After a non-Covid related illness struck the company, playwright, composer, and lyricist Michael R. Jackson of A Strange Loop saved the day this past Saturday by stepping into the lead role of Usher to perform a particular concert version of the show.
Instead of having Saturday’s performances canceled, Jackson performed the role for both the matinee and evening performances. The move was announced on the Tony Award-winning musical’s official Instagram account, along with a video showing an emotional Jackson being met with a standing ovation and hugs from the cast. “Thank you to everyone for coming to this adjusted performance. We’re living in extraordinary times, and you all could have easily stormed the gates and walked out. So, I really appreciate you, and we appreciate you coming for this performance, and we’re thankful you stayed,” Jackson tearfully says in the video.
After a hugely successful Off-Broadway run in 2019 in which it swept most of the New York theater awards and after winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020, the musical made its debut on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater on April 26, 2022, picking up 11 Tony Nominations and winning two Tony Awards for “Best Musical” and “Best Book for a Musical.”
A Strange Loop was recently nominated for a Grammy for “Best Musical Theater Album.” With less than a week left, A Strange Loop is set to take its final bow on January 15, 2023. See the show before it’s too late. Follow the link below for more info about the show and to purchase tickets:
The production recently dedicated special performances full of celebration and representation with “Big, Black and Queer Night,” hosted by Bob The Drag Queen, and “Black Theater Night,” hosted by Trever Noah. You can follow our coverage of both events in the links below: