Playhouse on Park, West Hartford, CT
through December 20, 2015
by Eric Sutter and Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley
“Passing Strange,” directed by Sean Harris with book and
lyrics by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen,
is an aptly named musical which entwines music, theater, and dance in a
strangely engaging way. Vibrant and spirited dancing is top-notch thanks to
choreographer Darlene Zoller.
A masterful song and spoken word narration by Darryl Jovan
Williams (Narrator) effectively weaves together the convoluted story. It is a
tale of a young bohemian known only as the Youth (Eric R. Williams) from a
black middle-class American background who looks deep into his soul for “the
real” through sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. Raised by a conservative Christian
single mother, his journey takes him from 1976 LA to Amsterdam to Berlin.
In a very layered Act 1, the high-energy dance number “It’s
Alright” sets a lively tone with a rocker/cheerleader dance piece performed by
Williams, Garrett Turner (Mr. Franklin/Joop/Mr. Venus) and Ensemble Karissa
Harris, Skyler Volpe, and J’Royce that quickly roused the audience. A shift to
the gospel number “Baptist Fashion Show” with Mother (Famecia Ward) and the
Youth thickens the plot. As time
passes, the strong-minded Youth smokes his first joint at a wayward youth
prayer circle in “Arlington Hill.” He later is part of a short-lived punk rock
band, but the Youth and the other band members learn more from failure than
success. He makes the decision to leave home to develop his musical talents and
sets out for Amsterdam, where fun numbers including “We Just Had Sex” keep the
action hot. Later he heads to Berlin where he makes yet another life changing
decision and learns another hard lesson in “Paradise.”
In Act II the Youth reaches a crossroads in West Berlin.
With beauty in the midst of chaos, the audience is again roused with wild song
and dance. Deepening glimpses of “the real” surface cabaret-style with
“Identity” and “The Black One.” The Youth’s experiences begin to change him in
his passing from place to place. Christmas soon approaches bringing with it the
mounting issues with his mother; he eventually comes of age.
“Passing Strange” is heady stuff… and just as the Youth
does, one might ask is this “the real”? What is “the real”? And is there
something more?
