Having trouble staying awake today? This high-spirited trailer for Spike Lee's vibrant documentary/musical, Passing Strange, should help get you going.



We told you about Passing Strange back in May when PBS picked it up as part of its Great Performances series. Lee's doc is a filmed version of the theatrical stage production of the Tony nominated Broadway musical of the same name. It's about a young black man who travels to Europe in the 1970s to become an artist and live a bohemian lifestyle.

Lee filmed two Broadway performances of the musical and also shot footage without an audience for the doc. The show's music is by Mark Stewart, or Stew, an acclaimed rock singer/songwriter and leader of the band The Negro Problem. Judging by the trailer, this looks like a something fans of passionate musical performances, and of Lee's stylistic camerawork, won't want to miss.

Lee's an old pro at capturing great live performances on film; he found box office success with the comedy concert film The Original Kings of Comedy in 2000, and he filmed live segments for The Concert for New York City in 2001. Passing Strange won't air on PBS until 2010, but the film will be available on the Sundance Channel's video-on-demand service starting Aug. 26, and it's playing now at the IFC Center in New York.

[via Filmmaker]