Michael R. Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael R. Jackson
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Jackson at the 75th Tony Awards in 2022
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| Born | 1981 (age 43–44) Detroit, Michigan |
| Occupation | Playwright, composer, and lyricist |
| Education | New York University (BFA, MFA) |
| Notable awards | Whiting Award, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Award, Lambda Literary Award for Drama, Drama Desk Award, Obie Award |
Michael R. Jackson, born in 1981, is an American writer. He creates plays, music, and song lyrics. He is famous for his musical A Strange Loop. This show won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It also won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical. Michael Jackson grew up in Detroit.
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Michael R. Jackson's Career
Early Work and Interests
Michael Jackson once worked as an intern at ABC. He helped with daytime TV shows like All My Children. He has said he loved soap operas. He originally wanted to write for them.
Jackson wrote the story and lyrics for a musical called Only Children. Rachel Peters wrote the music. It was shown at NYU's Frederick Loewe Theatre.
He also wrote lyrics for a musical version of the 2007 movie Teeth. He co-wrote the story with Anna K. Jacobs. He sang a song called "Lonesome of the Road" for a special album.
In 2019, his song collection, The Kids on the Lawn, was in The New York Times Magazine. This magazine issue imagined what America would be like in the future.
Hit Musicals and Broadway Success
Jackson's musical, A Strange Loop, first opened in New York City in 2019. It played at Playwrights Horizons. After a successful run in Washington, D.C., in 2021, A Strange Loop opened on Broadway. It started playing at the Lyceum Theatre in April 2022.
His musical White Girl in Danger began shows in March 2023. It officially opened in April 2023. This musical looks at how race, social class, and identity are shown in daytime soap operas.
Major Works
Michael R. Jackson has created several important works. Here are some of his main musicals:
| Year | Title | Music | Lyrics | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | A Strange Loop | Michael R. Jackson | ||
| 2023 | White Girl in Danger | Michael R. Jackson | ||
| 2024 | Teeth | Anna K. Jacobs | Michael R. Jackson | Anna K. Jacobs & Michael R. Jackson |
Awards and Recognition
Early Awards and Fellowships
In 2017, Jackson received a Jonathan Larson Grant. This award helps new theater artists. He also won a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award that year. He was a fellow at the Sundance Theatre Institute. He was also a Dramatist Guild Fellow.
Major Prizes and Honors
The New York Times named Jackson one of the "Black Male Writers for our Time" in 2018. In 2019, he won a Whiting Award for drama. He also received a Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting.
In 2020, Jackson won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Strange Loop. He was the first Black musical theater writer to win this award. He also won the Lambda Literary Award for Drama. He received a Fred Ebb Award for new musical theater songwriters. Jackson also earned two Drama Desk Awards and two Obie Awards. He received two Outer Critics Circle Award Honors. He also won an Antonyo Award for Best Book for A Strange Loop.
In June 2020, Queerty magazine honored him. They named him one of fifty heroes. These heroes were leading the way for equality and acceptance for all people. In 2022, Jackson was featured in a book. The book was called 50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre.
In March 2021, Jackson received the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize for drama.
Tony Awards Success
At the 75th Tony Awards, A Strange Loop was nominated for 11 awards. It won two big awards. It won Best Musical. It also won Best Book of a Musical.
Personal Life
Jackson went to Cass Technical High School. He later studied at New York University.
See also
