Check Out This Fabulous Tribute to A Strange Loop Featuring Several Black Queer Powerhouses

A Strange Loop has had a chokehold on Broadway for a while now, and rightfully so. The story of a Black queer man writing a play about a Black queer man writing a play has given Black queer men a chance to be seen in a different capacity on Broadway.

And out of those men to have even more visibility was A Strange Loop creator, Michael R. Jackson. The playwright received a Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama in 2020 and 11 nominations at this year’s Tony Awards, of which he ended up winning for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical. 

But why stop the momentum? Jackson is currently working on bringing his next highly anticipated play to the stage called White Girl in Danger. While new work blossoms, previous work must come to an end. A Strange Loop exits left, as it closes on Broadway on January 15, 2023. Before it does, queer filmmaker Michael Korte had an idea to bring together some talented, Black queer creative forces to pay tribute to such an impactful play. 

To honor the legacy that A Strange Loop leaves behind in the theatre world, Korte gathered Bob The Drag Queen, Kornbread, Elyn, Anania Williams, and A Strange Loop performer Kyle Freeman to perform a medley of A Strange Loop songs.

“After seeing A Strange Loop on Broadway this summer, I left the theater changed,” said Korte. “I was determined to share this story, these songs, and its characters with the world.”

Korte is known for bringing a diverse array of voices to create viral mashups of Broadway classics that extend their presence throughout the far reaches of the internet. From mixing Hamilton with Beyoncé to Dreamgirls with Drake, Korte finds a way to uplift Broadway artistry in a way that most have never seen. But with millions of views on YouTube, many get to right through their phone screens. That same magic is recreated with this A Strange Loop tribute. 

“Knowing I had to assemble a cast to tribute the show’s stellar cast was terrifying,” Korte said. The remarkable artists in the show deliver magic daily and I knew there were only a select few performers that could do them justice. I have worked with Elyn before but had never met or spoken with the other four. After some innocent begging and pleading, our cast came together and I couldn’t be more honored or more proud. The Vocal Queer Avengers!”

With A Strange Loop, the talented crew of Black queer creatives combine their powers to make a beautiful tribute worthy of going viral.

“Joy and visibility always remain the utmost goals of my work. Usher’s story in A Strange Loop is not a story that culture often amplifies,” Korte said. “I hope viewers see themselves in this story or hear their story in these songs. Of course, we hope everyone cracks a smile or gets a melody stuck in their head. Ultimately, if we can get more humans to see the show before it closes, that would be a HUGE win!”

Check out the performance below: