A STRANGE LOOP AT THE AHMANSON

I have a feeling that this review will be much longer than necessary, but I have a lot to explain. The quick version is that there is sooooo much talent on the Ahmanson stage, but I didn’t love the show, although I realize that I’m in the minority. Now read on to understand it all.

With no judgement of merit, I tell you that A Strange Loop is definitely not your parents’ Broadway musical! So please do some research to make sure you want to see it; not every Tony-winning show is for the masses, no matter how celebrated, hip, and happening it is.

But, as this e-zine states, “it’s not about me,” so I have to tell you that on opening night, just about the entire audience went nuts for it. There was even one guy who came in from New Jersey to see it…for the fifty-first time!

Although it turned-out to not be my cup of tea, I always appreciate the opportunity to see a whole range of theatrical experiences. Even though in the same category of award-winning Broadway musical, My Fair Lady it is not! It’s actually unlike any show I have ever seen, and different, which A Strange Loop definitely is, is a good thing in the theatre world.

I read somewhere that the playwright, Michael R. Jackson, wanted to make his audience uncomfortable. Well, as far as my friend and I go, mission accomplished! My young pal pointed-out just how uncomfortable we both were, (along with some others we spoke with,) during the more carnal aspects of the presentation, even though, in general, we’re interested to learn about what other people go through in life, even when it’s painful.

The official description is “a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer…a strange loop.” The character reveals that “a strange loop” refers to a scientific principle which I later found-out “arises when, by moving only upwards or downwards through the system, one finds oneself back where one started.” As soon as I heard about A Strange Loop at the Tonys two years ago, it instantly reminded me of one of my family possessions that haunted me when I was a tot—the dreaded Glamorene bottle, which is my own “strange loop!” [Note: On the label of the bottle of carpet cleaner is a picture of a woman standing next to a bottle of Glamorene. And that bottle has the same picture. So that means that it goes on in perpetuity! Trying to figure-out when it would all end drove me crazy as a kid, and it still does today. I need to know that things have a finite lifespan. But hopefully for the rest of you, that’s just me.]

In addition to the main dude, (named “Usher” because his job is—you guessed it—being an usher in a theatre,) the cast consists of five men and one woman who are the embodiment of the “Thoughts” in his head. (For you Disney fans, my friend astutely likened them to the quintet of “emotions” that accompany the little girl in Inside Out. Only in A Strange Loop, they’re very grown-up ones!)

And every single one of those actors at the Ahmanson is extremely talented, with J. Cameron Barnett being my favorite. That hexad give it more than their all at every moment. How do those actors have that much energy?!

As far as the actual music goes, (because, after all, A Strange Loop is a musical,) I’m no expert, so this next thought had eluded me, but a few audience members who make their living in that field pointed-out that there was not even one hummable tune. The gospel song Precious Little Dream/AIDS Is God’s Punishment is the best one of the production for me. (By the way, it’s a tad weird that the song list is not in the program. I wonder if that exclusion was on purpose or just a mistake.)

Most of the presentation is comedic, especially references to Tyler Perry’s works, which the assemblage guffawed at. But I hate that the “Thoughts” seem to keep encouraging Usher to commit suicide. I feel that’s very irresponsible for a script to tell anyone, especially a self-proclaimed “fat, black, gay guy.” I cringed every time they told him to “Kill yourself.”

So now, to explain my thoughts on the premise itself, my own life experience could not be further from that of the central character; I’m obviously not black or gay, although I have been more than a tad plump a few times, (as Usher says he is, calling himself “fat,” a word I’m loathe to use on anyone other than myself.) I also didn’t have religious parents, and am barely familiar with Tyler Perry and had not even heard of Liz Phair, (a singer they also mention a few times.) But I do have a thirst to learn of the experiences of others, so I’m not at all invalidating the narrative in this show. I don’t care how people live their lives, or what they do as consenting adults. As long as they’re good people, in general, (meaning not murderers or rapists or looters…you get the idea.) I’m just saying that I do not want to hear about the sexual experiences of others, even those of my pals, and definitely not on a stage in an entertainment, even in amusing songs. So I disliked those parts as much as I did the suicide talk.

My friend and I chatted with several audience members afterward, most of whom we know, and one guy, (who sees every show he can,) told us that he was happily surprised that A Strange Loop is more sophisticated than he expected. So that’s a plus.

I’m not going to betray what else they, (and others I’ve spoken with since the opening,) had to say, but it turns-out that I’m not the only who didn’t love the show—several people have told me they’re afraid to say it out loud because they don’t want to be “cancelled.” Just hearing what they had to say made me feel not so alone in my assessment.

But if you’re a theatre aficionado who likes to keep abreast of what’s happening on Broadway these days, you might like to see A Strange Loop, anyway, while you have this easy opportunity, even if the topic is not up your alley, either.

However, I do have to warn parents who are thinking of bringing their children to see this very-decorated and recommended Broadway show that abusive sex is depicted on stage, as well as many uses of the n-word, the v-word, and several c-words. I would advise that this is not appropriate for young people. (Nor, actually, for me!) [Note: After searching for some kind of age restriction for audience members, I finally found this small warning far down on the A Strange Loop page of the theatre’s website: Recommended for ages 16 and up. This production contains explicit language, references to racism, sexual assault, homophobia, HIV Stigmatization and scenes of an adult nature.]

Let me sum it up this way for you—I would venture a guess that high schools will not be clamoring for the rights to produce A Strange Loop themselves.

But, as always, I applaud the Ahmanson for their range of offerings. Earlier this year, they treated us to yet another incredible ballet by the brilliant Sir Matthew Bourne, and then just last month we got the classic ‘60s musical, Funny Girl, and now this one. This is perhaps their most eclectic season ever, and the shows are almost all musicals! The Tony Awards will be presented this coming Sunday, so I look forward to discovering new shows on it that we may get to see in L.A. in the coming years.

Now, here are a few extra thoughts on the proceedings:

The cast talks about (and shows) Popeye’s fried chicken a few times, so don’t go to the theatre hungry. As soon as I saw that famous orange box, I started salivating. I love those chicken sandwiches! (And their mac ’n cheese, too.)

Another reason not to be hungry is that A Strange Loop is almost two hours long, with no intermission!

And even though it’s almost summer, dress in layers. For one of the very few times ever, we were freezing in the theater!

Someone involved with this show told me that there are different activities planned for after some of the shows, (such as the dance party on the plaza on opening night,) so you might like to check those out.

Now I look forward to the Ahmanson’s next production—Clue—(not the musical version)—which, as a many time winner of the board game, is much more my speed.

A Strange Loop running through June 30, 2024
Ahmanson Theatre  135 N. Grand Avenue

213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org