Chad Jones has been covering theater in the Bay Area since 1992. He was the theater critic for the Oakland Tribune, Tri-Valley Herald and the San Mateo County Times. His work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and Theatre Bay Area magazine and he is the author of Web site, Chad Jones' Theater Dogs.

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Spike Lee to film `Passing Strange' musical

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July 4, 10:56 AM

by Chad Jones, S.F. Theater Examiner

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."

For more info: Visit the official "Passing Strange" Web site at www.passingstrangeonbroadway.com

Topics: Passing Strange , Stew , Berkeley Repertory Theatre

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TheatreWorks tunes up Wilson's `Radio'

1 comment

October 7, 11:25 AM

August Wilson, according to Harry J. Elam Jr., is one of our greatest American playwrights. With two Pulitzers, the late Wilson was the most produced playwright of the 1990s and he looks to take that title again in the first decade of the 21st century.Elam... Read More
Topics: TheatreWorks , theater news

Puppets, lovers, songs meld in `Deranged by Love'

1 comment

October 6, 8:18 AM

Precarious Theater is becoming the go-to company for intriguing new small-scale musicals.After the success of “Chemical Imbalance,” a riff on the Jekyll/Hyde story, director Matthew Graham Smith and his ensemble return with “I’m... Read More
Topics: theater review

Perfect Saturday night: theater, Genecco's Little Big Band

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October 5, 1:15 PM

Here’s a recipe for a perfect Saturday night: go see a play, but make sure it gets out around 10, and then head to the Rrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko and see Terese Genecco and her Little Big Band’s “Last Call” show.I had the perfect... Read More
Topics: Cabaret , Rrazz Room

Ghosts, guilt, grace chill SF Playhouse's `Shining City'

1 comment

October 5, 11:19 AM

SF Playhouse opens its sixth season with a roaring good ghost story.Even better, “Shining City” is an intelligent ghost story from the mind and pen of Conor McPherson, one of Ireland’s best contemporary playwrights, and it is directed... Read More
Topics: SF Playhouse , theater review

Of musicals and morals: `Irma' walks streets, trills tunes

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October 3, 10:50 AM

As the only woman in a show full of men, Alison Ewing is a bright light in every way.She’s playing a hooker with a heart of gold (is there any other kind in musical theater?) in 42nd Street Moon’s production of “Irma La Douce,”... Read More
Topics: theater review , 42nd Street Moon

Ghosts, creepy twins, urban legends haunt Magic's `K of D'

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October 2, 11:09 AM

In the world of new plays, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to come up with that prince of a hit.That’s something folks at the Magic Theatre, one of the country’s foremost purveyors of new plays, have known for a long time, and it’s... Read More
Topics: Magic Theatre , theater review

Do it live! San Francisco's 10 best theater experiences

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October 1, 12:11 PM

The Bay Area is flush with great theater companies, and they’re not all in the seven square miles of San Francisco itself. But that doesn’t mean the City is bereft of good theater. Hardly. From big to small, obscure to mainstream, San Francisco... Read More
Topics: SHN/Best of Broadway , Crowded Fire , American Conservatory Theater , Magic Theatre , Word for Word

Spotlight news: Hip-hop `MacB,’ Benzali sells, `Devil’ descends

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October 1, 10:45 AM

Always a lot going on in the big, wide world of Bay Area theater, so let’s get right to it.SHAKESPEARE RAPS: The African-American Shakespeare Company is in the midst of “MacB: The MacBeth Project,” a hip-hop reimagining of Shakespeare’s... Read More
Topics: theater news

Stars add quality to ACT's `Life'

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September 29, 12:20 PM

American Conservatory Theater has announced full casting for its follow-up to the hit "Rock 'n' Roll."Jane Anderson's "The Quality of Life," which takes place in the post-fire Oakland Hills, had its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse... Read More
Topics: American Conservatory Theater , theater news