Pat Condell - Insight from Britain

Pat Condell offers refreshing insight into the changes going on in Britain and Europe. He knows the negative consequences of political correctness and similar phony fads. Please give him a listen at his blog, http://patcondell.libsyn.com/ .

Passing Strange: Truth in a Rock Musical

Passing Strange is a show that gives the term, "rock musical" a good name. This autobiographical tour of the Seventies and Eighties takes the audience from South-Central Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Berlin, and home again. Composer, playwright, and narrator Mark Stewart ("Stew") rips away many stereotypes about music, drug culture, anarchist politics, and youth. The truth is universal - crossing age, race, and cultural lines. The music is compelling. A fusion of rock, gospel, folk, and Broadway, there's plenty for everyone. The satire is biting, but with enough truth to get past one's defenses.

After runs in Berkeley and off-Broadway, Passing Strange opened at the Belasco Theater in February. The set is simple, yet creative. The dialog is frank without being obscene - the language is relatively "family-friendly" - Stew is a craftsman with language who does not need to resort to obscenity to communicate. The ensemble cast is outstanding. The music sweeps the audience along, and is an essential part of the story. This show is a unique and personal multimedia experience.

Please click the link, learn more about Stew and his marvelous creation, and get tickets for the next time you're in New York! This show deserves much success and a long run. We will hear more from Stew.

See the show. You will remember it forever.

Here are a couple sites that relate to the new 'Passing Strange' musical:

Www.Passingstrangeonbroadway.com (the new show site)

www.stewsongs.com (site by the author/composer, including his band - needs updating)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stew_(musician) (bio of Mark Stewart - 'Stew')

There's a link on the Stewsongs site to Myspace (some firewalls may need you to set special access permission), where Stew has posted some of the music from the show: http://www.myspace.com/passingstrange

Enjoy!
I.