Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But I felt the piece fell into the trap of wanting to physicalize far more than the material really supports. and that created a level of complexity that tended to separate the performers from the audience and from the musical intimacy of the material. The other issue, which should get better as the run continues, is that while there is a lot of terrific bonhomie, especially from DeBose, an enjoyable personality, the level of emotional engagement is not yet fully there."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Fifteen years after its Broadway debut, Passing Strange, Stew’s bildungsroman set to rock and pop songs (Heidi Rodewald cowrote the music) still has the power to captivate. Tim Rhoze’s production for Theo takes full advantage of the cozy Howard Street Theatre to make us feel like we’re riding alongside the Narrator (Jordan DeBose) on the journey from childhood to young adulthood."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...The title comes from Shakespeare, from Othello’s recollections of wooing Desdemona. (“Passing” here means “very very”.) Rock troubadour Stew landed on the phrase for the title of an autobiography because it pressed a couple buttons: that of being a Black man profoundly out of his element—in Stew’s case, meaning a burgeoning liberal in Reaganite southern California—and also that even a titan like Othello could also fret about picking up chicks."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Who decides what is Black enough? That is a Gordian knot that has no solution. Is Blackness in the eye of the beholder or is it an accumulation of cultural influences that solve the puzzle for some and not for others? Theo Ubique gifts us with a beautifully acted, sung, and directed Passing Strange that doesn't untie the Gordian knot on the question of Blackness as a quantifiable measure. Director Tim Rhoze deftly has the actors present degrees of Black authenticity in a seamless and wonderfully outrageous cabaret version of the Broadway hit."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...Passing Strange is a lot more difficult and powerful than, say, Godspell, which Theo also produced this season, but that's another reason to love this theatre: they are willing to take chances. You should too; even if you've never heard of this show, you should buy tickets and head up to Howard Street. You won't be disappointed."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Entering into the Theo Ubique space, it feels like we've entered a modern music lounge. The drum kit sits up over to the left. The piano off to the right. A teal stool sits center stage with an electric and acoustic guitar sitting next to it. There's the din of people chatting as they sip their pre-show drinks. Then the lights dim and The Narrator (Jordan DeBose) walks through the audience jovially welcoming us and sets the tone for the show. They tease that it's fine to answer back as they shout and ask us if we're ready to get the show going. We enthusiastically agree and begin the story of Passing Strange."
Evanston Roundtable - Highly Recommended
"...Passing Strange is a touching and sensitive rock musical that explodes with energy."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"..."Passing Strange" gives off hints of the avant-garde seen from a sarcastic and cynical perspective. Although the protagonist ostensibly learns nothing, the real metamorphosis occurs in the viewer's reflection of their own life when confronted by the ignorance of youth."
