The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Strange Loop debuted on Broadway starting April 14 (following a COVID-related delay) at the Lyceum Theatre, with opening night set for April 26. The musical, which had its world premiere Off-Broadway in 2019 at Playwrights Horizons, features a book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson, who makes his Broadway debut with the production.
Watch the emotional curtain call from the first preview—including a speech from director Stephen Brackett—above. Brackett gave a shout out to the production's understudies, bringing out two to the stage, Edwin Bates and Mars Rucker. "Thank God for understudies," Brackett said to the enthusiastic audience. The director also acknowledged the actors who have been with the production through its many incarnations and the many artists in both the cast and the creative team who are making their Broadway debuts. Creator Jackson also joined the cast and director on stage.
Check out photos from the evening below:
Company of A Strange Loop
A Strange Loop at The Lyceum Theater
Michael R. Jackson, Stephen Brackett, and John-Andrew Morrison
Michael R. Jackson and Company of A Strange Loop
Jon- Michael Reese, Jaquel Spivey, John-Michael Lyles, James Jackson, Jr., and Antwayn Hopper
Jaquel Spivey And Company of A strange Loop
L Morgan Lee and Company of A Strange Loop
Antwayn Hopper and Company of A Strange Loop
Jason Veasey and Company of A Strange Loop
Rona Siddiqui and Company of A Strange Loop
Raja Feather Kelly and Stephen Brackett
Jon-Michael Reese and Company of A Strange Loop
Ben Platt attends First Preview of A Strange Loop
Jon-Michael Reese, Edwin Bates, John-Michael Lyles and James Jackson, Jr. following the first preview of A Strange Loop
Mars Rucker, L Morgan Lee and Jason Veasey
Lin Manuel Miranda attends First Preview of A Strange Loop
Stephen Brackett and Company of A Strange Loop
Newcomer Jaquel Spivey leads the cast as Usher, a young, Black, gay theatre writer grappling with his toxic inner thoughts while trying to write a musical about a young, Black, gay theatre writer grappling with his toxic inner thought while trying to write a musical about... and on and on.
Spivey is joined by Antwayn Hopper, James Jackson, Jr., L Morgan Lee, John-Michael Lyles, John-Andrew Morrison, and Jason Veasey, all reprising their performances from the Off-Broadway production.
WATCH: A Strange Loop's 'Thoughts' on Bootlegs, Wordle, Calls From Mom, and More
Rounding out the company as understudies are Bates, Kyle Ramar Freeman, Jon-Michael Reese, and Rucker.
Brackett (Be More Chill) directs the production, with choreography by Raja Feather Kelly (Suffs), scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costumes by Montana Levi Blanco, lighting design by Jen Schreiver, sound design by Drew Levy, hair, wig, and makeup design by Cookie Jordan, music supervision by Rona Siddiqui, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, vocal arrangements by Jackson, and casting by The Telsey Office's Destiny Lilly. Tomoko Akaboshi is music coordinator, and Chelsea Pace is intimacy director.
A Broadway cast album is already announced with a release date to be determined.
The work played a pre-Broadway engagement at Washington, D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth Theatre last year starring the entire now-Broadway cast.
