WATCH: Drag, staged orgies, and pop music collide in the wildest stage show in American history
many lifetimes.“Taylor Mac’s 24-Hour History Of Popular Music” was a one-time-only, immersive musical theater experience unlike any other, in which the story of America is told through the songs that shaped the culture, from the founding of our country to the present day.There was camp, there was theatrics, there were giant inflatable penises waging war to the tune of the David Bowie’s “Heroes,” there was a diatribe on the American Revolution standard “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” and of course there was a simulated orgy soundtracked by Laura Branigan’s classic “Gloria.”And, yes, that title is literal: The show was the length of an entire day!
After every hour of performance, a member of the talented ensemble would leave the stage until, at the end, only Mac remained.Taylor Mac is a New York City staple whose work over the years has been awarded with a MacArthur Genius Grant, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and received a Tony Nomination for Best Play (2019’s Gary: A Sequel To Titus Andronicus, starring Nathan Lane).But even with all of those accomplishments, the musical marathon that was the 24-Hour History Of Popular Music still feels like Mac’s magnum opus.Thankfully, somebody had the good sense to film it!Taylor Mac’s 24-Hour History Of Popular Music is a new concert documentary from award-winning directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (the duo behind The Celluloid Closet and The Times Of Harvey Milk), making its film festival premiere this month before hitting HBO on June 27.The doc blends performance highlights with intimate, behind-the-scenes interviews from Mac and the many artists and collaborators who helped bring the show together, including the inimitable Machine Dazzle who designed fabulously.
