Comments for Passing Strange at http://www.okayplayer.com , comment 1 to 11 out of 11 comments http://www.okayplayer.com Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:48:39 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-964 It was recommended repeatedly from various friends, the final clincher was the recommendation from a mother of a cast member, I knew i had to see it immediately. I did and did not regret a minute of it. Fantastic show. - Ladyfresh Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:54:51 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-725 I've seen it twice and I would see it more but I figured I'd start looking creepy...But anyway, it was AMAZING and EVERYONE SHOULD SEE IT!!! Although I appreciate the comments and reviews, I'm disappointed that this was largely reduced to a discussion about reverse-blackface. The play is soooooo much more than that. I personally always thought the actors were playing white characters in the Amsterdam and Berlin scenes but in general their gender, age and sexuality roles are also in flux throughout the play. All the actors play stoned teens and 20-somethings, Germans, Swedes, Californians, professors, preachers, anarchists, ambiguously gay choir leaders - the whole gamut. The fact that they pull all these characters and more off convincingly is a testament to the acting, writing and staging of the production. Personally, I find that the whole "is they white or black?" debate of fictional characters in this instance is such a reductive way of looking at this play. - Mawuse Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:24:48 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-313 Friends show your love and support by shelling out the $11.99 for the soundtrack that is the very first to be offered on i-tunes... quite stroke of brilliance in this day of digital offerings... If you haven't seen the show, this will definitely get you there and if you have, well then this is finally in your hands... hope you enjoy it - Dub K Tue, 27 May 2008 09:14:45 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-95 And by the way, the Shuck and Jive number is THE number in this show: clever, well-executed, poignant, and deep but also very funny. Stew is a rare combination - an artistic sociologist. A true talent. - efellyemmus Mon, 19 May 2008 13:06:45 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-94 Saw this and was impressed with the flow and impact of what I normally think is a tired vehicle of vocal delivery - spoken word-type-poetry-slam isht. But this cat was nice and the show an interesting examination of black bourgeoisie angst and internal conflict stemming from having to wrestle with being 'real' and creating pain in the hopes of achieving greater artistic integrity, while at the same time ditching the very thing that gave you the wings to fly out of your nest in the first place. Especially apt given the state of modern hip-hop, where success is built not on artistry or creative content but on ringtone downloads and how relatively rudimentray and accessible your grabage-ass beat is. And as an artfom, albeit a derivative artform, built on how creatively and originally one can clip and cut and mix others' music into new and elevated forms, which has devolved into an utter void of the very thing that drove it to such inspiring heights - ORIGINALITY. Passing Strange touches on that battle of internal 'realness' without being heavy-handed about it. Asking the question - at what price 'artistry', and at what rate 'realness'? That said, I think the issue of black v. white in the 'other' characters is immaterial, as they were really more meant to be taken as representative than as literal characterizations. Odd how that was one of the initial talking points though, that speaks I think inherently more to how Americas view race - first and foremost, always - over substance and how breaking something down on "is it black or white" is much easier than actually analyzing character traits. For my loot, 'In the Heights' is actually a much better show, albeit completely different, and captures the great coming-of-age essence of hip-hop's early adulthood - co-mingling that with the socio-economic struggles that NYC's outer neighborhoods are having to cope with due to a new wave of instant gentrification. Enjoyed both shows tremendously but I think 'In the Heights' is the JAWN. - efellyemmus Mon, 19 May 2008 13:01:41 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-93 I saw a few months ago on a whim and LOVED it. It was very different from what was out in that it felt really personal with Stew actually interacting with the audience. And the songs were right on. I wish I could get the soundtrack. - Thestateof Mon, 19 May 2008 12:47:04 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-84 Passing Strange is a great play. As a 20 something who hasn't done a lot of traveling I thought it was pretty obvious that the black actors were playing white characters in the European scenes. - C.Blue Sun, 18 May 2008 21:59:26 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-75 nice article. i hope the show tours. - steveo Sat, 17 May 2008 12:00:10 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-74 i love this show. the writing is brilliant. the acting is good. it's funny and smart at the same time, and some of the music really hits! - Jayboogs Sat, 17 May 2008 09:37:08 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-69 i saw it this passed tuesday. Myself, a 30 year old of course noticed that in the international scenes the black characters were playing what was realistically white ones. but this made me applaude stew all the more in writing and the actors in acting. so many white people play black characters (I.e angelina jolie potrayal of Marianne Pearl in the movie "A Mighty Heart") and get away with it and people look pass it and look at the art of it, they should at least allow these black actors to do it as well. great play by the way, great message!!!!! - myishacherry Fri, 16 May 2008 22:25:04 +0100 http://www.okayplayer.com/stories/music/passing-strange-200805165718/#comment-59 i saw passing strange last friday - days before it was nominated for a tony. i enjoyed and would like to see it again. i thought it was clever to use the black actors to play white europeans. and they did a great job in their roles. "show me the geography of your pain" - tweety Fri, 16 May 2008 12:09:31 +0100