A Strange Loop at Playwrights Horizons- Page 2

[Pashacar]

Posted: 8/2/19 at 2:24pm

haterobics said: "Cast recording happening right now! A few Instagram stories from the cast confirm..."

Ahh thank god! This was the best new score this year!

[Kad]

Posted: 9/28/19 at 5:07pm

The cast recording came out yesterday and shot up to number 2 best selling cast album on iTunes. It's excellent.

[inception]

Posted: 9/29/19 at 5:24pm

Thanks for recommendation. Find the music sounds too generic Bway,even if lyrics & subject are not. Something like "Inwood Daddy" brings out my inner After8.

Updated On: 9/29/19 at 05:24 PM

[RunningThatRoad]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 10:33pm

Larry Owens tweeted today that there will be a "huge announcement" about Strange Loop tomorrow, but that he won't be continuing on because his "next TV and film projects conflict with upcoming production plans".

https://twitter.com/larryowenslive/status/1236678997385383936

It's still very hard for me to imagine that this will get a Broadway run. Perhaps a new extended off-Broadway run?

And without Owens in the mix, who could play that part? Alex Newell? Tituss Burgess?

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 3/8/20 at 11:14pm

Interesting that one of the replies to that tweet is a critic who mentions the show moving to the Barrymore...?

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:21am

Well Beetlejuice is doing that so that’s def not happening. Maybe a non-profit is picking it up?

[Pashacar]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:12am

Most of the latest buzz is that the BJ move is off...

This would be a really interesting move. Doubtful it’d be commercially
viable, but perhaps it’s the Slave Play producers, or a similar group, who are interested in bringing new voices to Broadway even at the expense of a small loss.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:14am

more so sounds like Larry Owens got replaced for a “name”

[52889j]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:15am

I can confirm that the cast has been in rehearsal for a couple weeks at Ripley Greer.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:32am

If it comes in for this season, which would be remarkable, the Best Musical race is over. How exciting.

[little_sally]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:35am

VotePeron said: "If it comes in for this season, which would be remarkable, the Best Musical race is over. How exciting."

Can it realistically open this season? 

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:41am

It would be tight but they could do it.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 10:43am

Isn't it possible for this to have a limited run and Beetlejuice opening after? I don't have any information but it seems within the realm of possibility. I suppose we won't need to speculate soon. Haha. But. I don't think the one rules out the other.  

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 11:28am

EXCITING!

OMG...if this transfers to Broadway (which I think the announcement will be about)...wow wow wow!

And if it happens this season, it might just win the Best Musical Tony...omg... COME THROUGH!

[Kad]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 11:38am

The next month or two would be a good time for an announcement, as it will certainly be up for Drama Desk, Lortel, etc awards, which will revive interest and publicity (particularly as the new musical roster on Broadway isn't exactly lighting the world on fire). 

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 11:39am

Kad said: "The next month or two would be a good time for an announcement, as it will certainly be up for Drama Desk, Lortel, etc awards, which will revive interest and publicity (particularly as the new musical roster on Broadway isn't exactly lighting the world on fire)."

!!!!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 11:53am

https://twitter.com/thismyshow/status/1237020573529788417

[Kad]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 11:56am

LizzieCurry said: "https://twitter.com/thismyshow/status/1237020573529788417"

And by "hearing this morning," this person means "I read on BWW and will repeat here."

[Pashacar]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:11pm

Kad said: "LizzieCurry said: "https://twitter.com/thismyshow/status/1237020573529788417"

And by "hearing this morning," this person means "I read on BWW and will repeat here.""

Looks like it'll be part of Woolly Mammoth's next season, with some revisions from Jackson. No casting news yet.

Updated On: 3/9/20 at 12:11 PM

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:26pm

Pashacar said: "Looks like it'll be part ofWoolly Mammoth's next season, with some revisions from Jackson. No casting news yet."

 

meh. ugh. Like, why not just transfer direct to Broadway?! it already proved itself — in NYC, off-Broadway. Why is a transfer seemingly so hard for this show...and others like it? You know what I mean...

Cause, if we're being honest, if 'Unknown Soilders' in some surprising way became a big hit (which it won't), a transfer would be undeniable.

Why is 'Sing Street' on Broadway this season and 'Strange Loop' is not...or will never be? Answers please.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:32pm

They're going the NEXT TO NORMAL route - which I think is a smart move.  It's already in great shape, but I imagine with some fine-tuning out of town, it'll get even better and then hopefully transfer to Broadway.  Patience, people.

[Pashacar]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:38pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "They're going the NEXT TO NORMAL route - which I think is a smart move. It's already in great shape, but I imagine with some fine-tuning out of town, it'll get even better and then hopefully transfer to Broadway. Patience, people."

Thanks for calling that out – hadn't considered N2N but it's a great example of a show that started already quite solid, but became absolutely unstoppably excellent through further tinkering. It is now a modern classic.

I did love A Strange Loop, but it was far from perfect in a few ways. I hope they can really make it bulletproof here.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:48pm

Strange Loop is a far more lacerating piece of theatre, particularly a piece of musical theatre, than most that are tracked for a Broadway stage. It has a lot of very tough things to say about race, about sexuality, about theatre itself, and has no qualms with depicting these critiques, coupled with frank and specific depictions of sexuality. There are sequences that are extremely uncomfortable to watch (the "Inwood Daddy" sequence, the climactic Tyler Perry sequence) and that, I am sure, make potential investors who are conservative with their purse strings wary about putting their money in. Demonstrating it has an audience will allay those fears. 

Updated On: 3/9/20 at 12:48 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 12:57pm

OffOnBwayHi said: "meh. ugh. Like, why not just transfer direct to Broadway?! it already proved itself — in NYC, off-Broadway. Why is a transfer seeminglyso hard for this show...and others like it? You know what I mean...

Cause, if we're being honest, if 'Unknown Soilders' in some surprising way became a big hit (which it won't), a transfer would be undeniable.

Why is 'Sing Street' on Broadway this season and 'Strange Loop' is not...or will never be? Answers please."

 

I think you're reading too much into these things. There are TONS of factors that go into a Broadway transfer. And there is really no point in trying to make any claims by comparing it to other shows. Sing Street is coming to Broadway right away because all of their stars aligned to do so. And Strange Loop isn't yet, which could be for any number of reasons.

Theatre availability is a big one: do we know that the Barrymore hasn't already been booked by something? And maybe they don't feel that's the right theatre for them anyway.

Also, just because A Strange Loop proved itself in a small Off-Broadway house for a limited run, doesn't mean it will have the same viability in a larger, commercial run. Maybe investors didn't have enough confidence to move it right away, so the want to do another run to make changes or build buzz. 

Plus, there are plenty of shows that did well Off-Broadway that still went on to have out-of-town, or additional Pre-Broadway runs before finally transferring. Great Comet, Hadestown, Six, and Girl From the North Country are all recent examples of this. 

And even if a transfer doesn't pan out, that's not the end of the world. Many wonderful shows don't go to Broadway. Fans of the show should be glad it had such a successful run Off-Broadway, received a cast album, and is now getting another life. And if it ends up going to Broadway, all the better! 

Let's all just take a deep breath! 

Updated On: 3/9/20 at 12:57 PM

[OffOnBwayHi]

Posted: 3/9/20 at 1:27pm

JBroadway said: "Plus, there are plenty of shows that did well Off-Broadway that still went on to have out-of-town, or additional Pre-Broadway runs before finally transferring. Great Comet, Hadestown, Six, and Girl From the North Country are all recent examples of this."

I don't agree with everything you and others have said (Don't have a house! Scared investors! Tough content! lol No. Anything is possible. It's bigger than what we see on the surface. Those things have historically been said as an easy way to veil biases — conscious or unconscious. This is a huge problem with the theater industry because the gate holders are not diverse. But I digress) but your specific example of other shows' journeys certainly rings true. I accept that.

Updated On: 3/9/20 at 01:27 PM