MICHAEL R. JACKSON’S PULITZER PRIZE AND TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL, A STRANGE LOOP, WILL MAKE ITS CANADIAN PREMIERE APRIL 2025

The Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre and Crow’s Theatre unite to co-present the internationally renowned big, Black, queer-ass American Broadway show, to be directed by The Musical Stage Company’s Artistic Director Ray Hogg.

This blisteringly funny masterwork exposes the heart and soul of Usher, a young fat, Black, and gay artist grappling with the desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes. A STRANGE LOOP will be on stage at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts from April 22 - June 1, 2025.

“In 105 years, only 10 musicals have ever won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and it is clear why Michael R. Jackson’s work is among the esteemed few. His staggering intellect and capacity to write paradoxical emotional truths have resulted in a musical that is galvanizing, polarizing, inspiring, and provocative. Uniting with Soulpepper & Crow’s Theatre on this journey to bring A STRANGE LOOP to Toronto audiences is going to be an exceptionally special experience. I hope audiences leave the theatre after seeing this musical fired up to courageously inhabit their own selves more fully AND to have more empathy towards people in their own circles who are oppressed, suppressed, and relegated to the proverbial ‘out-group’.” Ray Hogg, Artistic Director of The Musical Stage Company and Director of the Canadian Premiere of A STRANGE LOOP.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Meet Usher. He’s dreaming of one day having a full-time career as a successful playwright, but currently he’s working front-of-house at Broadway’s The Lion King while grappling with his own artistic aspirations and personal identity. As he navigates the challenges of societal expectations, internalized racism, body image issues, self-doubt, and the complexities of his own desires, Usher confronts the "strange loop" of his existence all the while trying to write the very musical the audience is watching.

Joined by a hilarious chorus who personify Usher’s larger-than-life 'Thoughts', such as ‘Daily Self-Loathing’, ‘Sexual Ambivalence’, and caricatured depictions of his parents, A STRANGE LOOP is bursting with unforgettable melodies and metatheatrical storytelling. This musical promises to leave audiences thoroughly entertained and equally spellbound by its poignant, subversive, and unflinching exploration of identity, sexuality, self-expression, and the power of art to transcend barriers.

Winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards including Best New Musical, two Drama Desk Awards, two Obie Awards, and nominated for seven Lucille Lortel Awards.

Visit musicalstagecompany.com.

Photo: Taj Crozier. © 2024 Dahlia Katz.