Spike Lee to film `Passing Strange' musical

July 4, 10:56 AMSF Theater ExaminerChad Jones

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The hit Broadway musical "Passing Strange,"
which had its world premiere in the Bay Area,
will be filmed by Spike Lee.

"Passing Strange," the rock musical that had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in October of 2006 has had quite an amazing ride.

The show, with a rich, pulsating score by the mono-named musician Stew, transferred from Berkeley to the Public Theatre in New York, and from there, the show made the big transfer to Broadway.

Last month, the show picked up a Tony Award for "best book of a musical" for Stew (it lost the best score and best musical wards to Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights."

Now news comes that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee is going to film the show.

EW.com reports that Lee will film the show three times over the course of a weekend this month: twice with an audience, once without. Reporter Nicole Sperling says: "`Passing Strange's' producers are financing the production, and while no distribution deal has been set, sources believe it will air on cable television upon completion."

Lee has been a fan of the show since its run at the Public. After seeing the musical several times there, he posted a letter on the "Passing Strange" MySpace page. Here's an excerpt: "I’m writing to urge you to go see it, as this fresh musical is an unstoppable force of energy, music and mayhem, just what Broadway needs. The creation of a visionary artist named Stew, a phenomenal singer-songwriter from South Central LA by way of Amsterdam and Berlin, it’s the story of a young black man on a journey of self-discovery. But the pure rock energy, Soul, profound humanity and brilliant cast are the elements that make `Passing Strange' unforgettable."

Here's a video taste of "Passing Strange" with a medley performed on ABC's "The View."