I had the incredible fortune of seeing A Strange Loop at the Lyceum this past Saturday night and it is no exaggeration when I say it is one of the greatest, most crucial shows to hit the stage in all of theatre history.
Earlier in the year, A Strange Loop won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical. I can't say I've seen a more deserving show take home the award. The dialogue and lyrics are the definition of perfection. They are unapologetically riveting, hilarious, gutting and forthright. Just take a look at this snippet from the opening number, 'Intermission Song' and you'll have a good idea of what I mean.
How many minutes 'til the end of intermission? Some say "write from exploration, " Some say "just write what you know!" Either way, you keep careening So it's hard to find a meaning In your- Big, black and queer-ass American Broadway show!
How many minutes 'til the end of intermission? If you can't please the Caucasians You will never get the dough! 'Cause critics clinically deny us Then deny implicit bias With their vanity supported By a system that's distorted
For those unfamiliar with the show prior to their viewing, some lines and lyrics will unfortunately be missed. They are delivered at such a rapid rate that it is difficult to absorb everything that is said, especially when lines, whether the same or different, are being delivered by multiple characters at the same time. For that reason, I highly recommed familiarizing yourself with the Original Broadway Cast Recording before seeing the show in person.
At Saturday night's performance, I had the pleasure of seeing not only L Morgan Lee, James Jackson Jr, John-Michael Lyles, John-Andrew Morrison and Jason Veasey, but also understudies Kyle Ramar Freeman and Jon-Michael Reese who were on for Usher and Thought 6. The entire cast gave their all in every area of performance. Their grasp on physicality was especially impressive. Freeman's Usher is absolute, authentic perfection and I hope that everyone reading this has the privelege of seeing him on stage at some point in his career.
My seat was in the balcony, in the second to last row in the entire theatre. Thankfully, the Lyceum is small enough that this did not detract from my enjoyment of the piece in any way (though it did prevent me from giving the completely deserving production a standing ovation because I could not stand up without holding onto the seats around me for fear of pitching forward down the steep incline). I could see every actor's face completely, as well as details of the set, which initially appeared to be a rather simple design and became ever more complex as the show went on.
Light is just as essential to telling this story as any other aspect of production. The show begins with a projection of the title in a font reminiscent of that of a typewriter, preparing us for the fact that we are about to experience a writer's journey. The stage is outlined in light, which recedes when Usher's self-doubt overwhelms him, as is the rectangular space occupied by each of the Thoughts. Throughout the show, the lights change color. At one point, from where I was sitting, a certain red light was nearly blinding and definitely distracting, but other than that (which very well could be a problem only experienced at that particular spot in the theater), the lighting was spectacular.
I have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing the two-act structure on Broadway, as the two shows I have seen on Broadway- Come From Away and A Strange Loop- are both 100-minute one-acts. Shows like these are the reason the one-act was created. Part of why A Strange Loop works is its raw reality, its unashamed, unflinching truth. Much like reality, the show does not give you time to breathe; rather, its pacing says 'yes, that did just happen, come on, onto the next thing'. There is no rest, only event after event, each of which gives us a closer look not only at our protagonist, Usher, or what it is like to "travel the world in a fat, black, queer body", but to question the very essence of identity, both in terms of ourselves personally and the concept as a whole.
In the span of 100 minutes, the show allows the audience to experience every emotion. You will feel great joy, devastating sorrow and every nuance in between. At times, the show will make you supremely uncomfortable. That discomfort is yet another reflection of reality. That is the point of art: to show us the truth. I cannot say with any certainty that any musical, any piece of art of any medium, has ever achieved that goal as successfully as A Strange Loop has.
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