A STRANGE LOOP On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 9

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/17/22 at 8:50pm

Pretty sure he's aware of that. Cute you did not say the same thing about reviews that aligned with yours. Lolz. 

JaglinSays said: "I couldn’t “connect” with the show cuz it was an undisciplined, sloppy mess without compelling characters. I was praying for an intermission to hightail it out of there, but no luck."

It's around 100 minutes with no intermission, correct?

Updated On: 4/17/22 at 08:50 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:45am

For anyone wondering, the full cast was there tonight and the show ran an hour and fifty minutes so we were out of the theater at almost exactly 10.

[Jimbo2]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 9:13am

It was sold out according to Telecharge when I checked around 7pm last night. I'm going back for trip #3 on 5/4.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 9:26am

I had wanted to go last night so i was looking at tickets for that performance on Friday night. The house was maybe 30% full so I wasn’t in a rush. Then on Saturday morning I went back to telecharge and there was only about 20 scattered seats available for the entire house so I’m guessing they pulled all the seats to comp them. Not saying that’s a bad thing at all but you could absolutely tell last nights show was mostly comped.  

[BWayBabe]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 10:21am

I really like Michael R Jackson's sense of humor and there are a few songs from this show that I remember that are funny. Especially Tyler Perry Writes Real Life and Inner White Girl

However, I will say it was Larry Owens performance that did it for me. And he is missed in this remount. Not to say Jaquel isn't good I just feel like Larry's comedic/improv chops and presence is missed. And whatever the reason was for his exit the show is missing HIM.

Also, I feel like I appreciated the show more when it wasn't in the commercial theater. All these celebrities piling on as producers because they know they gonna stuff the ballot at the Tonys to get their EGOTS for this show is... STRANGE to me. Its almost like the theater community is being forced fed what we are supposed to like. Instead of going into a show and experiencing it. But hey... thats commercial.  And if some people walk away from this show saying "This show isn't for me" then they absolutely should not be shamed for that.

I am however very excited for Michael R Jackson's future!

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 10:43am

Saw last night's performance, full cast was in. I had no idea what to expect, hadn't heard a single note of the score, but I was absolutely blown away. It was the one of the most compelling night's of theatre I can remember. Hilarious, confrontational, uncomfortable, essential, and real - among other ways, real in the sense that acceptance of self is not a straight line, it is two steps forward, three back, and so on. The cast (especially Jaquel Spivey, John-Andrew Morrison, and L. Morgan Lee) is flawless.

[Valentina3]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 11:53am

Is there a discount code anyone knows about? I'm looking to see this show at the end of April weekend.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 11:56am

Valentina3 said: "Is there a discount code anyone knows about? I'm looking to see this show at the end of April weekend."

LOOPBOX

[kurtal]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:29pm

Thursday, Friday, and both Saturday performances are currently available on TDF. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:36pm

Adding my voice to the chorus of praise for this marvel of a show. For my money it's the best Broadway score in a long time.

Jaquel Spivey is so different than Larry Owens. Larry played the role as an extrovert with a lot of thoughts in his head; he also read as older. Jaquel plays the role as an introvert whose thoughts sometimes get the best of him and spill out into the world; he is playing this as a young 26 (I don't think the actor is even that old yet) and he blends in with the Thoughts at times. So Larry probably works better for the part (especially in the second half of the show), and the critics might say as much. But Jaquel is still quite good.

As for the Tonys...I'd give it Best Score and Best Book. Maybe it wins Actor, or maybe Myles Frost wins Actor. I think SIX still walks away with Best Musical as a populist hit that won't alienate as many people...HOWEVER, at this time I don't see SIX winning any other awards (maybe Costumes?) so it would be kinda unusual to give it a lone win.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:48pm

fwiw, Monday night was HEAVILY comped with industry folk –– actors, ushers/box office staff from other theatres, etc. We'll see its grosses for the first time today, but saleswise this will need "money raves" and Tony love to survive past the summer.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:53pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "fwiw, Monday night was HEAVILY comped with industry folk –– actors, ushers/box office staff from other theatres, etc. We'll see its grosses for the first time today, but saleswise this will need "money raves" and Tony love to survive past the summer."

It will get both - and if there’s any justice in the world right now, sales will pick up dramatically closer to the Tonys. 

I can’t see this one lasting longer on Broadway than, say, Fun Home or The Band’s Visit, however. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 12:55pm

Six has the detriment of being a very slight show, even if it does that slightness better than most.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:06pm

As of right now, I can’t see this show winning the votes of the all important out of town voters who vote for what will make them money on tour. This is not a show I can imagine ever really touring and selling out the country in huge theaters, like “Six” will. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:14pm

The importance of the out of town voters has dwindled- and with shows like Fun Home, The Band’s Visit, and the Oklahoma revival winning top honors, there seems to be a trend away from commercial touring appeal to artistic merit.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:21pm

^100%

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:23pm

Kad said: "The importance of the out of town voters has dwindled- and with shows like Fun Home, The Band’s Visit, and the Oklahoma! revival winning top honors, there seems to be a trend away from commercial touring appeal to artistic merit."

I've mentioned earlier in this thread that it was revealed several years ago that the out-of-town producers only make up about 10% of the voting bloc. Therefore, the majority of voters have been picking the show they liked most for Best Musical in recent years.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:28pm

Wayman_Wong said: "''You mean John Legend? Then yes, he got the T in his EGOT by winning a Tony as a co-producer on the 2017 Broadway production ofJitney.''

That's how Whoopi Goldberg got the Tony for her EGOT, too. Not as a performer on the Great White Way, but as a producer of ''Thoroughly Modern Millie.''"

I'm actually okay with an EGOT being through a producing credit. I mean if folks like Cynthia and Ben can get 3/4 of the way to EGOT with one role - the Emmy being through a morning show promotional appearance - at least there's some versatility in John and Whoopi's. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:34pm

Jeffrey, I didn’t know it was down to that few. Thanks for that! 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:44pm

Jeffrey Karasarides said: "I've mentioned earlier in this thread that it was revealed several years ago that the out-of-town producers only make up about 10% of the voting bloc. Therefore, the majority of voters have been picking the show they liked most for Best Musical in recent years."

 

How would you go about proving that theory?  There are tons of reasons why someone votes for what they do -- friendships, professional relationships, personal interests, grudges, etc.  Everyone has their own agenda.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:46pm

Caught this recently (not comp’d), and found it brilliant, by far the best new musical of the season. The writing is sharp and the music is as fantastic live as it is on the recording. All 7 performers delivered solid performances and I love how seamlessly they played off each other. A few years ago it would’ve been unheard of for a show like this to be on Broadway, but I found the story profound and engaging. While I understand it may not be for everyone, I think this is contemporary musical theater at its strongest and I’m so happy more audiences can see it. I just hope they show up.

[Jakeevan942]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 1:48pm

Six does not need the road vote-they are launching 2 concurrent equity tours, full production contract, and major markets have been fighting over the title.

A Strange Loop needs the validation of a Tony, to go with the Pullitzer, if they want any shot at this piece, which I saw last Thursday, and aside from the sound mix, continues to get better in each iteration I've seen, selling on the road.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 2:03pm

10% can still swing things. Remember, the League still comprises about 50% of the voters, and those voters are majority male, older, and white –– the type of people who may feel that the feminism of SIX is "woke enough."

These are still the voters who didn't give a single award to SLAVE PLAY or WHAT THE CONSTITUTION. A STRANGE LOOP is far more alienating than FUN HOME or BAND'S VISIT or OKLAHOMA (which, remember, had no real competition in the Revival field).

SIX feels like the equivalent of KINKY BOOTS, LA CAGE, PHANTOM, MOULIN ROUGE, LION KING, BILLY ELLIOT, IN THE HEIGHTS: the more "popular," entertaining show that won BM over the more artistically significant or challenging show. SIX is inoffensive to all.

Let me be clear, I'd love to see STRANGE LOOP win Best Musical. I just don't think that's going to happen.

Updated On: 4/19/22 at 02:03 PM

[VotePeron]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 2:20pm

A Strange Loop winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and then losing the Tony Award to a pop concert written in a university class is just…chaos.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/19/22 at 2:24pm

Exactly. Six is a simple concert that's fun but as someone said "inoffensive" and not challenging in any capacity. What a boring show to win the Tony.

This show is near and dear to my heart. I am seeing it tomorrow but I think will deeply miss Larry, as he was the heart of the show for me years ago.