For three hours, two nights in a row, Taylor Mac captivated audience with some “Radical Faerie Rituals” — where judy takes the lead and “controls” the audience. The result was a room full of people being uncomfortable, challenged, and educated. (Taylor Mac uses “judy” as a pronoun.) Taylor’s superb theatrical and musical talent, as well as the band’s virtuosity and the design team’s impressive creation of visual elements, made these nights very memorable and enjoyable.
On February 5 and 6, Taylor Mac presented “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1956–1986” at the Mendelssohn Theater. This project looks at music popular in the United States from 1776 to 2016, and with each of these 24 decades, Taylor features stories of various marginalized communities. In October, this project culminates in a 24-hour long concert (or “ex-tra-va-gan-za” as Taylor would say), one hour per decade.These performances comprise of many things: history, activism, identity politics, drag, Elizabethan fool, glitters, and of course, popular music. Ann Arbor audiences enjoyed the workshop version of Act VII, consisting of three decades: 1956-66, 1966-76, and 1976-86. In addition to that, Taylor Mac, musical director Matt Ray, and designer Machine Dazzle did a residency for a week, where they visited various U-M classes, served in panel discussions, and facilitated workshops.
I must admit that I might be just a little biased about Taylor. I had an internship with UMS and SMTD, with which I was able to work with judy and Pomegranate Arts, an independent arts production group. During my two months there, I observed five shows and a couple of rehearsals. Because of this, the visit to Ann Arbor by the band members and production team felt like a reunion. (Read about my experience here.)
I also experienced these performances a bit differently from the regular audience members; I was one of the four “Dandy Minions” — I guess you could call us stage hands with lots of costume and makeups, offering some dandy help to Taylor. We were part of the visual element to the show, with our own “drag.” It was SO much fun to make a fool out of myself with three of my wonderful co-Minions.
When you walk into Taylor’s performance, you realize it’s not a typical performance. You’re walking into Taylor’s church. And in a church, you listen to the preacher — because the preacher has pretty darn good things to say about identities, activism, and history through music. Also, it’s much more fun if you challenge yourself to get out of your shell and let yourself do whatever is being asked. I remembered the excitement that I first felt with Taylor’s performance back in June 2015; I believe and hope that the audience members from those two nights got the same chills I got.
