Strange Fruit #72: Cirque du Soleil Takes Michael Jackson's Work on World Tour

For most of us, Michael Jackson's death is one of those where-were-you moments. "When I found out MJ died, Jai was with me in the car, and I pulled the car over at a gas station and I started bawling, crying. And he thought my dad had died," Dr. Story says. "Michael Jackson was very symbolic to me of my childhood - listening to his music with my dad when I was a little girl, and I just didn't expect him to die like that." When we heard Cirque du Soleil had put together a stage production based on the King of Pop's music and dance, we wanted to find out more. So this week we spoke to Laura Silverman who does publicity for the group about how the show came together, and the challenges of bringing such a legendary life to the stage. In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we welcomed Derrick Gordon to the fun side of the closet; the University of Massachusetts shooting guard is now the first openly-gay male athlete to play NCAA Division I basketball. (In related news, this week's show serves as a Dear John letter from Jaison to his former boyfriend, Michael Sam.) Dr. Story also stanned for Beyoncé's interview and photos in Out Magazine, and we shouted out Tona Brown, a trans woman who will become the first African-American violinist to ever perform at Carnegie Hall! We also covered The Tenth, a bi-annual zine documenting "the history, culture, ideas and aesthetics of the black, gay community," and Reverend Al's assertion that he's not a rat, after documents emerged suggesting he informed the FBI about mafia activities in the 1980s.