The Public Theater Announces World Premiere of Passing Strange

The Public Theater has announced that it will present the world premiere of Passing Strange, a new collaboration of singer/songwriter and performance artist Stew and Heidi Rodewald, created in collaboration with and directed by Annie Dorsen. Karole Armitage will choreograph the piece, which begins previews at the off-Broadway space on May 1 and runs through June 3. This reflects a change in the show's previously announced January 16 start date.

Stew, a popular performer at Joe's Pub and twice-named by Entertainment Weekly as an album of the year pick, was commissioned by The Public and Berkeley Rep to develop this moving and hilarious story of a young black bohemian in search of self and home who charts a course for "the real" through sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Loaded with soulful lyrics, packed with political irony, and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from black, middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin, and beyond. It's a quirky journey from L.A. to authenticity, crossing boundaries of place, identity, and theatrical convention on the way.

Passing Strange will feature scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Annie Smart, lighting design by Kevin Adams and sound design by Jake Rodriguez.