Subjectivity is conditional. We can only understand our own points of view in relation to the differences that separate us. If art often intends to complete the circle (“look at how these other peo…
, is a probing and free-wheeling explosion of the form. It’s political only in the sense that some people consider being fat, Black and queer as hostile to convention. And it’s brave only insofar as it’s unafraid to be honest about how that feels.
Usher’s thoughts are his constant nagging companions, a chorus of six who embody the forces that prod and shape him, including his mother and father and their relentlessly taxing demands. With choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, and dressed in blush-pink streetwear from costume designer Montana Levi Blanco, the ensemble of thoughts are deliciously expressive, reading Usher for filth with a smile. “How you doin’?” asks Usher’s Daily Self-Loathing in the voice of Wendy Williams.
Even truth can be subjective, but “A Strange Loop” doesn’t stoop or pander to solicit understanding and empathy. Undoubtedly there are details that may elude typical Broadway theatergoers, language and references specific to Black and/or queer culture presented here without explanatory commas. While “A Strange Loop” may feel “radical” to some , to others it will be a rare and revolutionary moment of recognition.
Jackson’s self-conscious caricatures of Blackness also ratchet up to fill the space, playfully daring audiences of any color to respond. A gesture from the stage to clap along to “AIDS Is God’s Punishment,” the musical’s gospel climax nestled within a Tyler Perry parody, felt like a trap. Already intentional and self-aware about its position as a commercial piece of Black art, on Broadway “A Strange Loop” packs an even more forceful elbow to the ribs.