Black, gay, plus-size musical ‘A Strange Loop’ leads Tony nominations
It’s no surprise… It’s A Strange Loop!
If you haven’t heard the news, the play that’s leading the Tony nominations with a total of 11 nominations is gay, Black playwright Michael R. Jackson’s A Strange Loop!
If you’re not sure why this is such a huge deal, well here’s why: Since its 2019 Off-Broadway debut at Playwrights Horizons, A Strange Loop has been getting numerous accolades. Mostly because it’s the first time a plus-sized, gay Black male character has been the central figure in a musical.
The musical itself is a bit of a meta journey about a young Black man writing a play about a young Black man writing a play, which is a very unique concept that we’ve never quite seen before. A Strange Loop explores a young, gay, Black man’s journey with self-loathing, self-love, self-doubts, acceptance, body image, family issues, spirituality, sexuality, and career stress.
After winning the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, A Strange Loop opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on April 26, 2022. It’s now leading the Tony nominations with 11 nominations, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for lead actor Jaquel Spivey.
Another reason why A Strange Loop leading the nominations is such a big deal is because one of the featured actresses, L Morgan Lee, made theatre history, becoming the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a Tony Award for her performance.
Tied with 10 nominations right behind A Strange Loop is MJ, a bio musical of the King of Pop stuffed with his biggest hits, and Paradise Square, a musical about Irish immigrants and Black Americans jostling to survive in New York City around the time of the Civil War.
The four-hour Tony Award ceremony will take place Sunday, June 12, and will once again be split between Paramount+ and CBS. Coverage will start on the streaming platform at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, followed by the rest of the ceremony airing live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
