A STRANGE LOOP
Co-Produced by The Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre, Crow’s Theatre & TO Live
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Directed by Ray Hogg
The internationally renowned big, Black, queer-ass American Broadway show is getting its Canadian Premiere! Join us on an exhilarating ride through the mind of a Black gay man who’s writing a musical about a Black gay man…who’s also writing a musical about a Black gay man.
Meet Usher. He’s dreaming of one day having a full-time career as a successful playwright, but currently he’s working front-of-house at Broadway’s The Lion King while grappling with his own artistic aspirations and personal identity. As he navigates the challenges of societal expectations, internalized racism, body image issues, self-doubt, and the complexities of his own desires, Usher confronts the “strange loop” of his existence all the while trying to write the very musical the audience is watching.
Joined by a hilarious chorus who personify Usher’s larger-than-life ‘Thoughts’, such as ‘Daily Self-Loathing’, ‘Sexual Ambivalence’, and caricatured depictions of his parents, A STRANGE LOOP is bursting with unforgettable melodies and metatheatrical storytelling. This musical promises to leave audiences thoroughly entertained and equally spellbound by its poignant, subversive, and unflinching exploration of identity, sexuality, self-expression, and the power of art to transcend barriers.
Winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards including Best New Musical, five Drama Desk Awards, two Obie Awards, and nominated for seven Lucille Lortel Awards, A STRANGE LOOP is “a one-of-a-kind masterpiece” (Vogue Magazine).
A THE MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY, SOULPEPPER THEATRE, CROW'S THEATRE & TO LIVE PRODUCTION
OUR SUPPORTERS
A STRANGE LOOP is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
Credits
CANADIAN PREMIERE
A The Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre, Crow's Theatre & TO Live Co-Production
A STRANGE LOOP is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
Bookwriter, Composer, & Lyricist
Michael R. Jackson
Director
Ray Hogg
Choreographer
Rodney Diverlus
Music Director
Chris Tsujiuchi
Set Designer
Brian Dudkiewicz
Costume Designer
Ming Wong
Lighting Designer
Michelle Ramsay
Associate Lighting Designer
Za Hughes
Sound Designer
Brian Kenny
Intimacy Director
Lisa Karen Cox
Stage Manager
Sarah Miller
Assistant Stage Manager
Farnoosh Talebpour
Apprentice Stage Manager
Evan Reid
USHER
Malachi McCaskill
THOUGHT # 1
Sierra Holder
THOUGHT # 5
Nathanael Judah
SWING
David Lopez
THOUGHT # 6
Marcus Nance
THOUGHT # 3
Davis Okey-Azunnah
THOUGHT # 4
David Andrew Reid
THOUGHT # 2
Amaka Umeh
SWING / USHER UNDERSTUDY
Travae Williams