Licensing Company: Broadway Licensing
Passing Strange
From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes PASSING STRANGE, a daring musical that takes you on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew brings us the story of a young bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Loaded with soulful lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from black middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a journey towards personal and artistic authenticity.
Passing Strange
PROGRAMMED INSTRUMENTS
Keyboard 1/Guitar
Keyboard 2/Guitar
$300.00
From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes PASSING STRANGE, a daring musical that takes you on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew brings us the story of a young bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Loaded with soulful lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from black middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a journey towards personal and artistic authenticity.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
This licensed orchestration is based on the Original 2008 Broadway Production featuring Stew.
This version is orchestrated to be “conducted” by the person playing the Key 1/Guitar book. There are two Keyboard books in this show and both are intended to be doubled on keyboard and guitar. If you intend to do the show as it was originally done, both players will need to be proficient at both piano and guitar. This is a very small 4 piece band which includes bass and drums.
The Keyboard 1/Guitar book has all the vocal lines and is equal parts guitar and keyboards although it probably skews more towards keyboards. As far as the keyboard programming goes, those sounds consist primarily of acoustic piano, various EP’s, synth keys, and organ. There is quite a bit of going back and forth between the physical instruments of the keyboard and guitar. Theoretically you could have two different players play this book keeping in mind that while one is playing, the other one will be laying out.
Keyboard 2/Guitar definitely skews more towards guitar and will require a really good player. There are only about 10 keyboard patches in total that include an African drum, a couple of triggered SFX, strings in various articulations, cello, and glockenspiel.
This show is quite different and beautiful in a way that traditional musicals are thought of. It is important to familiarize yourself with this music and the playing style.
KEYBOARD PROGRAMMER
Synth Programming: Marc Doten
ORIGINAL MUSIC TEAM
Book & Lyrics by: Stew
Music by: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Created in collaboration with: Annie Dorsen
Music orchestrated by: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Musical Supervisors: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
ORIGINAL 2008 BROADWAY ORCHESTRA
Bass/Vocals: Heidi Rodewald
Keyboard/Guitar/Backing Vocals: Jon Spurney
Drums: Christian Cassan
Guitar/Keyboard/Backing Vocals: Christian Gibbs
Music Copyist: Emily Grishman Music Preparation/Katharine Edmonds/Emily Grishman
Musical Coordinator: Seymour ‘Red’ Press
SHOW DESCRIPTION
A heartfelt, one-of-a-kind musical event, Passing Strange takes audiences on a journey from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Berlin, and beyond. From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes PASSING STRANGE, a daring musical that takes you on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew makes a powerful debut as playwright and narrator, telling the story of a nameless Youth who is on a quest to find “the real.” On the way, this young, African-American, middle-class man discovers what a bohemian life really involves, “passing” through the worlds of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’roll — and all the ups and downs in between. With soulful lyrics and soaring, heart-pounding music, Passing Strange is a unique experience that breaks theatrical boundaries, crosses musical genres, and ultimately brings the audience home with a new understanding of personal and creative authenticity.
Fusing punk rock, R&B and soul, and performed at Toronto’s preeminent music venue the Opera House, Passing Strange is unlike any musical you’ve seen before. Winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and three Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, don’t miss the show that has been universally applauded for its originality, authenticity, and powerful score.