The spectacular, one-of-a-kind musical Passing Strange was developed and premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and went on to be a Broadway hit, winning multiple awards including a Tony. Spike Lee captured the show on film, retaining its energy while also taking us behind the scenes. The semi-autobiographical story of a young black man's coming of age was conceived and composed by rock musician Stew, who narrates and directs the show. Hilton Als wrote of the musical, "Passing Strange is a brilliant work about migration—a geographical migration but also its hero’s migration beyond the tenets of 'blackness' and toward selfhood." For Roger Ebert, “This is not a traditional feature, but it's one of Spike Lee's best films."