Peterborough native Beau Dixon has the lead role in the Canadian premiere of the critically acclaimed comedy-drama rock musical Passing Strange, which opens today (January 24th) and runs until February 5th at The Opera House in Toronto.
Presented in celebration of Black History Month, Passing Strange is a coming-of-age story told through sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
In the late 1970s, a black teen is driven from Los Angeles to Amsterdam and Berlin in search of himself and a place to call home.
Passing Strange has been universally applauded for its originality and authenticity, and for its powerful score with influences from punk, rock, R&B, and soul.
The musical’s lyrics and book are by African-American musician Stew (Mark Stewart) with music and orchestrations by Stew and musician Heidi Rodewald.
Originally developed at the Sundance Institute Theatre Lab in 2004 and 2005, Passing Strange opened on Broadway in 2008, garnering strong reviews (The New York Times said it was “Fresh, exuberant, bracingly inventive, bitingly funny, and full of heart”) and several awards (including the 2008 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical and three Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical).
Along with Beau Dixon, the award-winning cast includes Juno-winner Divine Brown, Jahlen Barnes, Peter Fernandes, David Lopez, Sabryn Rock, and Vanessa Sears. An all-star four-piece band led by Music Director Bob Foster will be performing the music live on stage.
The Toronto production, which runs for 12 performances only at The Opera House in Toronto, is presented by Acting Up Stage Company and by the Obsidian Theatre Company, dedicated to showcasing the work of both emerging and established black artists.
It’s the first musical for acclaimed actor and director Philip Akin, who’s also the artistic director for Obsidian, which showcases the work of both emerging and established black artists.
The Toronto Star calls Passing Strange one of the top tickets for this week: “Watch this if you don’t have tickets to Hamilton yet”.
Mitchell Marcus, artistic and managing director of Acting Up Stage Company, explains why Passing Strange is such an important work, especially for Black History Month.
“Stew is the first (and only) Black writer to win a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical,” he writes. “In fact, the number of musicals in history that have been written by a Black author is less than ten. Writers open us up to experiences that our different than ours; a diversity of voices is essential.”
“Like Hamilton, Passing Strange reminds us that musical theatre is still relevant,” Marcus continues. “Music that doesn’t sound like ‘Broadway’ can still be used to tell a great story. Diverse writers give us stories and experiences that reflect the beautiful multi-cultural world that we live in. It’s an important show. And it’s wildly entertaining.”
Tickets range from $10-55 and are available now at passingstrangeto.com or by calling 1-888-324-6282.
Special offer! Courtesy of Acting Up Stage Company, we have a special offer for our readers: save 20% on tickets to any performance to Passing Strange by using the promo code “Peterborough” when ordering your tickets. In addition, if you sign up for our weekly VIP e-news before January 25, you’ll have a chance to win free tickets to the 8 p.m. performance on Saturday, January 29th — and a poster signed by Beau!
