Michael R. Jackson
Scots Duo Noisemaker are Recipients of the 2025 Jonathan Larson Grant (Feb 19, 2026)
The American Theatre Wing Reveals Recipients of the 2025 Jonathan Larson Grants (Feb 18, 2026)
2026 TRU LOVE BENEFIT Celebrated Tonya Pinkins, Bonnie Comley and Stewart F. Lane (Feb 15, 2026)
BIO
The 2020 Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics’ Circle–winning A Strange Loop (which had its 2019 world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in association with Page 73 Productions) was called “a full-on laparoscopy of the heart, soul, and loins” and a “gutsy, jubilantly anguished musical with infectious melodies” by Ben Brantley for The New York Times. In The New Yorker, Vinson Cunningham wrote, “To watch this show is to enter, by some urgent, bawdy magic, an ecstatic and infinitely more colorful version of the famous surreal lithograph by M. C. Escher: the hand that lifts from the page, becoming almost real, then draws another hand, which returns the favor.” In addition to A Strange Loop, he wrote book, music, and lyrics for White Girl in Danger. Awards and associations include a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Obie Award, an Antonyo Award, a Fred Ebb Award, a Windham-Campbell Prize, and a Dramatists Guild Fellowship. He is an alum of Page 73’s Interstate 73 Writers Group.
Photos
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Productions
Writing
Music
Lyrics
Awards and Nominations
Michael R. Jackson, Teeth
Michael R. Jackson, Teeth
Michael R. JacksonTeeth
Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger
Michael R. Jackson, White Girl in Danger
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Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. JacksonA Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
winner
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
Videos
Video: Helen J. Shen Performs 'The Impossible Dream' at MISCAST25
by Michael Major - 2025-05-15 09:48:56
Michael R. Jackson & Anna K. Jacobs Break Down The Music of TEETH Off-Broadway
by Joey Mervis - 2024-12-30 15:11:49
Video: Highlights from TEETH with Alyse Alan Louis, Andy Karl & More
by Nicole Rosky - 2024-11-01 14:17:23
Exclusive Video: Watch 'Inner White Girl' From Los Angeles Premiere Of A STRANGE LOOP
by Joshua Wright - 2024-06-04 12:24:31
Video: First Look at A STRANGE LOOP, Coming to the Ahmanson Theatre in June
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-05-05 14:33:13
Video: Go Inside the Sitzprobe for the West Coast Production Of A STRANGE LOOP
by Joshua Wright - 2024-04-12 14:48:19
Exclusive: Listen to 'Why I Kill' From Michael R. Jackson's WHITE GIRL IN DANGER
by Stephi Wild - 2024-03-28 09:26:04
Video: Watch a Teaser Trailer for A STRANGE LOOP, Coming to A.C.T. in April
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-02-24 16:43:05
Video: Meryl Streep & Ashley Park Sing an ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Song By Sara Bareilles, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
by Michael Major - 2023-08-16 09:07:10
Character Breakdown: WHITE GIRL IN DANGER Cast Unpacks Their Roles
by In Rehearsals - 2023-03-07 15:43:38
Video: The Company of WHITE GIRL IN DANGER on Living in Michael R. Jackson's World
by Chloe Rabinowitz - 2023-03-06 09:33:42
Video: Larry Owens Plays 'Sondheim Sing Off' with Graham Phillips & Krystina Alabado at Pasadena Playhouse
by Alan Henry - 2023-02-24 16:39:34
VIDEO: Michael R. Jackson & Kyle Freeman Perform 'Memory Song' From A STRANGE LOOP on SHERRI
by Michael Major - 2022-10-14 17:03:49
VIDEO: Jennifer Hudson & Michael R. Jackson Announce New A STRANGE LOOP Musical Collaboration on THE JENNIFER HUDSON SHOW
by Michael Major - 2022-10-04 09:16:23
VIDEO: Michael R. Jackson & Jaquel Spivey Talk Representation Onstage in A STRANGE LOOP on TODAY
by Michael Major - 2022-07-07 10:41:13
VIDEO: A STRANGE LOOP Performs 'Intermission Song' on THE TONIGHT SHOW
by Stephi Wild - 2022-06-28 06:35:18
News
by Natalie O'Donoghue - Feb 19, 2026
Each person/duo will be awarded a $20,000 unrestricted grant in addition to a $2,500 Saw Island Foundation Recording Grant to support the production of new demo recordings that better represent the artist’s vision.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 18, 2026
The American Theatre Wing has revealed the recipients of the 2025 Jonathan Larson Grant, the annual prize awarded to exceptional emerging musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams.
by Gillian Blum - Feb 15, 2026
Despite sub-zero temperatures, a nearly full house of theater lovers braved the cold to come together for a warm celebration at Green Room 42 in Manhattan, on Sunday, February 8.
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 9, 2026
Helen J Shen, star of Broadway's Maybe Happy Ending, has been cast in the new TV pilot Eternally Yours for CBS. The performer will appear as a series regular in the new vampire comedy, which is from Ghosts creators Joe Port and Joe Wiseman.
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 5, 2026
Theater Resources Unlimited has announced updated casting and honorees for its upcoming TRU Love Benefit. The annual fundraiser will celebrate leaders in theater production, digital access, and humanitarian advocacy.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 29, 2026
Theater Resources Unlimited will present its 2026 TRU Love Benefit honoring leaders and artists from the theater community. The event will feature performances by Broadway veterans and emerging artists, along with awards recognizing artistic and humanitarian contributions.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 27, 2026
Join GRAMMY-winning baritone Will Liverman, soprano Kiera Duffy, and pianist Judith Lynn Stillman for 'Portraits in Song,' a free recital at Rhode Island College on March 1.
by BWW Special Offer - Jan 27, 2026
Don’t miss Michael R. Jackson’s Operatic Debut! Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) makes his operatic debut with Opera Philadelphia this February at the Academy of Music, bringing his “provocative mix of high-mindedness and low satire” (The New York Times) to a new scale.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 22, 2026
Dunaway Gardens in Newnan, GA, will present its first-ever Playwright Lab in 2026, aiming to support new theatrical works and emerging playwrights.
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 14, 2026
The ASCAP Foundation has recognized musical theater writing duo Will Aronson and Hue Park, creators of the Tony Award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending, with The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 9, 2026
Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) will present the 2026 TRU Love Benefit, honoring respected members of the theater community. Producers Bonnie Comley & Stewart Lane will be given the TRU Spirit of Theater Award.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 6, 2026
Prairie Park, a new mockumentary play by T.J. Pieffer, will be presented in an invitation-only industry reading on Friday, January 9, 2026, produced by Pipe Dream in association with Davenport Theatrical Enterprises.
by Ilana Lucas - Jan 5, 2026
In a world where AI increasingly tries to consume and simulate real human experiences, theatre sometimes feels like one of the last gasps of being in a room together. When we watch a show with others, respiration synchronizes, empathy increases, and information retention improves. It’s one of my favourite feelings.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 18, 2025
Works & Process will present Opera Philadelphia for a preview performance of Complications in Sue by Michael R. Jackson. This preview of Complications in Sue shows how one librettist, one actor, four singers, and ten composers joined forces.
by Bruce Glikas - Dec 17, 2025
Marjorie Prime celebrated its opening night on Broadway at the Hayes Theater. Check out photos from inside the after party festivities here and check out more from the red carpet.
by Stephi Wild - Dec 15, 2025
Asbury Park Theater Company has announced their full lineup of 7 productions for the 2026 season. Under the Producing Artistic Direction of Anthony D’Amato, the company will present the New Jersey premiere of TEETH the musical.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 11, 2025
Opera Philadelphia will unveil COMPLICATIONS IN SUE, a new opera by Pulitzer and Tony winner Michael R. Jackson, at the Academy of Music in February 2026. Inspired by an idea from Justin Vivian Bond and scored by ten composers.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 9, 2025
Award-winning composer, lyricist and librettist Anna K. Jacobs (Teeth, POP!) will offer a Master Class on Monday, December 15th at 6:30pm as part of Theatre Now New York's Industry Nights.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 4, 2025
The Fred Ebb Foundation presented the 21st annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to the team of Sophie Boyce and Veronica Mansour. Go inside the event in new photos.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 4, 2025
Throughout spring 2026, Works & Process will present a full slate of dynamic programs at Guggenheim New York, along with a special Martha Graham Dance Company performance at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice on May 8, coinciding with the opening of the Venice Biennale.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Outstanding Book of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Teeth, Outstanding Lyrics (Drama Desk Awards) for Teeth, Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Teeth, Outstanding Lyrics (Drama Desk Awards) for White Girl in Danger, Outstanding Music (Drama Desk Awards) for White Girl in Danger, Best Book of a Musical (Tony Awards) for A Strange Loop, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Tony Awards) for A Strange Loop, Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Tony Awards) for A Strange Loop, Outstanding Book of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for A Strange Loop, Outstanding Lyrics (Drama Desk Awards) for A Strange Loop, Outstanding Music (Drama Desk Awards) for A Strange Loop, Best Musical (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for A Strange Loop, Playwriting Award (Obie Awards) for A Strange Loop, Special Citation (Obie Awards) for A Strange Loop, Outstanding Book of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for A Strange Loop, Outstanding New Score (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for A Strange Loop and Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for A Strange Loop.
Michael R. Jackson has won several prestigious awards for A Strange Loop. These include the Best Book of a Musical at the Tony Awards, Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding Lyrics at the Drama Desk Awards, Best Musical at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, and the Playwriting Award as well as a Special Citation at the Obie Awards. Additionally, he received Outstanding Book of a Musical and Outstanding New Score at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Michael R. Jackson also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Strange Loop.
Michael R. Jackson has written 2 shows including White Girl in Danger (Book), Teeth (Book & Lyrics).
Videos