‘A Strange Loop,’ Maybe Not So Strange After All

BY RYAN M. LUEVANO

REVIEW: A STRANGE LOOP

The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning acclaimed musical A Strange Loop, is at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for a limited four-week engagement through Sunday, June 30, 2024. A Strange Loop features book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson and is directed by Tony Award nominee Stephen Brackett. Meet Usher: a Black, queer writer who is writing a musical about a Black, queer writer writing a musical about a Black, queer writer. Michael R. Jackson’s brilliantly funny masterpiece exposes the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. Direct from Broadway and the West End to San Francisco and Los Angeles, A Strange Loop is a genre-busting show that is bold, Black, queer and strange in the best ways possible.

A Strange Loop is an unexpected piece of theatre that breaks all the rules reinventing what we might consider a musical. The title A Strange Loop refers to a cyclic structure in which one moves through a hierarchical system in one direction and ends up at the same place. This concept, adapted to cognitive science by Douglas Hofstadter, describes the idea that we are self-perceiving, self-inventing, locked-in mirages that are little miracles of self-reference. Huh?

So, what is A Strange Loop the musical? The musical is a paradox of identity expressed through the genre of the musical, allowing us to arrive at the same place – the self. In simpler terms, the musical is an abstract journey through a character’s life as he writes a musical about himself, navigating through his experiences with queerness, blackness, family, body issues, and self-loathing. Ultimately, he arrives at the same place as before, but now with optimism and comfort in who he is and what his future may hold. That’s it! The musical’s description may feel like a complicated mouthful to discuss; however, it’s easy to swallow when experienced live on stage.

Regarding the specific “plot” the musical follows the main character, Usher, who is an usher at The Lion King musical and an aspiring musical theater writer. Usher wants to write a show that represents what it’s like to travel the world in a fat, Black, queer body. However, he is constantly bombarded by his own Thoughts, which criticize his work and tell him to change himself. Usher’s mother asks him to write a Tyler Perry-style gospel play, but he has a low opinion of Perry’s work. Despite this, his Thoughts convince him to take the job and he writes the play, acting out all the characters as caricatures.

Throughout the story, Usher struggles with his identity and self-acceptance. He faces rejection in the gay community and engages in a toxic relationship with a white man who fetishizes him. His parents disapprove of his homosexuality and his mother even leaves him a voicemail reminding him that it is a sin. Usher’s thoughts about his parents begin to change when he reflects on his childhood and realizes that he needs to change his perceptions of them in order to change himself. In the end, Usher comes to the realization that he doesn’t need to change because change is an illusion and he is just like everyone else in A Strange Loop.

With a cast of seven, the musical gives the impression of a one-man show, led by the triumphant tour de force performance of Malachi McCaskill. McCaskill not only delivers stellar musical performances of Jackson’s complex score but also maintains a hyper-present and focused energy throughout the entire production. The ensemble members perfectly match McCaskill’s lighting energy, seamlessly playing multiple characters that change costumes, genders, and vocal ranges in every scene, making it look effortless.

This is a clever and innovative musical from start to finish. The lyrics are original, creative, and humorous. The music, while not traditionally melodic, is rhythmic and groove-oriented, perfectly complementing the overall vibe of the musical. A Strange Loop feels deeply personal, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. It’s like experiencing someone’s diary set to music in a thrilling hour and 40-minute ride. The unconventional structure, plot, content, and sound may confuse fans of “traditional” musical theater, but if you open your ears and hearts, you’ll discover that this strange loop isn’t so strange after all.

Calendar Listing For A Strange Loop
Venue: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012
Dates: Now through Sunday, June 30, 2024
Schedule: Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m.;
Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m
Tickets: Prices — begin at $35
Website — CenterTheatreGroup.org
Phone — Audience Services at (213) 628-2772
In person — Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The
Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012
Groups —centertheatregroup.org/tickets/groups-and-corporate-offers
Access — Center Theatre Group offers a number of services to accommodate
persons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access.
For more information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Access.