A Strange Loop
- Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
- Directed by Stephen Brackett
- Directed by Raja Feather Kelly
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Playwrights debut. Broadway: Be More Chill (Lyceum Theater). Off-Broadway: Be More Chill (Signature and Two River Theaters), The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Theaterworks USA/National Tour), Buyer & Cellar (Rattlestick and Barrow Street Theaters/National Tour/London’s Menier Chocolate Factory), The Mad Ones (Prospect Theater), Ultimate Beauty Bible (Page 73), Wringer (NYCCT), Carnival Kids (Lesser America), The Correspondent (Rattlestick), After (Partial Comfort), The Material World(Dixon Place), Be A Good Little Widow (Ars Nova), and The Tenant (Woodshed Collective). Regional: Significant Other (Geffen Playhouse), I Now Pronounce (Humana Festival), Le Switch (About Face), The Great Pretender (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley). Upcoming: Fall Springs at Barrington Stage.
(Updated May 2019)
Produced in association with Page 73
World premiere
USHER
These are my memories / Of one lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord.
Usher is a black, queer writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, queer writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical. Michael R. Jackson’s blistering, momentous new musical follows a young artist at war with a host of demons — not least of which, the punishing thoughts in his own head — in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.
2017 Jonathan Larson Award winner
2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award winner
Featuring
Antwayn Hopper
Thought 6
James Jackson, Jr.
Thought 2
L Morgan Lee
Thought 1
John-Michael Lyles
Thought 3
John-Andrew Morrison
Thought 4
Larry Owens
Usher
Jason Veasey
Thought 5
Elijah Caldwell
Understudy for Usher, Thought 2, Thought 3
Playwrights debut. Broadway: Hair. Off-Broadway: The Loophole (Public), A Civil War Christmas (NYTW), This Ain't No Disco (NYS&F), Showboat (Carnegie Hall). Select Regional: Nick’s Flamingo Grill (Alliance), Camino Real (Goodman), The Brothers Size (Old Globe), Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera House). Film: Girl Most Likely. TV: “The Knick,” “Blacklist,” “Royal Pains,” “Z: The Beginning Of Everything,” “Girl Most Likely,” “Shades of Blue,” “A Gifted Man.” Training: Carnegie Mellon.
(Updated 3/7/19)
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway/Solo: The Black-Ups (Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Green Room 42, DROM, The Duplex, A.R.T.’s Club Oberon, Lyric Theatre LA), Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Select Regional: Dreamgirls (Massasoit - DASH Award), Showboat (NSMT), Henri Gabler (Exigent), The Wild Party (SpeakEasy). National Tour: Whistle Down The Wind. Most recently, he’s been blocked on Twitter by Kirstie Alley. This one’s for Mom. TheJamesJacksonJr.com
(Updated 3/7/19)
Playwrights debut. L Morgan has been seen Off-Broadway, on tour, and in concerts in the US and abroad. Some of her favorite credits include Defiant, Majestic, and Beautiful; Cercle Hermaphroditos; Ludo’s Broken Bride; Francois and the Rebels; Jesus Christ Superstar; Dreamgirls; Weird Romance. Film: A Black Girl’s Manifesto, Waystation in the Stars. Concert: “Our Lady J: Gospel for the Godless” (London, Berlin, NYC). #translivesmatter and Instagram: @lmorganlee
(Updated May 2019)
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway: This Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic); Sweeney Todd, The Flick (Barrow Street); Brooklynite (Vineyard); Jasper in Deadland (Prospect). City Center Encores: Big River, 1776. Regional: The Art of Falling (Second City/Hubbard Street), Choir Boy (Guthrie). TV: “The Other Two,” “Chicago PD,” “Modern Love,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “The OA.” Film: Blind. Recordings: Jasper in Deadland, The Main in the Ceiling. BFA: Pace University. john-michaellyles.com and Instagram: @jmlyles1
(Updated May 2019)
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway: Classical Theater of Harlem, CSC, La Mama, Joe’s Pub, ARS Nova, MC of The Greenwich Village Follies for several years at MTS. Regional: Hartford Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, A.R.T, Speakeasy. International: Boy Steals Train (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fringe First Award, London Stage Award). Film: How to Make Movies at Home. TV: “West 40s.” BA: Brandeis University, MFA: UCSD. johnandrewmorrison.com
(Updated 3/7/19)
Playwrights debut. Hailing from East Baltimore, Larry intercepted with A Strange Loop at the Musical Theatre Factory under the artistic direction of Shakina Nayfack. He is grateful to Michael, Stephen, this cast, Page 73, and Playwrights Horizons for this work. Education: The School at Steppenwolf. Social media: @larryowenslive. Thank you Anna at WME and Olivia at 3Arts. Performance dedicated to Arnisha.
(Updated May 2019)
Playwrights debut. Broadway: The Lion King. National Tour: The Lion King. Off-Broadway: The Loophole (The Public), For the Last Time (Theater Row), Pork Kidneys to Soothe The Soul. Regional:Smart People (Denver Center), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Barrington Stage), I Now Pronounce (Humana Festival). Can’t believe this is finally happening! Thanks to DVSV, as always. And lastly to Michael and Stephen. #translivesmatter and Instagram/Twitter: @veaseyvill
(Updated May 2019)
Playwrights debut. Off-Broadway: Generations (Soho Rep), Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money (Atlantic), Farmed Podcast (Joe’s Pub), Madame Infamy (NYMF), Broadway’s Rising Stars (Town Hall). Bachelor Music: UNC Chapel Hill; Masters Music: NYU Steinhardt. To Michael and Stephen: from the bottom of my heart, thank you for having me back! For Mom, Dad, my family, MCS, PKP. Instagram: @MElijahCaldwell #ThisIsCaldwell thisiscaldwell.com
(Updated July 2019)
Creative Team
Arnulfo Maldonado
Scenic DesignMontana Levi Blanco
Costume DesignJen Schriever
Lighting DesignAlex Hawthorn
Sound DesignCookie Jordan
Hair, Wig, and Makeup DesignCharlie Rosen
OrchestrationsRona Siddiqui
Music DirectorMichael R. Jackson
Vocal ArrangementsTomoko Akaboshi
Music CoordinatorErin Gioia Albrecht
Production Stage ManagerJohn C. Moore
Assistant Stage ManagerArnulfo Maldonado is a New York City based set and costume designer. He is a recent Tony Award® Nominee for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for the Broadway production of Buena Vista Social Club (Schoenfeld Theatre, dir: Saheem Ali), as well as for A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson (Lyceum Theatre, dir: Stephen Brackett). In addition, Arnulfo received the 2020 Obie for Sustained Excellence in Set Design, as well as a Special Citation Obie as part of the Creative Team of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Strange Loop by Michael R. Jackson. Arnulfo is a recipient of a Princess Grace Fabergé Theater Award and a multiple Henry Hewes Design. Lortel Award, and Drama Desk nominee
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Playwrights Horizons: Bella, A Life, Men On Boats, Marjorie Prime, The Christians. Broadway: Bullets Over Broadway, Matilda, Bronx Bombers, Hands on a Hardbody. Other Off-Broadway: Charm, Punk Rock, The Village Bike, The Third Story (MCC); Sundown, Yellow Moon (Ars Nova/WP Theater); Red Speedo (NYTW); Abundance (TACT); Venice (The Public); Bronx Bombers (Primary Stages). Regional: multiple productions at The Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse, most recently the development of John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons. MFA: UC San Diego.
Broadway: Between Riverside and Crazy, The Skin of Our Teeth, A Strange Loop, Pass Over. Select Off-Broadway: Fefu and Her Friends, We're gonna die (2nd Stage), Tambo and Bones, A Strange Loop
A full-on laparoscopy of the heart, soul, and loins — A Strange Loop is a gutsy, jubilantly anguished musical with infectious melodies by the very deft Michael R. Jackson.
Exhilarating and wickedly funny. A triumph!
