You must see 'A Strange Loop' for your post-pandemic first Broadway show like I did

Simply. Blown. Away. Yes, I could have easily made it one sentence but just as things aren’t as they appear in A Strange Loop - the same is true here with the writing style found not just in Date Night or Nahhh… but across Attack The Culture. If you’re short on time, then rest assured - A Strange Loop is Date Night-approved and a must-see. If you have the time, let’s dig a little deeper following a mind-blowing performance I witnessed this week with the brilliant cast.

For starters, the folks behind A Strange Loop - notably on the PR side - deserve amazing applause and a standing ovation with ample smiles and kisses being blown. Thank-you for sliding into my Gmail DMs a.k.a. inbox with these fun tidbits on the must-see Broadway production of the year and allowing me to take a guest with me to witness what the theatrical crowds already raved about.

Once again - this is Date Night-approved and rather than going all-out on every aspect of what A Strange Loop is all about - because it should truly be experienced with little to no knowledge of what to expect - I have decided to take a different angle.

This was officially my first Broadway show since the pandemic. I thought it was crazy when friends told me they had not been to the cinemas or their local movie theaters since the pandemic. From the theaters in the major cities making their mighty comebacks in September 2020 with Tenet up through this week’s release of Don’t Worry Darling - I am a movie fanatic. So gearing up for last night’s performance I actually told myself - ‘Wow. It’s been pre-pandemic since I’ve had the luxury of seeing the most celebrated form of theater presented with beauty, eloquence and passion.’

There’s just something you get from seeing live action than the comfort of your home. Whether we’re talking about live sports or stand-up comedy, feeling the rawness and emotions happening in real time within feet of you? It’s unreal. So A Strange Loop had me geeking about what would be my mighty return to the theatre setting.

From the moment the production starts up, you’re sucked in. Forcefully, you’re going to try to make sense of what’s happening. The excitement. The different personalities. The movements. The sounds. The band you don’t realize is taking you to entire new heights until you’re sharing a champagne toast with them at the end of the performance and rubbing elbows with the amazing Michael R. Jackson - you’re sold.

The book, music and lyrics by the Tony Award-winning Michael R. Jackson all come together in such a passionate fashion where - as mentioned at the start - you’re going on a journey of all emotions you can imagine. Granted, laughter guides the entire production, you’re going to experience cringe and uncomfortable moments - very much intentional - and a lot - and I do mean a lot - of self-reflection.

I can honestly tell you throughout the performance - whether it was because of the well-presented subway stops, dating apps highs and lows or just those internal thoughts you have brewing which seem to personify themselves into actual beings - a.k.a. Thoughts - I had handfuls of self-reflecting on my own life.

Going back to my previous comments - being the first Broadway production I have seen in years? What a way to go out. What made it even better? How about the fact Jackson’s show even took significant digs at my my previously most recent shows I attended - The Lion King, Book of Mormon - heck, School of Rock - there was witty remarks throughout and the attention paid to the audience truly made me feel as if we really were a part of what was happening on stage.

I initially planned on making this review go along the lines of if you love ‘The Boondocks’ and the style of humor and self-reflection along with realizing what’s happening in modern times, then you’ll really be so glued to this release you’ll feel inspired to see it twice. But it’s bigger than comparisons and acknowledging the emphasis on pointing out what’s low-key tough to stomach about both Beyoncé and Tyler Perry in 2022 which you’ll find yourself in tears laughing over - but it’s really about giving Michael R. Jackson his own digital standing ovation and applause for creating something so raw, organic and refreshing in an unapologetic way on a Broadway stage - of all places - and really putting massive respect on his name.

A Strange Loop - as mentioned - gives you the initial guise of a humorous musical about a Black queer Detroit native’s grind to make a name for himself in the Big Apple but goes deeper into the reality a lot of us do not share. A reality a lot of us only have our Thoughts to tell and try to make sense of. A reality so rich and painful you literally can’t look away and must, like in real life, find a way to move forward on.

A reality you can only find in A Strange Loop.

Granted - the last line was a bit of me going into my cliché bag but wrapping it up - you owe it to yourself and a lucky person by the name of ‘bae’ to take a chance based on this massive co-sign to witness something you’ll never forget on a Broadway stage.

Verdict: Date Night approved