A STRANGE LOOP Wins the Tony for Best Musical
Michael R. Jackson and Jaquel Spivey embrace as A Strange Loop wins the Tony for Best Musical| Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
This is momentous. A Strange Loop has won the Tony Award for Best Musical. A Strange Loop beat out such incredible musicals as Girl from the North Country, MJ, Mr. Saturday Night, Paradise Square, and SIX: The Musical. The Pulitzer Prize winning musical with music, book, and lyrics all by Michael R. Jackson.
Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is a “big, Black, and queer-ass American Broadway show.” It celebrates the heart and soul of a young artist grappling with the desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher wrestles with the thoughts in his head, brought to life on stage by an ensemble of players, as he attempts to write a musical about a young artist grappling with life, and so on.
A Strange Loop was nominated for a total of eleven Tony Awards, including Michael R. Jackson for Best Book (which he won!) and Original Score, Jaquel Spivey for Best Leading Actor, John-Andrew Morrison for Best Featured Actor, L Morgan Lee for Best Featured Actress, Arnulfo Maldonado for Best Scenic Design, Jen Schreiver for Best Lighting Design, Drew Levy for Best Sound Design, Stephen Brackett for Best Direction, and Charlie Rosen for Best Orchestrations.
A Strange Loop is currently running at the Lyceum Theatre, and stars Jaquel Spivey, L Morgan Lee, James Jackson, Jr., John-Michael Lyles, John-Andrew Morrison, Jason Veasey, and Antwayn Hopper as Usher and his six Thoughts.
