Quote of the Day

“If I brought ‘Passing Strange’ to Broadway, I would have put Lenny Kravitz in it.”

-Stephen C. Byrd, African American businessman and first-time Broadway producer, responsible for the all-black, all-star Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, currently raking it in at the Broadhurst.

Playbill attests to its 98.8% capacity figures. Meanwhile, Passing Strange, the acclaimed new musical by African American musician Stew, is indeed barely breaking 50%.

So what if Stew wrote the thing and it's about him. Stars matter. That's one thing Byrd has learned very, very fast.