Hold onto your hats, West Coast theater fans, because ‘Passing Strange’ is finally hitting the Pasadena Playhouse, nearly two decades after its Tony-winning Broadway debut. This rock musical, a true ‘dope’ original, is making its way to Los Angeles under the visionary direction of Zhailon Levingston, a well-known director who, as the article states, recently snagged a Tony for ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball.’ The show’s creators, Stew and Heidi Rodewald, prominent figures from the L.A. music scene with their band The Negro Problem, are stoked to see their critically acclaimed work land in SoCal, bringing its unique blend of social commentary, racial issues, and a live band to a new audience. It’s about time, for real!
You might be scratching your head, wondering why it took so long for this Broadway ‘legend’ to grace an L.A. stage, especially given Stew and Rodewald’s deep roots in the city. According to the report, Stew himself mentioned an ‘adversarial relationship’ with local press, including the L.A. Times, as a possible reason. Despite the show’s global reach, with productions even in South America and Europe, Los Angeles remained a holdout. But as Stew put it, time’s just a number when an amazing director like Levingston steps in, promising a wait that’s totally gonna be worth it.
Before ‘Passing Strange’ became a Broadway sensation, its origins were humble, evolving from a cabaret-style ‘Travelogue’ that Stew and Rodewald performed in New York clubs. They weren’t exactly chasing Broadway fame; in fact, the article highlights they initially said ‘no’ multiple times when The Public Theater approached them about transforming their club act into a full-fledged theatrical piece. Their background as a rock band, having navigated the implosion of the music business, meant they approached the theater world with a jaded, yet fiercely independent, spirit. They weren’t out to please, just to create what felt right, which, highkey, is what made the show so authentic.
The impact of ‘Passing Strange’ on Broadway was significant, as Stew points out. Post-2007, it wasn’t just a fuzzy guitar riff that signified a ‘rock musical’; many productions started featuring live bands on stage, a direct cue from their show. The unique lighting design, initially pieced together from rejected elements, also became a trendsetter. Yet, Stew laments that musicals still largely miss the raw, unpredictable ‘rock ‘n’ roll spirit’ he strives for, likening true rock performance to Iggy Pop’s legendary, wild stage dives. He’s on a mission to instill this ethos in his students, pushing them to craft musicals that are genuinely visceral and unvarnished.
Stew and Rodewald initially doubted if anyone else could truly embody the Narrator role, which mirrored Stew’s own coming-of-age journey. However, seeing other performers, including those in international renditions, bring their own flavor to the character proved them wrong. They’ve embraced the idea of a ‘cover version,’ where actors interpret the role in their unique style, a concept that’s straight up, pretty cool. From a production in Argentina questioning if they should still call a character ‘The Black One’ with an all-white cast, to a Belgian adaptation, the show’s adaptability has been a wild ride for the creators.
As for what’s next, these cats are busy as heck! The Negro Problem band is dropping a new record in ’27. Heidi Rodewald is deep into writing a project about Aileen Wuornos, exploring whether it will be a song cycle or a full musical. Stew and Rodewald also helm Stewdio Zero, a collaborative venture with former students, performing new shows every few months in New York. Stew is cooking up ‘Broadway-bound’ (as he puts it, ‘bound’ like prison) projects about Muhammad Ali and Thelonious Monk, and a live song cycle celebrating revolutionary activists Grace Lee Boggs and Jimmy Boggs. Stew, who teaches at Harvard, is also shaping the next generation of musical theater, making sure they understand that the 20th century was, like, a thing.
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Livia Dorne covers film, television, music, and pop culture with a keen editorial perspective. She delivers engaging commentary, reviews, and behind-the-scenes insights that keep readers connected to the entertainment world. Her style blends critique with storytelling.
