Some stage plays and musicals are adapted into films. Others are simply filmed. That would seem to be the easier gigbut if youve suffered through one where the camera never moved, or never seemed to be in the right place, and the whole static bore made you wonder why anyone thought it was worthwhile to see it live in the first place you know theres nothing simple about it. The chance to see the original cast performing the piece as it was originally seen in the theater is hardly compensation if you pass out comatose after ten excruciating minutes.
Passing Strange, an exuberant reproduction of the avant-garde rock concert/book musical hybrid that shook up Broadway in 2008, earning seven Tony nominations and winning the Drama Desks Outstanding Musical award. As a New York-based writer on theater Ive been a Drama Desk member for about a decade, and was an awards nominator in the 2007-2008 season. That meant seeing, and evaluating, about a billion shows that opened, or a show practically every night, and up to five shows some weekends. In a blur of theater, Passing Strange stood out as unique, and Lees film is as good as being therein some ways even better.
