Usher’s Broadway dreams: reimagining albums on the theater stage
Usher has big visions for his entertainment career, which, at this point, spans 31 years with more to come. The global superstar is currently on his “Past Present Future” world tour, a multi-continent trek in support of his latest album Coming Home, as well as a journey paying homage to the discography that has sustained his icon status since the ‘90s.
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Yet, in many ways, the entertainer, 45, is still just getting started. In a new interview with USA TODAY Entertainment, the “Good Good” sensation revealed that he has his sights set on expanding his creativity beyond studio albums and music videos.
Like his friend and collaborator Alicia Keys, Usher is hoping the future is ripe with opportunities to delve deeper into his catalog with new stories on an even more coveted stage. “Judging from the success Alicia Keys has had and so many incredible other artists or other creatives [that] go from the entertainment world to now kind of merge over into the theatrical space, you know live, Broadway-type of performance. I'd love to do that,” he told the outlet.
In April, Keys’ semi-autobiographical play “Hell’s Kitchen” opened in New York’s Shubert Theater. The story weaves some of the songstress’ real-life experiences and award-winning music together. The production earned 13 Tony nominations, with two of its actresses, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon, respectively, taking home trophies for their featured and lead roles in the musical.
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“I’d love to take some of the creative license to reimagine certain musical moments in my life. I’ll never get a chance to fully explain each album in its entirety,” Usher explained. “[With] the singles, [I] probably did a significant job, and if people got a chance to see me live, then they got a little bit more of those songs from that album, but with a play you could actually really story tell, take your time and really help people understand what the motivation of 8701 was, what the motivation of Raymond v. Raymond was, what the motivation of Looking For Myself was really about,” he added.
The eight-time Grammy Award-winner shared that venturing into new spaces is partially about removing the limits that his artistry has been bound to in the past. “I just want to break all the boundaries and just go back and reimagine some of the things because I didn’t get a chance to share it,” he said.
The R&B legend broke some boundaries when he welcomed fans to Las Vegas following the pandemic shutdown, when his nearly three-year residency opened in 2021. This year, he leveled up once more when he helmed the Super Bowl halftime show, where he chanted, “I took the world to the A,” after executing some of his biggest hits with Vegas flair for more than 129.3 million viewers.
He ruminated exploring the reimagining of his legacy through new lenses, which could include television and film, too. “Being able to turn the corner after having success with those albums and go back and say, 'Wait a minute, what if we do a TV show about that? What if we really allow people to go all the way into the storytelling and maybe really explain what Confessions is really about? What the feeling and culture of Confessions is?’” he questioned. “If I can really go into the mindset of what it is to be inspired by music from 2001 all the way back to 1987, then you’ll really understand what 8701 is about.”
For now, fans can catch him on the road or on the silver screen next month when his concert film USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS opens in theaters worldwide from Sept. 12-15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwXSep1i8Go
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