A STRANGE LOOP coming to San Francisco in April 2024

[bear88]

Posted: 6/22/23 at 1:01am

If there's anyplace it made sense for A Strange Loop to come first after New York City and London, it was San Francisco, where the musical is a coup for the American Conservatory Theater - and a great chance for me to finally see it next spring.

It's not the final show of ACT's season, which is actually The Lehman Trilogy, postponed for a while due to COVID-19. Both shows are part of the theater's subscription package that suddenly looks pretty strong. There's no information on casting yet. The show will open April 18 and run through May 12.- just over three weeks. 

https://www.act-sf.org/whats-on/2023-24-season/a-strange-loop/

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/theater/a-strange-loop-broadway-act-sf-18164001

It would surprise me if this is the only stop for the musical. I would expect it to visit Los Angeles at least. But I guess it depends on whether the producers are going to try to put together a mini-tour that hits major cities or just have new performers in each town at smaller venues. The Toni Rembe Theater (formerly the Geary) seats a little over 1,000 people.

I have to say it feels like ATG dropped the ball on this one. I think there would be enough interest in A Strange Loop to fill a slot in its otherwise meh touring season and at least occupy the Curran with an actual show instead of leaving the place empty. But their loss is ACT's gain.

Updated On: 6/22/23 at 01:01 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 6/22/23 at 9:51am

Well...looks like I'm going to San Francisco for my birthday next year.

I wonder who they will cast. It's not a long run so it's possible they might import some of the Broadway folks for the quick run - unless this is a precursor to a semi-national tour requiring extended commitment.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/22/23 at 2:27pm

Hoping this is a mini tour and it comes to Chicago. At least at The Goodman or a short stint somewhere. 

[bear88]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 5:12am

Snagged tickets to the fourth preview of A Strange Loop. From the looks of it, ACT is not selling balcony seats, so the seating capacity at the Toni Rembe Theater (formerly the Geary) is about 800 for each performance. There are a few $25 seats available on the far sides, although I paid more ($75.50 each, including fees) for fifth-row side orchestra seats on a Saturday night. Prices go up after the show officially opens, except for the $25 seats.

While most of the center orchestra seats are gone for the first performances, there are plenty along the sides and a few in the center orchestra and the mezzanine. And there are still a fair number of center orchestra seats available later in the 28-performance run that ends May 12 before the mini-tour moves to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in June.

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 11:07am

Yes, The Ahmanson Theatre here in LA announced in July of last year that ASL was part of their 2024 season.  I have a subscription and decided to not buy tickets to see it again.  Once was enough.  Ha, ha.  Just didn't care for it at all.  

[bear88]

Posted: 4/21/24 at 3:36am

I saw the fourth preview at the Toni Rembe Theater in San Francisco on Saturday night and it was a unique experience. I had never seen the musical before so was going in pretty cold. Malachi McCaskill, a junior at the University of North Carolina Greensboro,  played Usher.

At first, I had trouble tracking the lyrics and wasn’t sure if the sound mix was off or if the show just wasn’t going to be for me. At times, it was a little hard to understand the actors, which detracted from the show during its first half.

But in its last 40 minutes or so, everything clicked. Whatever was off with the sound was fixed (there was tweaking even during the finale, though it was unnecessary by that point) and McCaskill - along with John-Andrew Morrison and the rest of the cast - finished the show with powerful acting, audacious staging, and moving vocals. Earlier parts of the musical seemed better in retrospect.

A Strange Loop isn’t a musical for everyone and it was a little hard to follow - until the pieces fit together and it ended with an emotional and satisfying wallop.

The San Francisco leg of the two-city tour opens Wednesday.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/21/24 at 8:48am

a shame this is only playing LA & San Francisco this summer. Was hoping they'd get a few more stops announced like Seattle, San Diego and/or Portland.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/22/24 at 6:03pm

Glad the West Coast will get to see John-Andrew's fantastic performance. His "Periodically" just got me every time. Especially the end duet with Usher. Just choked me up every time.

[bear88]

Posted: 4/29/24 at 4:00am

The reviews of the San Francisco production are favorable but are basically just review of the show, aside from some focus on Malachi McCaskill, the college junior who played Usher. Karen D'Souza in the Mercury News describes him as "sweetly endearing" while Lily Janiak in the San Francisco Chronicle is rather harsh, writing that he "doesn't have the chops to carry a work of this depth" while also criticizing his vocal performance.

I'm going to defend McCaskill here, as I thought he got better as the show went along. There were also, as I mentioned in my comments on the show, some sound issues at my performance (and at a subsequent one an acquaintance attended) that affected everyone, not just him.

To me, the key things are that McCaskill - from my vantage point in the fifth row of the orchestra - did an excellent job as an actor in a grueling role and then nailed the gospel number and the finale. I was very impressed with his overall performance, especially because it ended so strongly.