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Passing Strange

Apr 25 - Jun 18, 2023
A young black man wearing a black leather choker necklace and a jean jacket with a drawing of a skull on the sleeve. He sticks his tongue out with eyes closed and holds a guitar across his chest. The background is dark purple with crisscrossing neon pink

Music is the freight train to ride for this electrifying Tony Award-winning travelogue of identity, acceptance and love.

A young man discovers his musical calling and sets off for Europe, leaving behind his mother and comfortable suburban life. In his rebellion filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, he yearns for something in life that he thinks can only be found in art.

Bursting with energizing punk, blues, gospel, and jazz music, this rock concert spin on musical theatricality radiates with humor, passion and heart.

“Permeating everything is that thrilling score in which rock, punk, funk and gospel conduct a revival meeting that blows the roof off.”
Rolling Stone

Book & Lyrics by Stew
Music by Stew & Heidi Rodewald
Created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen
Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell
#SigPassingStrange
#SigPassingStrange

Performance Info

Seating Chart

  • Run Time

    Running time is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

  • Content Warnings

    This show is recommended for mature teens and adults, will use strobe lights, theatrical haze and simulated smoke/incense smell. Signature does not admit children under 6 years old.

  • Masks

    Masks are always optional in the lobby and other public areas of the building.

    Face masks are required inside the performance spaces on Thursdays and Sundays.
    Face masks are optional inside the performance spaces Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Content Warnings

This show contains adult themes/language, including scenes about sexual encounters and simulated drug use, and will include strobe lights, smoke/incense smell and theatrical haze.

Program

Flip through the Passing Strange Program

Click the arrows to turn the pages, and click the box in the bottom right corner to view in full screen.

Cast Members

Isaac "Deacon Izzy" Bell

Isaac "Deacon Izzy" Bell

Narrator

he/him SIGNATURE: Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, How Sweet It Is: Men of Soul, Passing Strange. OTHER: DuPont Brass, Deacon Izzy and The Congregation, Mark G. Meadows and The Movement, Chrysis Entertainment, Washington Talent Agency. AWARDS: The Wammies [Washington Area Music Award (7x recipient)]. EDUCATION: Howard University: Bachelor of Music. @deaconizzy dupontbrass.com

Imani Branch

Sherry/Renata/Desi

she/her SIGNATURE: RENT; DC AREA: Theater Alliance: The Blackest Battle (Dream), Blood at the Root (Helen Hayes Award for Best Ensemble in a play), Protest in 8; Round House Theatre: Sleep Deprivation Chamber (Nominated for a Drama League award for Outstanding Digital Theatre). TV/FILM: Words Finding Lyfe, Top 5, Stages. EDUCATION: Howard University: BFA in Musical Theatre. Imanibranch.com @imanibranch

Deimoni Brewington

Deimoni Brewington

Youth

he/him SIGNATURE: Passing Strange. DC AREA: Imagination Stage: A Year with Frog & Toad; Adventure Theatre MTC: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Keegan Theatre: Sweat; Faction of Fools: Missed Connections; Let’s Learn Lazzi; Arts On The Horizon: Squeakers and Mr. Gumdrop; Constellation Theatre Company: Once On This Island; Arena Stage: Toni Stone; Round House Theatre: Sleep Deprivation Chamber; Theater Alliance: Protest in 8; Blood at the Root. REGIONAL: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet; The Adventures of Pericles; City Lights Theater Company: 61 Unused Pages. EDUCATION: Howard University: BFA in Musical Theatre. @creatlas

Alex De Bard

Alex De Bard

Edwina/Mariana/Sudabey

she/her SIGNATURE: Private Jones, Passing Strange, Into the Woods, RENT, Gun & Powder. DC AREA: Monumental Theatre Company: tick, tick…BOOM! (Helen Hayes Nominated- Outstanding Supporting Performer), 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche; Olney Theatre Center: Kinky Boots, A.D. 16; NextStop Theatre: Little Women, First Date; Bay Star Theatricals: The Condition of Ellen Mitchell; Museum of the Bible: Amazing Grace; Adventure Theatre: The Velveteen Rabbit, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”, Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas, Blueberries for Sal. REGIONAL: Goodspeed: Private Jones (workshop). EDUCATION: The Catholic University of America, BM. IG: @alexdebardmusic

Jordan Essex

Swing

DC AREA: Round House Theatre: The Tempest; Constellation Theatre: Once On This Island; Folger Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Faction of Fools: Love Like Tuesday; Rorschach Theatre: The Toxic Avenger; Artscentric: Little Shop of Horrors; Maryland Ensemble Theater: Bob Marley’s: Three Little Birds. TOUR: National Players: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Raisin in the Sun. EDUCATION: Catholic University: BM in Musical Theatre; UPCOMING: PG Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest. Instagram: @jc.essex

Michael J. Mainwaring

Michael J. Mainwaring

Hugo/Christophe/Terry

SIGNATURE: <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em>, <em>Dreamgirls</em>, <em>U.G.L.Y.</em> (workshop). DC AREA: Mosaic Theater: <em>In His Hands</em> by Benjamin Benne (world premiere); Arena Stage: <em>Smokey Joe’s Café</em>; Olney Theatre Center: <em>Godspell</em>, <em>Sweeney Todd</em>, <em>In The Heights</em>; Kennedy Center: <em>The Mortification of Fovea Munson</em>, <em>In Performance</em>, <em>Lost in the Stars</em>; Ford’s Theatre: <em>Shenandoah</em>, <em>Freedom Song</em>, Ford’s Presidential Gala: <em>An American Celebration</em>, <em>Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration</em>; Creative Cauldron: <em>Thunder Knocking at the Door</em>; Adventure Theatre: <em>Three Little Birds</em> (world premiere). REGIONAL: Harbor Lights Theatre Company: <em>RENT</em>. EDUCATION: Voice; Kristin Halliday.

Kalen Robinson

Swing

she/her DC AREA: Imagination Stage: The Hula Hoopin’ Queen (Kameeka); Constellation Theatre: Once on This Island (Ti Moune); Folger Theatre: Our Verse In Time to Come (Sprite); Toby’s Dinner Theatre: Elf: The Musical (Deb), Grease (Jan), Rocky: the Musical (Angie); Round House Theatre: Spring Awakening (Thea). REGIONAL: Fulton Theatre: Cinderella (Stepsister), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Logainne S.). EDUCATION: BFA Howard University. IG: @k_nicole143

Tyrell Stanley

Tyrell Stanley

Swing

he/him SIGNATURE: The Color Purple. DC AREA: Olney Theatre Center: Kinky Boots (Swing); Keegan Theatre: Memphis (Ensemble, Bobby u/s); The Heritage Ensemble Theatre Company: Confessions of a Black Cowboy (Nat Love/Willie Kennard). REGIONAL: Baltimore Center Stage: Dreamgirls (C.C. White); ArtsCentric: The Wiz (Ensemble, Lion u/s, TinMan u/s), Aida (Ensemble), Snapshots (Ensemble), Memphis (Ensemble, Wailin’ Joe u/s); Cockpit in Court: Sister Act (TJ), Wedding Singer (Mookie), Gypsy (Yonkers); Phoenix Festival Theater: Legally Blonde (Grandmaster Chad). TV/FILM: HBO: We Own This City; Paramount+: Lioness. AWARDS: 2021 BroadwayWorld.com Baltimore Regional Award for Lighting Design of the Decade. EDUCATION: Virginia Union University. @stagerightt.

Kara-Tameika Watkins

Kara-Tameika Watkins

Mother

she/her SIGNATURE: Passing Strange, Daphne’s Dive, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jelly's Last Jam, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Sunset Boulevard, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. DC AREA: Arena Stage: Crowns, Smokey Joe’s Café; Ford's Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors, Children of Eden; Studio Theatre: Caroline, or Change; Olney Theatre: Miss You Like Hell, Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Musical, Peter Pan, Camelot; Round House Theatre: Caroline, or Change; Once on this Island; Creative Cauldron: Caroline, or Change. REGIONAL: Capital Reperto Repertory Theatre: The Honky Tonk Angels; Arts Center of North Carolina: Rock of Ages; PCLO: Hairspray; Northshore Music Theatre: Hairspray; Nevada: Hairspray, Smokey Joe’s Café. Proud Member AEA.

Tobias A. Young

Tobias A. Young

Mr. Franklin/Joop/Mr. Venus

he/him SIGNATURE: Disco Fever, Passing Strange, The Color Purple. OFF-BROADWAY: Fabulous! The Queen Of New Musical Comedies. DC AREA: Ford's Theatre: Ragtime (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble), The Wiz; Olney Theatre Center: Guys & Dolls (Nicely Nicely), In The Heights (Piragua Guy, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical); Adventure Theatre: James and The Giant Peach (Earthworm, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble); Toby's Dinner Theatre: Dreamgirls, The Wiz (The Lion), In The Heights (Piragua Guy, Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor) Les Miserables, The Color Purple (Preacher/African Chief), Memphis (Bobby), Sister Act (Tj), Ain't Misbehavin (Fats Waller). PMA Agency. IG: @SimplyTobiasYoung, TikTok: @SimplyFoodByTy, YouTube: @TobiasYoung.

Creative Team

Mark G. Meadows

Mark G. Meadows

Music Supervision by

he/him SIGNATURE: Director of Signature Cabarets; Music Direction: The Color Purple, RENT, After Midnight, Spunk, Ain’t Misbehavin’; Jelly’s Last Jam. Apollo Productions: ELLA, An American Miracle. Kennedy Center: Acoustic Rooster REGIONAL: Oregon Shakespeare Theatre: Once on this Island. Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Choir Boy, Wildfire. LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE: Associate Music Direction: The Outsiders.  ALBUMS: Be the Change, To the People, Somethin’ Good, A Child is Born. CONCERTS: Jazz at the Lincoln Center, DC Jazz Festival, Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center, Smalls Jazz, The Strathmore. INTERNATIONAL: Haiti, Russia, The Congo, Qatar, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, The Caribbean. APPEARED WITH: Cynthia Erivo, Usher, Bobby McFerrin, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Elling, Ledisi. AWARDS: 2020 DC Wammies Jazz Artist of the Year, Washington City Paper’s Artist & Composer of the Year. TEACHING: American University, Shenandoah University: Jazz Instructor; Duke Ellington School of the Arts: The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. MarkGMeadows.com @MarkGMeadows

John Keith Hall

Production Stage Manager

DC AREA: Studio Theatre: Choir Boy, Bad Jews, Water By The Spoonful, Tribes, Torch Song Trilogy, 4000 Miles, The Aliens, Invisible Man, Sucker Punch, Venus In Fur, The Walworth Farce, Superior Donuts, Legends!, American Buffalo, In The Red And Brown Water, Adding Machine: A Musical, Rock ‘n’ Roll, The Seafarer, Grey Gardens, The Road To Mecca, The History Boys, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. REGIONAL: Virginia Musical Theatre: Miss Saigon, White Christmas; Shadowland Theatre: The Good German, Lend Me A Tenor, The Drawer; Boy Barter Theatre: The Lion In Winter, Mother Courage and Her Children, Gigi, Gypsy, The Odd Couple, The Mousetrap, Steel Magnolias, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The Tempest, The Memory of Water, To Kill A Mockingbird, Talley’s Folly, The Importance Of Being Earnest, Macbeth, Godspell, She Loves Me, Wit, My Fair Lady, Falsettos, A Turn Of The Screw, Brigadoon.

Specialty Nights

Discussion Nights

May 9 & 31, 2023

Pride Night

June 9, 2023

Signature Theatre

4200 Campbell Ave Arlington, Virginia

Inside Signature with Raymond O. Caldwell

May 4, 2023, 1 – 2 PM

FREE, No Reservation Required Passing Strange director Raymond O. Caldwell makes his Signature Theatre debut but has directed all over the DMV and is the Producing Artistic Director at Theater Alliance. Now he discusses his globetrotting childhood, leading a theater company and his other upcoming projects

Passing Strange Bar Specials

Head to Ali’s Bar in the Mead Lobby on the 2nd floor before the show to enjoy a Passing Strange inspired menu: The Youth: Vodka and peach liqueur come together with orange and cranberry to make a light and refreshing drink. Soft Pretzel: Warm soft pretzel served with spicy German beer mustard.

Press Reviews

A sublime revival

The Washington Post

A must-see

BroadwayWorld

Exhilarating to experience

DC Theater Arts

Evocatively staged and deeply moving

Washington City Paper

A satisfying stew of rock concert and musical comedy

Metro Weekly

Urgent and funky

District Fray