A STRANGE LOOP On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread — Page 14

AMNY is mixed/negative (though positive on Spivey):

Review | Musical theater as self-therapy in ‘A Strange Loop’

https://www.amny.com/entertainment/theater/review-musical-theater-as-self-therapy-in-a-strange-loop/

"In spite of inventive touches, satirical humor, fluid production values, and songs full of both spark and sensitivity, “A Strange Loop” ultimately falls victim to the perils of its own design, becoming so messy, whiny, confrontational, sexually explicit, and theoretical that it will probably turn off many theatergoers while invigorating and thrilling plenty of others."

Updated On: 4/26/22 at 09:57 PM

The Wrap is positive:

‘A Strange Loop’ Broadway Review: Michael R. Jackson’s Hilarious and Breathtaking New Musical

Variety is positive:

‘A Strange Loop’ Review: Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer-Winning Broadway Musical Is an Unflinching Riot

https://variety.com/2022/legit/reviews/a-strange-loop-review-broadway-musical-1235241275/

"Subjectivity is conditional. We can only understand our own points of view in relation to the differences that separate us. If art often intends to complete the circle (“look at how these other people live!&rdquo, “A Strange Loop” unravels it down to the barest threads to ask who the hell we think we are. The new musical by Michael R. Jackson performs a phenomenal feat — it is both a raw and unflinching interrogation of identity and the most furiously entertaining show on Broadway."

NY Stage Review seems to be positive overall. They specifically praised Spivey:

"That’s partly because he’s intensely likeable, as embodied by Jaquel Spivey in his first professional gig out of college. Stepping into the acclaimed shoes of Larry Owens, who can be heard on the Off-Broadway cast album, Spivey takes command of the stage (and our hearts) and never lets go. He embodies all of Usher’s insecurities, while letting us glimpse the germ of self-actualization within."

and all of the thoughts:

What a marvelous ensemble director Stephen Brackett has marshalled, choreographed smoothly by Raja Feather Kelly in his Broadway bow. Each Thought/reality perception is a distinct type and master of accents, and they meld like an improv company that’s been working together for ages.

It feels unfair to single any out, and all get their moments to shine. But I was particularly taken by L Morgan Lee as the one sympathetic soul to come to Usher’s aid, funnily enough during intermission at Lion King. “Life your life and tell your story in exactly the same way: truthfully and without fear!,” she sings. “Despite those who wish you would disappear / Find joy inside your life while you’re still here.”

https://nystagereview.com/2022/04/26/a-strange-loop-the-is-have-it-in-a-remarkable-musical-achievement/

Updated On: 4/26/22 at 10:04 PM

Rave from Theatermania:

Review: A Strange Loop Champions the Individual in a Culture Obsessed With Group Identity

A new voice arrives on Broadway not a moment too soon.

https://www.theatermania.com/broadway/reviews/review-a-strange-loop-michael-r-jackson-broadway_93704.html

Mixed/Two-and-a-half stars from NY Post:

‘A Strange Loop’ review: Pain with a side of anguish on Broadway

https://nypost.com/2022/04/26/a-strange-loop-review-pain-with-a-side-of-anguish-on-broadway/

I’m not a fan of how The Chicago tribune put sexually explicit in the title as if every song is about dicks.

Updated On: 4/26/22 at 10:13 PM

Associated Press is a rave

Review: ‘A Strange Loop’ makes a remarkable Broadway debut

https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-reviews-arts-and-theater-plays-41ca03eba0c61af25b3e6f80daf7d811

Kad said: "Oleksinski’s review is remarkably juvenile."

Forgive me if I myself sound juvenile by saying this, but based on his recent reviews I’m starting to get the vibe that he doesn’t like shows around a minority point of view. Maybe I’m reaching..

Oh that’s a very, very good point. A Strange loop indeed..

NYT Critic's Pick from Maya Phillips:

Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning meta musical arrives on Broadway with its uproarious dialogue, complex psychology and eclectic score.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/theater/a-strange-loop-review-broadway.html

"The tricky task I face as a critic is figuring out how to write about a work whose brilliance has already been noted. The New York Times named the show a critic’s pick in 2019, and I wrote briefly about the show’s Broadway tryout in Washington, D.C., this fall. It’s already won the Pulitzer.

And yet, it seems as if there is no measure of praise that could be too much; after all, this is a show that allows a Black gay man to be vulnerable onstage without dismissing or fetishizing his trauma, desires and creative ambitions. Now that’s some radical theater."

Updated On: 4/26/22 at 10:31 PM

Critic's Pick from Maya Phillips:

"A Dazzling Ride on a Mental Merry-Go-Round

Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning meta musical arrives on Broadway with its uproarious dialogue, complex psychology and eclectic score."

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/theater/a-strange-loop-review-broadway.html