Jim Jones: The Musical! (No Really)

The potential number of “no homo” heckles was astounding. Astronomical. I stopped counting somewhere between the sweaty jail scene (featuring dudes in tight white shirts dance-fighting) and the part where about ten guys swayed around Jones and sang “this is for the bitches” in unison. The Jim Jones Musical, a.k.a. Hip-Hop Monologues: Inside the Life & Mind of Jim Jones, is an invite-only listening session masquerading as an Off-Broadway autobiography masquerading as urban social commentary masquerading as something like art. People dance, act, sing, and rap, sometimes all at once. Produced by Dame Dash—who helped pioneer the rap musical genre (?) with Jay-Z’s Streets Is Watching a decade ago—Life & Mind is a promo stunt mindful of its “Jones Is Crazy for This One” blog headlines. Elle Macpherson was there. So was video chick Melyssa Ford, who eyed cameras over her shoulder. Videographers shined bright lights into peoples’ faces.