spike Lee filmed two of the show's final performances to preserve it for future generations and it is premiering to much acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival.

"This fresh musical is an unstoppable force of energy, music, and mayhem," Lee commented during filming. "The pure rock energy, Soul, profound humanity, and brilliant cast are the elements that make Passing Strange unforgettable. As a filmmaker, the greatest artists on this earth to me are musicians because I feel their talents have come directly from God. So when I saw the play I was knocked out. The story, its musicianship, and the acting are a revelation. So often, when you see a great piece of theatre, it's gone unless you look at an archive of it at Lincoln Center. But this is a great piece of work, and it's going to be documented for many generations to see."

"I wanted to be a filmmaker for a couple of years of my life, but I didn't do it because being in a band was easier," joked Stew, the singer/songwriter at the center of Passing Strange. "For Spike Lee to want to deal with our play is such an honor, more than all the awards we've gotten. Getting the 'Spike Award' is huge. How often do you get to work with a genius, someone who changed the game?"

Lee filmed Passing Strange with a live audience during the matinee and evening performances on Saturday, July 19th 2008.

Passing Strange closed after nearly six months on Broadway, putting in 20 previews and 165 performances. This was only one of many honors for the popular musical, which has won a series of prominent prizes:

* Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
* New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical
* Drama Desk Award for Best Musical - as well as the prize for Best Lyrics (Stew) and Best Music (Stew and Heidi Rodewald)
* Audelco Award for Best Musical - as well as Best Director (Annie Dorsen), Best Musical Director (Rodewald), and Best Performance (Daniel Breaker)
* Obie Award for Best New Theatre Piece - as well as Outstanding Ensemble
* Theatre World Awards for Best Debut Performances (Breaker and de'Adre Aziza)
* Top 10 Shows of the Year in the New York Times, New York Magazine, and other respected publications

Co-commissioned by Berkeley Rep and The Public, Passing Strange is the critically acclaimed rock musical that follows a young musician's journey - from '70s Los Angeles through free-loving Amsterdam to the anarchy of '80s Berlin - in his search to feel something Real. The show has some of the most soulful songs and witty, thought-provoking lyrics in recent memory. Passing Strange made its world premiere at Berkeley Rep in 2006 and transferred to an extended off-Broadway engagement at The Public in 2007. It began its Broadway run on February 8 at the Belasco Theatre, produced by The Shubert Organization and Elizabeth Ireland McCann in association with Berkeley Rep and The Public. The live cast album is currently available from Ghostlight Records.

The winner of an Emmy Award and two Academy Award nominations, Spike Lee is a director, producer, writer, and actor renowned for tackling controversial social and political issues. His extensive credits as a director include the films 4 Little Girls, 25th Hour, Bamboozled, Clockers, Crooklyn, Do the Right Thing, Get on the Bus, He Got Game, Inside Man, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues, The Original Kings of Comedy, School Daze, She's Gotta Have It, Sucker Free City, Summer of Sam, and When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

From Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Berlin and Back, the musical play Passing Strange is the story of a young black bohemian, who abandons his bourgeois roots to journey to Europe searching for ‘the real'. Discovering a world of sex, drugs, rock and roll and art revolutionaries, our rebel-hero explores love, identity and the meaning of home.

Visit PASSING STRANGE ONLINE for all the latest news about the upcoming film and the official Passing Strange Sundance page for festival updates.

 

 

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