Just saw this in London WOW! An amazingly creative, profound, brilliantly hilarious, and deeply disturbing while also existentially insightful production. The musical’s ability to relate a story of the inner workings of an individual who represents an out-group within an out-group while also maintaining an underlying relatability to audience members of all backgrounds achieves the near impossible. The production is filled to the brim with pop culture references and implied deep commentary. To audience members, Michael R Jackson's Strange Loop takes us into the depths of Usher, the protagonist’s amazingly complex consciousness, intelligence, profound self-awareness, inner conflict, and most difficult experiences. The musical's ingenuity in both title and plot is displayed by its effortless use of a metaphor within a metaphor - the concept of self-reflection being a “A Strange Loop”. The narrative of the production is beyond remarkable. The story is balanced and perfectly symmetrical both figuratively and is a testament to Jackson’s artistic brilliance and true artistic genius. The production throws us directly into Usher’s (whose name is yet another metaphor within a metaphor) psychological experience that is both unique to him as a black, American, queer, with a body type seen as 'unappealing' within the realities of society's true cruel nature and the bitter realities of his life versus society’s polite facades. Despite having much or little to directly relate to depending on an audience member’s background, A Strange Loop gives a full voice to an individual who is, by all senses of the word, underrepresented and outcast while also speaking to aspects of the universal human experience and connects us to aspects of "Usher” we could see in ourselves. For the unaware, it delivers, without ever beating the audience over the head, a deeper message of empathy and awareness; to the aware, a message of being seen, heard, and represented, and uniquely, to all audience members, a very human message of relatability and deeper human connection to Usher, and a feeling, somehow that we can all see aspects of Usher within ourselves. (Not a spoiler) Usher is intellectually lonely and at the very least wants to be understood and in the end, we all do indeed understand Usher. WOW! A must-see!!
I think her official title is "the goddess Liz Phair" Seth. I am STILL blasting her tunes as I ride my bicycle around the city. Great interview btw. I loved watching Mr. Jackson relax and share as the interview progressed.
I FINALLY SAW IT THIS MONTH AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!! Im def going to go see it again. Ima get better seats this time, balcony is cheap but the view is ass i was sitting on the edge of my seat
I got rush tickets 2 nights in a row! First night I got online rush for $56 (side orchestra) and the 2nd night I went directly to the box office and got a $47 mezzanine seat.
To be fair Tori helped me come out as an emo teen as well. Lol. I see her next week…. Show number 24. Congrats Michael and congrats on meeting your hero.
“I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways; And no message could have been any clearer, If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself, and then make a change!” ― Michael Jackson
I just saw this at the Barbican I loved the first act, it was so funny and poignant, act 2 however was so incredibly dark and hopeless :-( I sat in a majority white audience and had to sit through the n word being used by our ancestors over and over again in song and then watch a racist sex act….for me the songs were great the talent was amazing and yeah the first act was sheer brilliance. I feel the play is embedded in whiteness and is for white people in all honesty. There was no celebration of black love not even between Usher & his mother whose character was very inconsistent in short it works because this by white theatre standards is what Black life & experience is all about trauma, racism & self loathing.
I think we were at the same performance last night! I said to my friends it was awkward, somewhat voyeuristic being 'entertained' by someone's struggles relating to being black, in front of largely white middle class audience. Been humming the songs all day, amazing cast talent.
Yeah it was tremendously awkward and uncomfortable I’ve been discussing it all day with other artists & creatives and it’s all mixed for me it was the second & third act that was as you said was voyeuristic. The songs were great and the talent amazing that is undeniable. I would have loved to have seen Black love mattering though. Side note the director was white as well.
I am so proud of my big cousin...I love u and congratulations on all ur success...see you back home soon.
This play was so excruciatingly painful yet so hilarious at the same time.
Very painful!
I used to work with Michael. Congrats on the success!
Just saw this in London WOW! An amazingly creative, profound, brilliantly hilarious, and deeply disturbing while also existentially insightful production. The musical’s ability to relate a story of the inner workings of an individual who represents an out-group within an out-group while also maintaining an underlying relatability to audience members of all backgrounds achieves the near impossible. The production is filled to the brim with pop culture references and implied deep commentary. To audience members, Michael R Jackson's Strange Loop takes us into the depths of Usher, the protagonist’s amazingly complex consciousness, intelligence, profound self-awareness, inner conflict, and most difficult experiences.
The musical's ingenuity in both title and plot is displayed by its effortless use of a metaphor within a metaphor - the concept of self-reflection being a “A Strange Loop”. The narrative of the production is beyond remarkable. The story is balanced and perfectly symmetrical both figuratively and is a testament to Jackson’s artistic brilliance and true artistic genius.
The production throws us directly into Usher’s (whose name is yet another metaphor within a metaphor) psychological experience that is both unique to him as a black, American, queer, with a body type seen as 'unappealing' within the realities of society's true cruel nature and the bitter realities of his life versus society’s polite facades. Despite having much or little to directly relate to depending on an audience member’s background, A Strange Loop gives a full voice to an individual who is, by all senses of the word, underrepresented and outcast while also speaking to aspects of the universal human experience and connects us to aspects of "Usher” we could see in ourselves. For the unaware, it delivers, without ever beating the audience over the head, a deeper message of empathy and awareness; to the aware, a message of being seen, heard, and represented, and uniquely, to all audience members, a very human message of relatability and deeper human connection to Usher, and a feeling, somehow that we can all see aspects of Usher within ourselves. (Not a spoiler) Usher is intellectually lonely and at the very least wants to be understood and in the end, we all do indeed understand Usher. WOW! A must-see!!
all this Tori Amos discourse pleases me greatly 🥰
GAAAHHHHHHHHH!!
hi a strange loop
Gah gah gah gaaaaaah!
Genius! Pure Genius!!
I think her official title is "the goddess Liz Phair" Seth. I am STILL blasting her tunes as I ride my bicycle around the city. Great interview btw. I loved watching Mr. Jackson relax and share as the interview progressed.
Hero.
Love him so much!!
I FINALLY SAW IT THIS MONTH AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!! Im def going to go see it again. Ima get better seats this time, balcony is cheap but the view is ass i was sitting on the edge of my seat
I got rush tickets 2 nights in a row! First night I got online rush for $56 (side orchestra) and the 2nd night I went directly to the box office and got a $47 mezzanine seat.
To be fair Tori helped me come out as an emo teen as well. Lol. I see her next week…. Show number 24. Congrats Michael and congrats on meeting your hero.
I feel this is so close to my inner experiences. Down to Tori Amos and Liz Phair. He’s BRILLIANT!
Skyler Terry. Laughed my ass off!!! 🤣
Congrats to this Tony WINNING production! Very excited for your team
Michael is Very Talented.
His musical is Great.
Love his suit 😍
Loving the suit 😍
Time to load up a Liz Phair playlist, I guess.
This guy should’ve been introduced without the R in his name & Chicago Air Bulls theme playing in the background
… that’s Michael Jordan, no??
@@morganmorelli8473 it’s a reference to Space Jam A New Legacy
“I'm starting with the man in the mirror,
I'm asking him to change his ways;
And no message could have been any clearer,
If you wanna make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change!”
― Michael Jackson
But did he ever meet Skyar Terry?!? What an awkward conversation that would be...
I just saw this at the Barbican I loved the first act, it was so funny and poignant, act 2 however was so incredibly dark and hopeless :-( I sat in a majority white audience and had to sit through the n word being used by our ancestors over and over again in song and then watch a racist sex act….for me the songs were great the talent was amazing and yeah the first act was sheer brilliance. I feel the play is embedded in whiteness and is for white people in all honesty. There was no celebration of black love not even between Usher & his mother whose character was very inconsistent in short it works because this by white theatre standards is what Black life & experience is all about trauma, racism & self loathing.
I think we were at the same performance last night! I said to my friends it was awkward, somewhat voyeuristic being 'entertained' by someone's struggles relating to being black, in front of largely white middle class audience.
Been humming the songs all day, amazing cast talent.
Yeah it was tremendously awkward and uncomfortable I’ve been discussing it all day with other artists & creatives and it’s all mixed for me it was the second & third act that was as you said was voyeuristic. The songs were great and the talent amazing that is undeniable. I would have loved to have seen Black love mattering though. Side note the director was white as well.