Passing Strange is not your typical Spike Lee joint.  It’s not even a typical movie, but, wow, it’s a good one.  Spike Lee took fourteen cameras and shot three performances, including the finale, of a Broadway musical and seamlessly edited it all together to give the audience the best view of a Broadway show outside of front row center.  This is no musical adaptation; it is the actual musical, filmed up-close and personal, and it is electric.

Narrated by its author, lyricist, and co-composer Stew, Passing Strange tells the story of a young man (the Youth) as he spends his teens and early twenties trying to find his identity.  He starts in 1970s-era Los Angeles, a middle-class boy rebelling against his loving mom and traditional life.  His journey begins when he tries pot before his first church choir practice and listens to the pastor’s son extol the virtues of Europe and its freedoms.  He forms a garage band with a couple of the choir members, leaves for Amsterdam, then Germany, meeting other searchers along the way before finally returning home.

Passing Strange has tremendous depth and is as much a drama as it is a musical.  Many issues are explored: identity, what is “real,” family, love and intimacy, the meaning of artistic expression and of life itself.  They’re all handled deftly, with satire and gravitas in appropriate measure.  Toward the end of Passing Strange, Stew remarks “You know how one morning you wake up as an adult and realize your entire adult life is based on a decision you made as a teenager? “ and gives the audience a moment to ponder that, then adds “A stoned teenager,” and the audience erupts in laughter.  Passing Strange is like that: incredibly entertaining and thought-provoking at once without falling into the trap of pretension.

The small cast is excellent, with three members playing remarkably different roles with minimal costume changes.  Daniel Breaker is completely believable as the Youth, and the rebellion, angst, desperate need for acceptance, disillusionment, and regret wash over his face and through his voice.  Eisa Davis grounds the show as the doting mother, and De’Adra Aziza is electric in each of her three roles.  As the narrator, Stew takes us through the journey, guiding and opining with dry wit and meaningful glances.  His band is also on stage the entire performance, occasionally dropping in their own observations and interacting with the cast.

The terrific music makes Passing Strange almost as much of a concert as it is a musical.  Because the Youth tries to find his identity as a musician, we take a musical journey along with him, from punk to psychedelic to rock.  Every song is great—some, like “We Just Had Sex,” are hilarious, some are moving, and all have extraordinary passion and fit each scene perfectly.

While you can’t recreate the joy of seeing a show in a theater with a live audience, there are benefits to a filmed performance: the close-ups allow you to see facial expressions you might miss sitting twenty rows back and the camera is guided to where you should most focus on the busy stage.  I’ve seen recorded performances before, but none can match Passing Strange in intensity, fluidity, or love of the subject matter.

The video and sound are both excellent.  You can see the drops of sweat on the actors’ faces, you can hear every lyric clearly, and the music sounds amazing.  There are also a few short but interesting bonus features.   Spike Lee interviews Stew and co-composer/musician Heidi Rodewald, and while there is not a lot of ground covered, they are both interesting to listen to.  I especially enjoyed the admittedly very light featurettes where one of the cast learns how to use a Bolex camera, Heidi gives a tour of the backstage, and we see the cast sing and riff backstage before the final performance.  The theatrical trailer is also included.

Because Passing Strange only ran on Broadway for six months, nowhere near enough people were able to see the Tony and Drama Desk winning show and Spike Lee has given us another chance: one that should not be missed.  If you don’t want to buy or rent the DVD, you can watch Passing Strange on PBS Wednesday January 13 at 9pm (check your local listings) as part of its Great Performances series.  However you see it, if you are a fan of musicals, drama, great live music, or Spike Lee, you should definitely see it.