‘A Strange Loop’ actor, creator on long journey to Tony noms
By JOHN CARUCCI
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — When Jaquel Spivey found out he was nominated for a Tony Award as lead actor in “A Strange Loop,” he was shocked. Not just for the normal reasons, but for the statement it made. He says Broadway’s history “has not been here for people like me.” Making his Broadway debut, Spivey plays Usher, an overweight Black, gay man struggling to write a musical about an overweight Black, gay man struggling to write a musical and so on — like a strange loop. Playwright Michael R. Jackson Jackson believes the story is relatable to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or wants to know how that feels.