A STRANGE LOOP On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 11

[binau]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 9:54am

I personally don’t think it should be relevant where they went to university, I just think ultimately ‘A Strange Loop’, which is a meaty, innovative Broadway musical in terms of both content and structure that is genuinely challenging and pushing boundaries should be crowned the ‘Best Musical’ over a smartly crafted but light historical pop re-interpretation. My understanding is that the Six creators are actually quite progressive (despite them being dismissed as privileged Cambridge grads) and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that might actually highly respect and appreciate A Strange Loop should they get to see it. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 9:56am

My ultimate point being a truly great new musical theatre "voice" is rare and something to celebrate regardless of background and training.   The writing of SIX is incredibly smart, clever, and tuneful. It's also the most commercially popular theatre music since HAMILTON. If that doesn't qualify Marlow and Moss as a "major new voice in the theatre," what does? That Marlow and Moss went to Cambridge is incidental. It's not like Cambridge is in the habit of pumping out Stephen Sondheims.  The MFA program at NYU is way more prestigious when it comes to musical theatre training.

 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 10:15am

Also while one show will ultimately get the Tony, why can’t we simply celebrate both? Seems to be a good returning season for new musicals, from afar. 

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 10:15am

Also while one show will ultimately get the Tony, why can’t we simply celebrate both? Seems to be a good returning season for new musicals, from afar. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 10:16am

Was in attendance last night, and truly still mulling it over. I didnt love it, but very much LIKED  and respected it. I enjoyed the book scenes more than the musical numbers...which I found a bit redundant.  I also found the staging to be pretty pedantic.

I think there were many things involved in this story that as a white, straight female I will never fully understand, not at their fullest. The audience last night was incredibly moved, I'm not sure I've ever experienced a faster rise to a standing ovation before. 

 

The language didn't bother me, at all....it seemed authentic to the characters and story....and perhaps I was prepared for it to be more gratuitous. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 11:30am

A pretty insulting comment. Michael J. Jackson also has an MFA in musical theatre writing from NYU, which is its own kind of privilege."

Michael R. Jackson attended NYU and wrote A Strange Loop. 

Updated On: 4/21/22 at 11:30 AM

[Alex M]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 1:54pm

Interested to know what song they'll perform at the Tonys as many of them aren't TV friendly. I could see them doing the Intermission Song since it will show off Jaquel as well as the other thoughts, who I'm sure some of which will be nominated as well. I could also see the performing a censored version of Today.

[dwwst12]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 2:05pm

"Inner White Girl" would be my guess -- it's upbeat and captures the spirit of the show pretty well. Don't think there's too much rough language, or nothing that can't be fixed for a night.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/20/22 at 6:12pm

I agree with the previous poster who said they “liked and respected” it but didn’t LOVE it. Half of my audience seemed enamored before it even began and the other half gave lukewarm claps. It sort of felt like half my audience was at opening night - creatives, friends and die-hards. The other half was your typical tourist or bridge and tunnel crowd. I thought the cast was great in general. The only one I wasn’t crazy about was the lone female. The songs were mostly catchy and while sometimes hard to wrap my more conservative head around, some of the lyrics/book were beautifully introspective and real. I’m glad I saw it, and I wish them luck.

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 9:00am

I guess I’m in the minority on this one, but I found this to be kind of a mess. (And I walked in with the hope that this was going to be my next obsesssion!) But I found the music grating and repetitive and the story wasn’t at all dramatically compelling to me. If the purpose of the show was to present Usher’s brain throughout a long therapy session, then it did a great job. But scene after scene kept happening and nothing brought me in.

I also found the audience at my performance to be a very mixed bag between people who were either lukewarm or visibly not enjoying it, and people who were obviously attached to the production or family/friends of the (extremely talented!) actors on stage. Random individuals standing and hollering at borderline inappropriate times during the show because someone hit a high note or something.

I personally didn’t have an issue with the elements of the show that definitely make it “rated R,” but I think they do present a massive obstacle in the show’s path to winning Best Musical. I truly believe Tony voters are going to have a hard time slapping the Best Musical label on a show that goes so deep into “rated R” territory. This isn’t a show for families with kids or even with teenagers, to be honest. I think Six will take the top prize for this reason (and also because it’s a truly excellent musical in its own right). 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 9:38am

This is no more Rated R than Spring Awakening, perhaps even less so. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 9:49am

What could make me more uncomfortable than Kate Howard’s pop tune about being sexually assaulted multiple times as a child? I need to find a way to see this this weekend. 

[binau]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:13am

n2nbaby said: "This is no more Rated R than Spring Awakening, perhaps even less so."

I'm surprised to hear this. First, I think any kind of gay sex is much more sexually explicit in popular culture than straight sex, and the way it is described and portrayed in a Strange Loop (e.g. some references in 'Today' but then especially 'Exile in Gayville' & 'Inwood Daddy' is very graphic and raw. Plus the use of the N word etc. 

I know Spring Awakening is 'edgy' but I personally don't see it to be as explicit for most audiences. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:24am

binau said: "n2nbaby said: "This is no more Rated R than Spring Awakening, perhaps even less so."

I'm surprised to hear this. First, I think any kind of gay sex is much more sexually explicit in popular culture than straight sex, and the way it is described and portrayed in a Strange Loop (e.g. some references in 'Today' but then especially 'Exile in Gayville' & 'Inwood Daddy' is very graphic and raw. Plus the use of the N word etc.

I know Spring Awakening is 'edgy' but I personally don't see it to be as explicit for most audiences."

Act 1 of Spring Awakening ends with teenagers having sex in a hayloft. 

[dwwst12]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:26am

binau said: "First, I think any kind of gay sex is much more sexually explicit in popular culture than straight sex, and the way it is described and portrayed in a Strange Loop (e.g. some references in 'Today' but then especially 'Exile in Gayville' & 'Inwood Daddy' is very graphic and raw. Plus the use of the N word etc.

I know Spring Awakening is 'edgy' but I personally don't see it to be as explicit for most audiences."

Agree 100%. I don't think it's even a close call -- at least in terms of Joe Q. Subscriber in a random city. Watching two white kids (albeit slightly underage) simulate sex, vs. a self-described "big black queer" raw sex scene involving both drugs and racially charged language? I mean, I truly hope this tours and that I'm underestimating out of town audiences, but we'll have to see.

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:29am

Just grabbed a ticket for Saturday. I really hope the sound issues are worked out. I’m not trying to be miserable for two hours. 

[Playbill_Trash]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 10:42am

So has there been any backlash for the show criticizing any part of the “Lion King on Broadway” experience? Whether it be for what this show is saying about what Disney has done to broadway, calling the tourists that see it a$$holes, or how Lion king fits in this political climate? Or do we think that backlash will come when it officially opens and all the reviews will be clutching their pearls at a criticism of broadway in general?

I guess this all depends on how old and white the critics are. I’m pretty sure the answer is still - very.

also in response to the comment about Jennifer Hudson being an EGOT just for putting money behind this if it wins, it wouldn’t be the first time. That’s how John legend got his Tony, just for partially producing a revival of Jitney, and Whoopi Goldberg for partially producing Millie. And any other EGOT who got their T for producing.

[stlrod]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 12:41pm

I was really hoping to hear great things about this but unfortunately, the more I read, the less desire I have to see it during my May trip.  I detest the too frequent use of the "N-word."  I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I'll never understand how it is acceptable to use the word after decades of trying to educate  people on how derogatory it is.  Is the "F-word" also used (not the one for fornication)?  The comparisons to Six probably aren't helpful to me either.  I found it to be a "nice" show but the screaming teens and their mothers was bothersome.  I do hope that both shows do well though as there should be something for all tastes on Broadway (and so that A Strange Loop it will stick around for my next trip.)  

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 12:52pm

So, I'm a WASP and have always been represented in every form of entertainment. Years ago, I got really bored seeing people exactly like me on stage show after show. I wanted to see something else. Someone else. I go to the theater mostly to be challenged and that was no longer happening. Broadway has always been such a white space, and the gatekeepers of it so scared of any kind of change. It seems to be improving, slowly, and Michael R. Jackson is an integral part of that.

In the Fall of 2017, I watched a show called White Girl In Danger at Joe's Pub written by Mr. Jackson. Afterwards I told him how much I enjoyed the show and he was incredibly kind and lovely. As I was leaving, another person came up to him and said "You wrote that" with a big smile on their face. Mr. Jackson replied "Why NOT me?" before hugging them. It filled me with joy and hope and I knew I would hear and see his name again. 

When I saw A Stange Loop in 2019, I was just blown away. It's a brilliant, important, unapologetic work of art. Larry Owens broke my heart over and over again. He left the show for screen opportunities and I wish him the very best.

"I believe there is a way to tell black stories for black audiences without excluding non-black audiences from being able to participate, engage, or empathize. It is foundational part of my mission statement to create work that is as challenging as it is accessible." - Michael R. Jackson

Last night I finally got to see this beautiful show again. Everyone up there just killed it and was truly on fire. I didn't notice any sound issues so that seems to be resolved. Jaquel Spivey approaches the role differently but still delivers a raw, heart breaking performance as Usher.  And this is his professional acting debut! The Thoughts are all so talented I could never say enough about them. The audience around me seemed to be truly enjoying it. I'm just so happy this is on Broadway and it deserves all the Tonys. All of them!

Lastly, for those people immediately rejecting it because of the use of the N word, I know it can be uncomfortable but that's okay. I understand people get really upset when certain words are spoken out loud. But, as Kad pointed out this show is written and performed by black people, and they know what they're doing. I hope you all can push past the discomfort and discover this important, wonderful, Pulitzer Prize winning (!) show. 

“It just hit me like a ton of bricks: I deserve to be an actor — I deserve to be a leading actor. I deserve to be here.” - Jaquel Spivey in the New York Times

 

 

Updated On: 4/21/22 at 12:52 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 12:55pm

Sutton Ross said: "So, I'm a WASP and have always been represented in every form of entertainment. Years ago, I got really bored seeing people exactly like me on stage show after show. I wanted to see something else. Someone else. I go to the theater mostly to be challenged and that was no longer happening. Broadway has always been such a white space, and the gatekeepers of it so scared of any kind of change. It seems to be improving, slowly, and Michael R. Jackson is an integral part of that.

In the Fall of 2017, I watched a show calledWhite Girl In Dangerat Joe's Pub written by Mr. Jackson. Afterwards I told him how much I enjoyed the show and he was incredibly kind and lovely. As I was leaving, another person came up to him and said "You wrote that" with a big smile on their face. Mr. Jackson replied "Why NOT me?" before hugging them. It filled me with joy and hope and I knew I would hear and see his name again.

When I saw A Stange Loop in 2019, I was just blown away. It's a brilliant, important, unapologetic work of art. Larry Owens broke my heart over and over again. He left the show for screen opportunities and I wish him the very best.

"I believe there is a way to tell black stories for black audiences without excluding non-black audiences from being able to participate, engage, or empathize. It is foundational part of my mission statement to create work that is as challenging as it is accessible." - Micheal R. Jackson

Last night I finally got to see this beautiful show again. Everyone up there just killed it and was truly on fire. I didn't notice any sound issues so that seems to be resolved. Jaquel Spivey approaches the role differently but still delivers a raw, heart breaking performance as Usher. And this is his professional acting debut! The Thoughts are all so talented I could never say enough about them. The audience around me seemed to be truly enjoying it. I'm just so happy this is on Broadway and it deserves all the Tonys. All of them!

Lastly, for those people immediately rejecting it because of the use of the N word, I know it can be uncomfortable but that's okay. I understand people get really upset when certain words are spoken out loud. But, as Kad pointed out this show is written and performed by black people, and they know what they're doing. I hope you all can push past the discomfort and discover this important, wonderful, Pulitzer Prize winning (!) show.

“It just hit me like a ton of bricks: I deserve to be an actor — I deserve to be a leading actor. I deserve to be here.” - Jaquel Spivey inthe New York Times

 

LOLLZZ..  BARF!!

 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 1:24pm

Playbill_Trash said: "

also in response to the comment about Jennifer Hudson being an EGOT just for putting money behind this if it wins, it wouldn’t be the first time. That’s how John legend got his Tony, just for partially producing a revival of Jitney, and Whoopi Goldberg for partially producing Millie. And any other EGOT who got their T for producing."


Whoopi and Hudson would be EGOT in the same way: Oscar for supporting, Daytime Emmy and Tony for Producing haha

Legend has Tony and Emmy for producing haha

I think its funny to win something that you are not know of, especially in the producing cases that its just money and no artisty involved.

When you people like Lopez winning for really creating arts, its really more genuine. I know its just awards, and its just my point of view.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 1:34pm

Sutton Ross said: "Queen Alice said: A pretty insulting comment. Michael J. Jackson also has an MFA in musical theatre writing from NYU, which is its own kind of privilege."

Micheal R. Jackson attended NYU and wrote A Strange Loop."

To be completely accurate, Michael (a-e-l) R. Jackson attended NYU and wrote A Strange Loop.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 1:36pm

Okay, so I know it won’t happen for many reasons, but after seeing the show, I really want Tyler Perry to introduce them at the Tonys.

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 2:00pm

Tyler Perry did send a note to Michael after it won the Pulitzer and Lin also got him into Hamilton as well. Everyone has been a good sport. Even Scott Rudin tried to get Michael to do a project. 

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 4/21/22 at 2:55pm

stlrod said: "I was really hoping to hear great things about this but unfortunately, the more I read, the less desire I have to see it during my May trip. I detest the too frequent use of the "N-word." I guess I'm old-fashioned, but I'll never understand how it is acceptable to use the word after decades of trying to educate people on how derogatory it is.  "

There's so much more to this show than just the word n****. 

 

Updated On: 4/21/22 at 02:55 PM