Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer Prize-winning, blisteringly funny masterwork exposes the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher wrestles with the thoughts in his head, brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-shooting ensemble. Bold and heartfelt in its truth-telling, A STRANGE LOOP is the big, Black, and queer-ass Great American Musical for all.
Fluidly directed by Stephen Brackett, with Raja Feather Kelly's clever choreography punctuating Jackson's delightfully brash score, A Strange Loop grabs hold of us the moment Usher concludes that funny introduction. If the show begins to lose a little steam - but just a little - towards the end, it's only because Jackson has already made his points so clearly, pointedly and winningly.
While I can’t deny many will find the brutal honesty of A Strange Loop provocative, its success lies in the delicate balance of specificity and universality. Usher’s journey loops more like a spirograph than the neat circumference of a circle. Like all our lives, it intersects at the most inopportune moments, kicking up fears and inadequacies we thought buried long ago. And that’s not so strange, after all.
2019 | Off-Broadway |
Playwrights Horizons World Premiere Off-Broadway |
2020 |
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Production |
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2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2023 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Jaquel Spivey |
2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | L Morgan Lee |
2022 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Awards | Jaquel Spivey |
2022 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | A Strange Loop |
2022 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Jaquel Spivey |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Michael R. Jackson |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Stephen Brackett |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Jen Schriever |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | A Strange Loop |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Charlie Rosen |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Michael R. Jackson |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Michael R. Jackson |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | John-Andrew Morrison |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Jaquel Spivey |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | L Morgan Lee |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Arnulfo Maldonado |
2022 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Drew Levy |
2021 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | Jaquel Spivey |
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