‘Strange Loop’ stars head from Broadway to Orlando for CFCArts event
Central Florida Community Arts’ next fundraiser will boast big Broadway talent: Cast members from the Tony-winning best musical “A Strange Loop” will headline “Make Them Hear You: Black, Gay and on Broadway.”
Four “Strange Loop” actors will take the stage in Orlando: James Jackson Jr., Jason Veasey and Tony nominees L Morgan Lee and John-Andrew Morrison. Lee made history as the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for a Tony.
“A Strange Loop” became the buzziest show on Broadway when it opened in April 2022 as it tackled a gay, Black artist’s innermost thoughts while he grappled with self-image, identity, familial expectations and love. Those ideas hadn’t been viewed through that lens on Broadway in such a theatrical and intense way before, and critics raved.
The actors will explore those issues as they pertain to their own career paths, and they will sing the songs that shaped them on their journeys. Accompanying will be Terrance Lane, a well-known music educator and artist who formerly directed the Bethune-Cookman Concert Chorale.
Chevalier Lovett, chief operating officer for the equity-advocating organization Florida Rising, will host. CFCArts CEO Terrance Hunter will moderate the conversation among the actors.
“The arts have always been a vehicle for social change and commentary,” Hunter said when announcing the event. “In addition to providing an escape, they also provide unparalleled insight into the experiences of others, allowing us to build, among other things, empathy and understanding.”
Central Florida Community Arts is on the Broadway actors’ radar through a personal connection. CFCArts board member Steve Fessler and his husband, Randy Lord, joined forces with five-time Tony-winning Broadway producer Barbara Whitman as investors in the Broadway musical, which closed in January.
Fessler and Lord became friends with many in the cast.
“We feel that it is more important than ever to share a story about the personal truths of being LGBTQ+ artists performing at a high level in the arts with our friends in Central Florida,” Fessler said in CFCArts’ announcement. “The ability to share a message of love, acceptance and inclusion through the arts is our mission in life.
“Spreading the word that the arts are the ‘great equalizer’ — bringing people from all backgrounds together — can only make us stronger as one community.”
Presented in partnership with Florida Theatrical Association, “Make Them Hear You: Black, Gay and on Broadway” takes place at 8 p.m. on March 28 at The Abbey, 100 S. Eola Drive in Orlando.
A limited number of reserved tables for four are available for $500, with general-admission seating priced at $100. Standing-room tickets are $75.
A post-show champagne and dessert reception can be added to tickets for $50 more. All proceeds will benefit CFCArts.
Tickets are available at CFCArts.com/StrangeLoop.