A 24-Decade History of Popular Music - Abridged
“Fabulousness can come in many forms, and Taylor Mac seems intent on assuming each and every one of them.” - NY Times
Taylor Mac is one of the most exciting theatre artists of our time. For 20 years, Mac has been creating internationally award-winning performances that challenge and embrace diverse audiences at the same time. "A must-see for anyone who wants to see a kinder, gentler society" - Huffington Post
Dutch premiere
Duration 120 minutes
Language English
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is Mac’s subjective history of America since its founding in 1776. The project chronicles the ways in which communities build themselves because they are being torn apart. Years in development, the piece was originally performed as a one-time 24-hour event and was recognized as one of The Guardian’s top five most important theater works of the 21st century and onThe New York Times’ 2016 lists of Best Performances, Best Theater, and Best Music. This abridged version of the show is a highly immersive and outrageously entertaining crash course in the 240 years (and counting) of the history of American culture and dysfunction.-|-Told from the perspective of groups whose stories are often “ forgot, dismissed, or buried,” the show highlights various musical styles and artistic voices ranging from murder ballads to disco, Walt Whitman to David Bowie and beyond. Joined by music director/arranger Matt Ray, collaborator and costume designer Machine Dazzle, and an incomparable band, Mac appears on stage decked and bedazzled in gloriously irreverent regalia for a night that is startlingly unique.
Taylor Mac
Taylor Mac — who uses “judy” (lowercase sic unless at the start of a sentence, just like a regular pronoun), not as a name but as a gender pronoun — is a playwright, actor, singer-songwriter, performance artist, director and producer. Judy’s work has been performed in hundreds of venues across the world. Judy is the 2020 Ibsen Award winner, a MacArthur Fellow, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, a Tony Award® nominated playwright, and the recipient of multiple awards. An alumnus of New Dramatists, judy is currently a New York Theater Workshop Usual Suspect, resident playwright at the Here Arts Center, and the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at ALL ARTS.
An evening especially for Amsterdam
After successes in New York, London, Sydney and elsewhere, Taylor Mac is coming to Amsterdam during Pride for a special version of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Mac will bring a shortened version of the show full of highlights from 240 years of American culture and will invite numerous Amsterdam guests to join him. We are currently working with Taylor to finalise the guest list and will inform you as soon as we know anything.
In the press
The Washington Post: “The fabulous Taylor Mac gives D.C. a samples of his reinvented Americana"
The Age: “Taylor Mac’s A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is an ‘unutterably brilliant masterwork”
The Guardian: “Taylor Mac Review – explosive, spectacular, heartbreaking ‘dandy revenge’”
CREDITS
conceived, written, performed and co-directed by Taylor Mac
music director / Arranger Matt Ray
costume designer Machine Dazzle
executive producer Linda Brumbach
associate producer Alisa E. Regas
private producers Jeroen van Ingen & Jaap Kooijman
private producer Bertil van Kaam
lighting design John Torres
sound design Jimin Brelsford
director of production Jeremy Lydic
general manager Rachel Katwan
stage manager Jason Kaiser
company manager Willa Ellafair Folmar
monitor mix Valerie Abbey
-|-
THE TAYLOR MAC BAND
vocals Taylor Mac
piano Matt Ray
drums Bernice “Boom Boom” Brooks
guitar Viva DeConcini
trumpet Greg Glassman
cello Marika Hughes
violin Dana Lyn
bass Gary Wang
burlesque choreographer James “Tigger!” Ferguson
burlesque performers Bustie La Tish, Courtney Love Cox, Dame Diamond Cobra, Dark Salty Coco, Dea Gnosis, Dick Tator, Dynno Dada, Eve Fatale, Fae Fortune, Flora Gattina, Grizolda Storm, Hole Dazzle, Lady Bag, Lola Moonshine, Luscious Lily, Maggie Leroux, Miss Anne Thropy, Miss Chrissy Kiss, Miss Whips, Natsumi Scarlett, Nova Sterling, Puck Rosez, Tigger!
ITA Pride
Especially for Pride Amsterdam, ITA brings unique and special performances to Amsterdam. Feeling free to be yourself without any imposed norms from outside, that's what characterizes the programmes within ITA Pride. The performances draw attention to urgent themes, such as the diversity of gender identities, and call for embracing 'being different'.
