Why the Tony-winning author of ‘A Strange Loop’ wants to upend the American musical

Before dedicating himself to musical theater, playwright and composer Michael R. Jackson had a different dream: to be a soap opera writer. “I thought I was going to work my way up and become the head writer for ‘One Life to Live’,” he said, speaking at a swanky new hotel’s rooftop cafe in downtown L.A. “That was my ambition when I was an 18-year-old.” The soap opera bug never completely left him. Jackson’s most recent musical, “Teeth,” which had its premiere this year at Playwrights Horizons, where “A Strange Loop” was launched, is an adaptation of Mitchell Lichtenstein’s screenplay for his 2007 cult horror film. “A Strange Loop” takes us inside Usher’s conflicted self through an ensemble that portrays his inner voices. “It’s the one thing that can bring me back to earth, believing in individual liberty.” Speaking to Jackson in person, I understood better what moved me so powerfully about “A Strange Loop” when I saw the show at the Lyceum Theatre in New York.