A STRANGE LOOP On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread — Page 19

Gerrold44 said: "Might be a weird question but a friend runs a high school-age theatre program and they're trying to decide which show to bring their students to this year. They're all fine with more mature content (and the parents want them to see "real theatre" as opposed to Disney/film adaptations), but wondering if anyone can DM and let me know specifically how much physical sexual content and drug use is in the show? Want to make sure I have a full scope before deciding, just in case.

Thanks!"

Given the right student group, I think this could absolutely be fine for mature high school students. Here are the answers to the specific questions you actually asked:

- Minimal illicit drug use -- there is reference to (and usage of) poppers in one scene. That's all.
- One scene that simulates anal sex, but neither actor is visibly nude -- no exposed genitalia
- Very frank discussions of sex in general -- lots of references to anal sex and other forms of sex between men. There's a song about using apps to find sex (Grindr, etc) that includes reference to penis size, etc.
- Lots of adult language. As another poster mentioned, frequent uses of the N-word. Lots of other adult language

Almost all of this is discoverable in the cast recording that's already available on most streaming platforms. Check it out there -- the recording is a pretty solid representation of what's on stage.

If you would take young people to Carousel (spousal abuse), Porgy & Bess (drug use), Next to Normal (mental health/suicide), RENT (drug use/language/sexuality), Cabaret (sexuality/abortion), Jagged Little Pill (drug use/sexual assault), Fun Home (suicide/sexual assault), The Book of Mormon (language/sexuality/racism), Spring Awakening (abortion/nudity), The Color Purple (sexual assault/incest/spousal abuse), Avenue Q (language/sexuality), Hair (drug use/nudity/sexuality) then you can take them to A Strange Loop.

If you would take them to any of the above shows but wouldn't take them to A Strange Loop, then ask yourself what might be different about ASL? Is there something about ASL that makes you inherently less comfortable than the other shows mentioned? If so, that might be worth interrogating.

OhHiii said: "YvanEhtNioj said: "I feel like people are so stuck on the N word, one sex scene, and some dirty jokes that the entire message of the show is being lost."

It's clear which one of these aspects is what's really sending some of the long time members on this board into the stratosphere. There have been more vulgar sex scenes on Broadway (hell, Slave Play was even back on Broadway just 5 months ago). There have been MORE than a fair share of dirtier jokes.

It's the proud, unabashed reclaiming of a word that makes these people uncomfortable. They'd prefer it still carry the historical threat/danger in its subtext. Which is precisely WHY it's there and strengthens the material. It's purposeful and not gratuitous. The days of White people policing how Black people reclaim and use the word should be long gone, but here we are."

It's almost like some white people lash out when they feel discomfort. Or when a play doesn't cater to their specific whims and perspectives. And this show takes that head on.

It's okay, I am a white people. I can make claims about my people.

I'm also fat and queer and grew up in a religious family that I now am barely on speaking terms with. So this show spoke to me on so many levels. It's so vastly important.

Does it make you uncomfortable? Examine that. Be precise. What is it that makes you uncomfortable? Interrogate it.

Not every show is for you. Nor should it be. We've gotten too used to shows being catered to our gaze. So when you find one that's not, the choice is yours. You can dismiss it as vulgar, or woke, or whatever. Or you can interrogate what made you uncomfortable. And see what you can take away from it anyway. And also just accept that NOT EVERY SHOW IS FOR YOU. And that's okay.

lovett1979 said: "Did I say that the show shouldn't exist? No

Did I say that they shouldn't say the N-word? No

Did I say that teens shouldn't know or hear about sex or sexuality? No

Did I say that the sex scene was too graphic for a stage show? No

But what I did say is that this is an ADULT musical and requires a level of life experience and maturity to best experience it. While 25 may be a bit of an exaggeration on my part, thank you to the person who pointed out that that's the age required to rent a car. Ask yourself, why can't 18-year-olds rent a car, if they are considered "adults" at that age?"

You didnt have to explicitly say it, though.

Most of the posts here feel like when white people try to shield their families from anything that makes them uncomfortable in regards to race. White people avoid anything that goes against what is typically in media's depiction of blacks OR shows a true black POV that makes them feel uneasy.
Yeah, people are entitled to not like a show. However, people WENT IN on this show as if the creative team slept with their husband. As I said before..most of these anti-reviews are very extra. You're not required to like the show but the way some of y'all are choosing to express that is..sus.

Updated On: 5/2/22 at 05:21 PM

Trust, my response wasn't just directed at you.

So not appropriate for anyone under 25? Did you decide this because it is the age if the Character Usher? Do you think this all just cropped up in him at 25? I don't think, for the most part, it is the young adults you have to worry about. It is their parents. And why? Well, in my opinion the parents are the ones that can't deal with certain subject matters and would rather ignore it than educate themselves and be able to talk to their kids about it. Meanwhile, their kids are learning about a LOT elsewhere including from schoolmates and online. Time to take the blinders off. And no, not every young adult is in the know about a lot of issues but a lot of them are smart enough to realize they are sitting in a theater seeing a story unfold before them.



I used to help run a program that got youth into theater (Junior and High school). These kids saw everything from Shakespeare, to RENT to Spring Awakening (Remember the flap over that show?) We met with the kids at intermission to chat with them about what they were seeing. With Shakespeare we told them to take what they saw and bring it into the present and talk about how they would react to and handle what they saw. These conversations were amazing. It's time to give these young kids more credit than we do. JMO

Which generation do you think it's about? Michael R Jackson is 41.

If the teacher and school let the parents know, the parents can make the decision if they want their kids to go. Not all parents are able to travel on a school trip with a school. I saw "Faust" without a parent when I was 15 years old on a school trip. All of our parents signed the slip for us to go. And now, parents can just google the shows and find out instantly what they are about. That wasn't possible when I was in school.

I just don't get this seemingly trying to "protect" these kids from seeing something that is part of real life. But yet, I do. So many are afraid to talk to their young kids about it. Just let them go to "The Lion King" or "Aladdin" so all they have to ask is "Honey, how was the show"? With no risk of having to have a serious conversation about it. Shield them from reality but go buy them the "Mortal Kombat" game for Christmas and let them hang out on Tik Tok, twitter and Instagram. (And not all of social media is bad but, well we have seen some of the crazier stuff on here). You can bet that this show will resonate with any number of young adults, black, white, heavy or thin. It's not just about the sex or the language in the show. They go through and are exposed to more than we know and their parents know. Just my random thoughts.

lovett1979 said: "While 25 may be a bit of an exaggeration on my part, thank you to the person who pointed out that that's the age required to rent a car. Ask yourself, why can't 18-year-olds rent a car, if they are considered "adults" at that age?"

Because they are more likely to be in traffic accidents and are thus a greater financial liability to the car companies, who are running a business not performing an altruistic charity, which is why many companies they let drivers under 25 pay a higher rate if they rent a car.... that said, I'm not sure how this simile has anything to do with seeing A Strange Loop?

You can do porn at 18, drink at 21, but four short years later, you can go see a black queer musical?

lovett1979 said: "Ask yourself, why can't 18-year-olds rent a car, if they are considered "adults" at that age?"

If 18 is old enough to be issued a rifle and sent to kill people in another country on behalf of your government, then it's old enough enough to see ANY Broadway show.

ThisGuyLovesTheatre said: "This might be for high school students if their parents took them, but as a teacher, I would not want to take the chance and bring them to see Strange Loop. Some of them may be ready, and others not. There are other challenging works. Americano! sounds good.

All for all the people whining about how if you don't love this show, you have some type of problem with the world..... I have seen more in my lifetime when it comes to AIDS and being Gay than you or Michael Jackson may ever know. Have you ever seen several of your friends turn to skeletons and then die in front of you? I have. So please don't lecture me on how "new" this show is. It's not. It's about this generation, which is a bunch of self righteous, selfish, entitled brats. That's what Usher reminded me of. So I can see how this generation relates to the show. But I've been around long enough to remember when someone called me "Queer" as a kid, which they did everyday.... it was usually accompanied by a kick or a punch. When I hear the word I feel pain. Sorrow. Hurt. So you can give that word back to me as well. You don't know the meaning of it."

If you want to bitch about how the word “queer” is used today, you need to take it up with the generation that taught us how to use it that way: yours. Frankly, most millennials and younger only know it as a positive umbrella term. We didn’t make that up on our own: it’s what we observed and were taught. “Queer theory” as a name and concept has been around since the early 90s, pioneered by academics and scholars who are now/would be your age like Judith Butler and Gloria Anzaldúa. The term was showing up regularly in activist use in 80s.

But yeah, sure, we’re entitled.

Updated On: 5/3/22 at 08:55 AM