better LATE than never

Now that I'm done the Lab, I can get back to actually seeing theatre and not just talking about. And not a moment too soon. I got a chance to see Passing Strange at the Public last night at 11pm. Got in on a $20 rush ticket. The house was packed and the band was pumping. From the second Stew stepped on the stage, the whole audience knew it was going to be different event. The crowd was younger and more diverse than I'm guessing the typical subscription audience, and it was noticed. The performers (De'Adre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones and Stew) were, from what I could gather, in rare form and gave us the performance of a lifetime. I haven't had such unadulterated fun in the theatre in quite some time. I am not one who normally enjoys musical theatre but this was in a class of its own. It's a shame such an amazing production wasn't more affordable to the generations it was intended for. Old, rich, suburban white people just aren't gonna get it. Time to pull out another tired Shakespeare with Liev Schreiber (who was also in the audience) to appease the blue hairs. (My bet is on Richard III.) I don't know if they're going to have a cast album, but I sure feel luck to have seen it in person. As much as I would go out and buy the CD, nothing will compare to being there live.