Last month I found myself with quite a bit of free time, roaming Downtown L.A. during extended breaks. I was stuck on a jury and the trial was being held up for many reasons. Anyhow, I finally got truly familiar with Broadway. Ross Cutlery, the Bradbury Building, Clifton's Cafeteria, Angels Flight, La Cita, and the Grand Central Market--  all places I had been to before, but now I was finally steeping in them. The Los Angeles, Orpheum, Million Dollar, State, UA and Palace Theaters. Even with all the razing going on downtown, Broadway is still a time warp.

First the bad news: Passing Strange, the critically acclaimed Broadway Show about a young musician’s journey through sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, will close on July 20th in New York at the Belasco Theater. But the good news is that director Spike Lee plans on making a film version of the musical.

Written by native Angeleno and local musician Stew --who has played in such bands as Gutbucket, The Lullabies and most notably The Negro Problem-- and longtime musical collaborator Heidi Rodewald, formerly of Wednesday Week and also TNP, Passing Strange was originally work-shopped at the Sundance Institute in Utah and the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley before becoming an off-Broadway sensation last year. Passing Strange opened in February on Broadway to rave reviews and received seven Tony Award nominations, winning the prize for Best Book for its co-creator and star, Stew.

Overall, the musical will have played 165 performances and 20 previews by the time it closes at the Belasco Theater. Live stage footage will be shot on July 19 at both the matinee and evening performances, so all you west-coasters still have time to buy a plane ticket and reserve a couple of seats.