Twenty Years Late to Los Angeles, Passing Strange Opens at the Pasadena Playhouse
Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s musical gets its Los Angeles premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse from November 4 to 29, with Ty Taylor as Narrator.
A young artist leaves South Central Los Angeles on a cross-continental search for something real, and the musical that tells his story has taken twenty years to come home. Passing Strange gets its Los Angeles premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse this November.
The Pasadena Playhouse lists a run from November 4 to 29, 2026, and Playbill reported that opening night is November 8. The show is based on the life of singer-songwriter Stew, who wrote the book and lyrics, with music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. It was created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen, who directed the original staging.
The Company
Ty Taylor, lead singer of Vintage Trouble, plays the Narrator, Britton Smith plays Youth and Saycon Sengbloh plays Mother. The ensemble includes Brittany Campbell, Johnny Laveie, Devere Rogers and Tanerélle. Zhailon Levingston directs. Playbill noted that Levingston won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical with his co-director Bill Rauch for The Jellicle Ball, their reimagining of Cats. Greg Nabours is music director and Tislarm Bouie is choreographer.
Playbill said the show premiered on Broadway in 2008 and earned seven Tony nominations, winning one for Stew’s book. The Playhouse’s page marks this production as the Los Angeles premiere, 20 years after the world premiere.
The Playhouse’s page also lists a content advisory for adult themes, adult language, sexual content, simulated drug use, theatrical haze and strobe lighting.
Practical Details
Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays and Sunday evening shows at 7 p.m. on November 22 and 29. Check the Playhouse calendar for each date. The Wine Wednesday performance on November 4 includes complimentary wine before the show. A Childcare Matinee is set for November 21 at 2 p.m., and an open captioned and audio described performance is set for November 22 at 2 p.m. Single tickets start at $40, and groups of 10 or more can save up to 35 percent. The Playhouse is at 39 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena, and its box office number is 626-356-7529.
Earlier this fall the Playhouse staged Jefferson Mays in The Visit.
