#Michael R. Jackson

[memoriesofthingspast]

julian hibbard 📐➿

michael r. jackson 🌈

douglas hofstadter 🧶

alan lightman 🕰️

homer ⚓️🚢

virginia woolf 💡

alfred korzybski 🧬🧠

[hayleylovesjessica]

Jessica Chastain, Jess Weixler, and Michael R. Jackson, 18 October 2024, New York City

[girlbossfrankshepard]

Please watch this, I want so bad to live inside his beautiful mind

[fearsmagazine]

TEETH - Review

SYNOPSIS: “Dawn O’Keefe is an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret not even she understands – when men violate her, her body bites back. Literally. From Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) and Anna K. Jacobs (POP!),TEETH, based on the cult classic film of the same name, is a fierce, rapturous, and savagely entertaining new musical crackling with irrepressible desire and ancient rage – a dark comedy conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse is also her salvation.” - Press Release

REVIEW: In 2007 filmmaker Mitchell Lichtenstein, the son of artist Roy Lichtenstein, unleashed his tale of a contemporary American female teenager who discovers her body possesses a physical secret when she encounters male violence, vagina dentata; a myth that is found across cultures and eras, about a vagina that has a lethal set of teeth.

In the stage adaptation of Lichtenstein’s vision, Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson successfully retain the story's essence while making it fresh for a theater audience. In this adaptation, the lead character, Dawn's home life is restructured, with her father now portrayed as a charismatic preacher and her brother, Bard, still grappling with issues from their youth but influenced by technology rather than as a heavy metal/skinhead. These changes create a more dynamic structure for their dysfunctional family unit. Notably, the myth plays a more central role in the stage adaptation, and the supporting cast of teenage promise keeper girls serve as a Greek chorus. My guest and I both felt that the staging had a feel of Stepehen King’s “Carrie,” his novel, DePalma’s film and maybe the rival of the play. TEETH reaches its climax in a visually captivating and chaotic clash of religious conservatism and feminism, expertly staged in a way that surpasses Frank Oz's never fully realized ending in the film adaptation of "Little Shop of Horrors." Incorporating many of the contemporary social sexual issues in our zeitgeist with satire makes for an extremely entertaining and thought provoking theatrical experience.

The musical numbers were a delight. The combination of traditional Broadway musical songs and 70's and 80's pop songs in Jacobs' music was excellent. Jackson's lyrics added to the story and provided a splendid blend of humor and drama. While some of the lyrics were risqué, they never felt as shocking as something from "South Park" by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Jacobs and Jackson provided some magical musical moments that showcased the entire cast's vocal abilities. Choreographer Raja Feather Kelly did a remarkable job in creating dance routines, despite having to work in horrific moments at times.

The production design, set, lighting, SFX, and sound designs are all of Broadway caliber. The stage design employs impressive elements with subtle movements that contribute to the narrative. At certain moments, all of these elements come together to create a truly magical theater experience. The set design takes advantage of every inch of space in bringing the story to life. Most of the play's costumes are effective, they become more creative and interesting in the final act.

The cast of TEETH is nothing short of brilliant. Lead actress Alyse Alan Louis shines in her portrayal of Dawn. Her performance effortlessly blends innocence, comedic timing, powerful vocals, and a nuanced handling of sensual scenes. Meanwhile, her male counterparts—Steven Pasquale, Jason Gotay, Will Connolly, and Jared Loftin—face a daunting task. Not only do they create memorable characters, but they also navigate multiple roles and costume changes with ease, all the while delivering captivating musical numbers that showcase their talents. This ensemble cast is truly exceptional, and one can only hope that they will grace us with a cast recording of the show.

Michael R. Jackson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner of "A Strange Loop," has created a show that is consistently selling out. My guest, who was initially unaware of the show's premise and the creative team, was astounded upon learning about it at the end. They were also unfamiliar with the source material, which left them with a strong desire to seek it out. From my perspective, any adaptation that inspires viewers to seek out the original work is a significant accomplishment. "TEETH" ranks among my legendary theater experiences, akin to my cherished memories of attending the original Broadway productions of "Little Shop of Horrors," "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Misérables," and "Hadestown," that come to mind. "TEETH" offers an unforgettable and haunting theatrical experience that should not be missed.

TEETH contains intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language. Age Recommendation: Teeth is appropriate for audiences ages 17+. The play runs approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes with no intermission.. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 PM, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $120.00 plus $2.00 fee. Tickets are now on sale at https://my.playwrightshorizons.org/events. For more information, visit www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/teeth/#play-body.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

Teeth

February 28, 2024 | Off-Broadway | Playwrights Horizons | Evening | Musical | Original | 1H 40M

I saw Steven Pasqual get his dick bitten off by a vengeful vagina with teeth and then get it shoved down his throat. Other things happened. A lot happened, actually. And the show's technical elements are really delightful to witness. That all being said, I just don't think I like Michael R. Jackson's writing style. The thing about this show is that I enjoyed myself, but I didn't like it. It's in previews right now, so things are still in flux, and according to the talkback, there's going to be a new ending starting today. Which is good because the ending really fell apart for me. It was funny and fun in parts, but I couldn't really recommend it to anyone. It's basically a sex comedy/satire/Carrie-esque horror, but the music was just so repetitive and felt like the same old stuff from this creator, whom I'm not terribly fond of anyway. (Also he's like...being really divisive on twitter right now so maybe he's got some stuff he needs to work out.)

This was my last show of the month, and it's been a ride, let me tell you.

Verdict: Enjoyable, But Left No Lasting Impression

A Note on Ratings

[xtrablak674]

What Am I Reading Right Now? [2025]

Hey this is such a low-hanging fruit as far as a journal entry, because I am literally always reading. Albeit of late my reading has taken me more back to my roots with a heavy comic book diet. My nephew bought over the first Invincible omnibus from Image Comics, and the last installment of the trade paperback of The Boys from Dynamite Entertainment, I finished them both. But with returning to my walking again I have been feeling a bit emotionally better, and am returning back to my books.

As I said in my first one, the covers are as much a part of the reading experience as the actual book. So I have included either the exact cover I am reading or an approximation of the cover, which may have minimal differences, but close enough to what I am actually reading.

The last thing to note is I am also presenting the books in the order of which I am reading them, they sit in a nice neat stack in my window-seat waiting for another morning session. Curiously the children make fun of the fact that I take small bites of things, like my programming for Saturday Morning Cartoons, on Tubi alone there were like thirty-three shows I was watching. They pull my leg because I usually watch no more than seven minutes of each show, or to a natural break, I do the same thing with my books, I usually set a page limit based on how the book is laid out, and or limit myself to a section at a time, this way slow and steady will win the race. Of course I imbibe more television programs and books than either of them, so there! #MethodToMyMadness

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

I think I have had this particular copy since my first apartment back in Williamsburg in the mid-nineties. I recall that I purchased this book along with others in one of those buy five or six for two dollars or something of that sort.

If you're old enough you remember that same pitch with eight-track tapes, cassette tapes, and then compact disk. I am not sure if they did this with vinyl, I have mentioned the ones that I have actually seen ads for usually through Columbia House or something. I will readily admit I never did the follow up purchases, who got money like that?

The first time I tried to read fiction from Baldwin I hit a wall, it seemed very difficult to get through, so I had put this book back down, and left alone till recently. I will have to say that podcast about him did encourage me to revisit this, after hearing someone talk about why they really enjoyed this particular Baldwin offering.

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

This is a re-read for me, children's literature has always been a part of my reading habit since I was well, a child. I had recently re-watched the film and thought this would be a great time to revisit the source material that the animated film was based upon. I recall clearly how much of a fav that was of mine when I was small, its so great getting back with those characters who are so familiar they feel like friends.

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

I think I got this first edition hardcover from my Aunt Susan during one of her OCD purges, that is the thing about my books, I generally remember the way I got it, if I found it, paid for it or got it from someone else.

The Charlotte I know I found in my neighborhoods street library. But Skeleton Crew has been with me since the early aughts when I met Aunt Susan, who was actually one of Chaon's co-workers at this steel business on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

I will say generally speaking I am not a fan of King's short works, but his short-longer pieces really vibe with me. I had recently re-watched the first film version of The Mist, and it was so great to sit down and re-read the short-story for which the film was based. Most of King's first books I had read previously when I used to go to my local library, I would check out each one of the King books they had one at a time, finish them, bring them back, then get another one.

I am currently stuck in Mrs. Todd's Shortcut which I have to be frank I am hating, as primarily a pedestrian and passenger, I don't really see the appeal of shortcuts, I won't say the story is over-written, but I would have been fine with it ending like ten pages ago. I am hoping that Stephen makes the wait worth it, he sometimes struggles with endings. He's great getting you into the story, keeping you invested, but not always great with the pay-offs.

Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors

I just finished the updated Shōgun mini-series, and this book can't help but remind me of that, a whyte man talking explicitly and extensively about some people of colors experience and culture. 👀

Now that we got the obvious out of the way, this was another book I had found in my local street library, the many books that folks in my hood leave in front of their brownstones or buildings that you can browse through, and take home with you. I have gotten dozens of books this way even the Strange Loop play that appears later on this list.

I picked it up because there was someone brown on the cover, and I like to read the stories of Black and brown folks, they usually take a priority in my reading queue. I don't know about you, but I have gotten sick of twenty-four-seven whytness, and whyte culture all the time. There are other meaningful stories where the experiences aren't centered around whytness. But I couldn't ignore that the author didn't sound like an Indian, or Pakistani woman, but I had just finished something, and needed a new book to fill the spot.

I haven't been disappointed, not really a fan of romance novels, but it is totally a love story set sometime in the past before the Taj Mahal was built. For the Constant Reader, I will share this piece of personal trivia with you. I was in Agra during my stay in India for a month, with the intention of visiting the Taj, but was so disgusted by the overt and brazen poverty all over, I told my driver that I refused to co-sign it, by just being another tourist who wanted to get a good photo moment, at one of the wonders of the world.

I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl

The jury is still out on this, another found book. I did think this book would center someone with a different body type, and I enjoy how its written in very small bits, but I am still not quite sure thirteen pages in, if I am actually sympathetic for this character or not.

It clearly says its a novel, so it isn't a real person. I have to wonder if Stahl, another whyte guy is relating some kind of personal experience in this fictional character. Since the vignettes are so small I will hold my course for the foreseeable future, and see how it all plays out.

The Star Trek Reader by James Blish

This is one of my dad's books that I inherited after his death, and luckily didn't get sold on Amazon, like I did with so many of his books. He like me was a huge science-fiction fan, him much more so particularly in literature, a lot of Asimov and Heinlein amongst his books that I still have.

I can say this definitively, I am a Trekkie, obviously I love TOS and these readers have the original stories for the episodes that ended up on the show. You know when you watch the credits, if you pay attention like I do, and someone gets a story credit, but there may be a different writer on the script? Well these are those stories that often come before the script is developed, sometimes they're similar to the final script sometimes they diverge, but as a Trekkie I enjoy the nuances and getting a deeper exploration into the problematic Roddenberry world.

I think I have two more books in this series. I will have to go back into the crates to take a look. If I accidentally sold them then I will cop some new copies. But I really want to continue the journey with Spock, Kirk and McCoy. I had the dust cover for this book, but I am not sure where it ended up, because its not currently on my copy. I am a little sad about that because I love the Enterprise and its class of exploration vessel.

A Strange Loop: A Musical by Michael R. Jackson

I don't read plays very often, but I remember seeing the commercials for this one when I was still on Instagram. I really felt seen in the numbers I heard, and nearly thought about going to see it, but post-COVID that was a barely recognized fantasy. I am clearly enjoying book better than the whyte person who scribbled inside of it that it was an "absolutely terrible musical", well it wasn't for you boo, so hate all you please.

Jackson is really trying to do some complex things in how they represent the queer Black experience in a full-figured form. I think this would be much more fun to actually see than read, because there is a lot of layering going on that would really play better in visuals than text. He uses a chorus extensively which I recall from my theatre history classes in either high school or college, but it was an effective way to get other kinds of Black queer men a voice and representation while still centering the protagonist.

I will admit its not something I will readily reach for, the subject material is very close to home and somewhat triggering. We have had different experiences, but there is some overlap which is very interesting. I mean the play did win a Pulitzer Prize so how 'terrible' could it really be?

[Photos via the internet all rights reserved]

What Am I Reading Right Now [2024]

See Y'all Got Me Fucked Up

My Favorite Eleven Books

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

A Strange Loop (Toronto)

A STRANGE LOOP by Michael R. Jackson, directed by Ray Hogg and choreographed by Rodney Diverlus: Seeing my second production of Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical I was a little more aware of the piece’s faults. True, it’s hilariously funny as the main character, Usher (Malachi McCaskill) deals with life as a gay black man coping with prejudices within the gay and black communities, the artistic expectations of black creators and his efforts to write an autobiographical musical about a gay black man writing a musical about a gay black man, etc. It’s a very observant treatment of cultural clashes. But without the razzle dazzle of the Broadway production, the very funny take off on Tyler Perry gospel musicals seems to go on too long, and the ending doesn’t feel as powerful as it once did. There’s somehow less sense that Usher has resolved his issues. For one thing, his homophobic parents who keep hoping this is just a phase are so heinous, even as well played as they are here, that any attempt at a reconciliation makes the main character seem daft (I realize that may be my own white privilege peeking through; we WASPS don’t necessarily have that same strong sense of family as community).

None of this is to disparage the production playing at Soulpepper through June. It’s very well staged, with an imaginative use of revolving panels to create the various fragmentary locales in Usher’s life. McCaskill sings beautifully and acts his songs persuasively. He’s a genuine talent. And the rest of the cast is on the same level, with particularly fine work by Amaka Umeh as his self-loathing, Harriet Tubman and, in some scenes, his mother (I had seen her previously in a series of male roles in Athol Fugard’s SIZWE BANZEI IS DEAD). Hogg has staged the play with actors moving through the audience, which is quite powerful. I was close enough to see the sweat on McCaskill’s face (never trust an actor who doesn’t sweat) and even had an actor make eye contact with me while he was playing the mother and pleading her case.

[popbytes]

REVIEW: 'A Strange Loop' dazzles in Los Angeles!

The other night, I had the pleasure of attending the official opening night of the Los Angeles premiere of Michael R. Jackson’s award-winning musical ‘A Strange Loop’—and let me tell you, it blew away all my expectations. I’d heard so many rave reviews beforehand, but experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. In short, it was one of the most exceptional musicals I’ve ever seen—it…

[thenerdsofcolor]

A Los Angeles Theatre Review: 'A Strange Loop'

I’m always wary when there’s any production lauded with so much critical praise and attention that I lower my expectations significantly, especially when they come straight from Broadway (I can’t help it, I’m fiercely proud of my local Los Angeles theatre community and the talents they offer). But after watching the Center Theatre Group‘s mounting of A Strange Loop at the Ahmanson Theatre last…

[bmorefashionnerd]

Two MJs

Michael Jordan x Michael Jackson

[sbrown82]

Michael Jackson, with former girlfriend singer Stephanie Mills, receiving the 'Good Scout Humanitarian Award' from the Boy Scouts of America organization (1990).

[culturalappreciator]

[themichaeljacksonhistorian]

Michael Jackson cover story and interview with Soul. August 20, 1979

[tha-wrecka-stow]

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Michael Jackson - The Girl Is Mine

[bey0utifulsoul]