The original Broadway production of "Passing Strange" opened at the Belasco Theater in New York on Feb. 28, 2008, ran for 165 performances and was nominated for the 2008 Tony Awards for the Best Musical and Score and won for the Best Book. Colman Domingo, De'Adre Aziza, Chad Goodridge, Stew and Daniel Breaker recreated their roles in this filmed production. Daniel Breaker and De'Adre Aziza received Tony Award nomination for acting as did Stew who had four nominations and one win (Best Book).
Normally during the song "Amsterdam" Colman Domingo as Joop remarks that the European lifestyle "makes Berkeley look like the Bible Belt" but for this special performance he replaces Berkeley with Spike Lee who directed this film.