Contents:
- TAYLOR MAC ON GAY HISTORY, ‘HATON’ AND HIS EPIC 24-HOUR EXTRAVAGANZA AT THE ACE
- TAYLOR MAC: QUEER AMERIN ARTIST-SHAMAN-HISTORIAN OF THE CENTURY. MAKE THAT TWO CENTURI.REALNS THE ACCLAIMED ACTOR AND MICIAN IS ABOUT TO PERFORM A 24-HOUR-LONG QUEER HISTORY OF AMERIN POPULAR MIC. IN A SGLE TAKE.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 2:37PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 06, 2016 10:25PM EDT AT THE BEGNG OF THE 24TH HOUR OF TAYLOR MAC’S MONUMENTAL “24-DE HISTORY OF POPULAR MIC,” THE “QUEER WOMB” OF PK FABRIC THAT HAD STRETCHED ACROSS THE ENTIRE PERFORMANCE SPACE AT ST. ANN’S WAREHOE BROOKLYN BEME TAYLOR’S DRS FOR THE FALE. IT WAS AS IF WE’D BEEN GATHERED UNR THE PERFORMER’S LOS THE WHOLE TIME, I THOUGHT.IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE CLIMAX, GIVEN THAT MAC HAD ALREADY APPEARED THAT NIGHT—THE EIGHTH OF EIGHT THREE-HOUR NCERTS, EACH HOUR RRPONDG TO A — A GARMENT SHAPED LIKE A GIANT LABIA (HONORG THE LBIAN AVENGERS OF THE 1990S), A HEADPIECE OF SKULLS RAG DOWN TEARS (TO SYMBOLIZE THE AIDS EPIMIC), A FLOOR-LENGTH AT MA OF SSETTE TAP OM THE EIGHTI, A FLANNEL-AND-NIM HOMAGE TO THE LBIAN FASHN OF THE MICHIGAN WOMYN’S MIC FTIVAL, AND, AT TIM, NOTHG AT ALL.“THIS SHOW IS NOT UNIVERSAL,” TAYLOR SAID OM THE STAGE. “DEAL WH .”THIS WEEKEND, THE ENTIRE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR SHOW—ONE HOUR FOR EACH OM 1776 TO 2016—WILL SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, BE PERFORMED S ENTIRETY BY MAC AND AN ENSEMBLE OF MICIANS, GUTS, AND “DANDY MNS.” FOOD WILL BE PROVID, AND HAMMOCKS TO SLEEP . THE DIENCE IS REQUTED TO STAY FOR THE WHOLE TIME. IT WILL BE, MAC SAID, “A RADIL FAERIE REALNS RUAL,” ALLUDG TO THE QUEER SUBCULTURE WHICH FORMED THE LATE 1970S AND HAS SCE PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST NOVATIVE GENR-BENDG ARTISTS OF THE LAST S, CLUDG JOHN CAMERON MCHELL, JT VIVIAN BOND, AND THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE.TAYLOR MAC, TOO, EMERG OM THAT WORLD. BORN 1973 AND RAISED RAL CALIFORNIA, MAC EMERGED NEW YORK’S QUEER, DOWNTOWN ARTS SCENE THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY 2000S—AROUND THE SAME TIME AS MCHELL’S HEDWIG AND BOND’S KIKI AND HERB BROKE THROUGH. IN SOME WAYS, TAYLOR IS A WALKG NTRADICTN: A SUBVERSIVE NONNFORMIST WHO HAS WON MASTREAM ACLAS (GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP, VAR GRANTS); AN ACTOR BOTH HIS OWN UNCLASSIFIABLE SHOWS AND TRADNAL PRODUCTNS OF SHAKPEARE AND BRECHT.I’VE SEEN NE HOURS OF MAC’S GENRE-FYG DURATNAL PERFORMANCE—PARTS BARET, CIRC, TERACTIVE DANCE PARTY, RUAL, BURLQUE, NCERT, HISTORY LSON, DRAG SHOW, MONOLOGUE, AND PERFORMANCE ART—AND, NOT SURPRISGLY, I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG SCRIBG .WHAT TAYLOR MAC HAS BROUGHT TO THIS WAREHOE DUMBO, AFTER YEARS OF WORKSHOPPG AROUND THE UNTRY, IS A SUBVERSIVE UNTER-HISTORY OF THE UNED STAT, TOLD THROUGH THE PRISM OF POPULAR MIC. IT’S LIKE HOWARD ZN A TUTU. PLAYG THE BANJO.AND IS, AS MAC HAS TEND, A MUNY EVENT. FIRST, “EVERYONE” THE DOWNTOWN QUEER PERFORMANCE SCENE SEEMED TO BE EHER THE SHOW OR ATTENDG ; I ULD NAME-DROP THE FILMMAKERS, ACTORS, PRODUCERS, AND PERFORMERS WHO I SPOTTED, BUT THAT SEEMS ANTHETIL TO THE MUNAL SPIR OF THE EVENT.SEND, MAC EQUENTLY VOLV THE DIENCE THE PERFORMANCE—SOMETIM UNFORTABLY, AS WHEN, TO SIMULATE THE WHE FLIGHT OF THE 1950S, MAC MAND THAT WHE DIENCE MEMBERS MOVE OUT OF CERTA SECTNS OF THE SPACE. OR WHEN MAC “SCED” ONE OF THE STRAIGHT MALE ATTEN TO MAKE OUT. OR WHEN WE HAD TO THROW PG-PONG BALLS AT EACH OTHER TO SIMULATE THE BATTL OF WORLD WAR I.AND THEN THERE’S THE SHEER ENDURANCE OF . THREE HOURS IS A LONG TIME TO WATCH A SGLE PERFORMANCE, PECIALLY WH NO TERMISSN, OCSNAL MEANRS TO THE BYWAYS OF AMERIN HISTORY (I’M NOT SURE I NEED THIRTY MUT OF A BABY BOOMER UPLE LOST A SWAMP, OR ATTACKED BY ZOMBI, OR WHATEVER THAT WAS), AND WHAT TAYLOR HAS LLED THE “BENEFS OF IMPERFECTN.” I N ONLY IMAGE WHAT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS WILL BE LIKE. (A FEW ADDNAL TICKETS WERE JT RELEASED HERE.)I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE FEELG THAT WAY. AT THE EIGHTH SHOW, I SAT NEXT TO HUNTER CANNG, AN ACTOR BT KNOWN FOR STARRG THE UNRGROUND-H WEB SERI THE OUTS. “I WENT THROUGH AT TAYLOR’S SHOW,” CANNG SAID. “I LEARNED ABOUT (QUEER) HISTORY, LGHED, CRIED AND ALWAYS AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. Y, SOMETIM MOMENTS WOULD GO ON TOO LONG…. AND TAYLOR WOULD REMD THAT ‘PERFECTN IS FOR ASSHOL,’ AND I ULDN’T AGREE MORE. IT’S THE UNPREDICTABILY THAT’S EXCG AND EVEN DANGERO AT TIM.”IN A PRS STATEMENT, MAC SAID THAT THE NCEPT OF THE EVENT DAT TO “AN AIDS ACTN I ATTEND 1987… WHAT HAS STUCK WH ME OM THAT DAY WAS EXPERIENCG A MUNY G TOGETHER— THE FACE OF SUCH TRAGEDY AND JTICE—AND EXPRSG THEIR RAGE (AND JOY AT BEG TOGETHER) VIA MIC, DANCG, CHANTG AND AGENCY.“NOT ONLY WAS THE MUNY G SELF TO STROY AN EPIMIC BUT THE ACTIVISTS WERE ALSO G A DISEASE, THEIR TERRATN, AND HUMAN IMPERFECTN AS A WAY TO AID THEIR MUNY.”THE HISTORY THAT TAYLOR TELLS IS NOT AN OBJECTIVE ONE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1836-66 SEGMENT CLUD A “SMACKDOWN”—PLETE WH FX-WRTLG STAGG—BETWEEN STEPHEN FOSTER AND WALT WHMAN, FOR THE TLE OF ‘FATHER OF AMERIN SONG.’ NEEDLS TO SAY, THE QUEER WHMAN FEATED THE STRAIGHT, OCSNALLY RACIST AND SEXIST FOSTER. IT WASN’T A FAIR FIGHT.THEN AGA, WHEN IS HISTORY EVER FAIR? MAC’S RADIL, QUEER RETELLG OF THE AMERIN STORY SERV AS A UNTERPOT TO THE ONE MOST OF PROBABLY HEARD HIGH SCHOOL.AND THERE ARE SOME REAL SIGHTS THAT MAC HAS UNVERED. THE ANTI-MEXIN NTEXT OF THE “ZOOT SU RT” WAS JUXTAPOSED WH JAPANE TERNMENT MPS. THE WELL-MEANG, PATRONIZG WHE-SAVR NARRATIV OF ABOLNIST ANTHEMS WERE NTRASTED WH SONGS WRTEN BY ACTUAL SLAV. AND THEN THERE’S THAT B ABOUT “YANKEE DOODLE DANDY” BEG A BRISH SONG MEANT TO SULT THE MASCULY OF THE AMERIN REBELS.THEN THERE’S TAYLOR MAC’S UNGODLY TALENT SELF—THE PERFECT PCH, THE RADIL SENSIBILY, AND OF URSE, THE STAMA. (I JT KVETCHED ABOUT STG FOR THREE HOURS—TAYLOR’S PLANNG TO SG, PRANCE, DANCE, AND POSE FOR TWENTY-FOUR.) IT’S EASY TO FOC TOO MUCH ON THE MEANG OF THIS ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF AMERI, AND TOO LTLE ON THE BAND, THE CHOREOGRAPHY, AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF OVER 240 SONGS BY MAC’S LLABORATOR, MATT RAY.“AND THE STUM—N WE TALK ABOUT HOW AMAZG [STUME SIGNER] MACHE DAZZLE IS?” CANNG ASKED ME. “DURG WWI TAYLOR WAS WEARG A BARBED WIRE HOTDOG DRS. HORRIFIC AMERIN PRI SLATHERED KETCHUP AND MTARD. THAT ABOUT SUMS UP FOR ME.”INED, HAVG SEEN HUNDREDS OF BROADWAY SHOWS, DRAG SHOWS, PERFORMANCE ART EVENTS, BURNG MAN STUM, AND FASHN WEEK EXTRAVAGANZAS, I N SAFELY SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHG LIKE THE LOOKS THAT MACHE DAZZLE—THAT’S THEIR NAME—HAS NCTED FOR THE 24-DE HISTORY.THE STUM EVOKE ERAS WHOUT QUOTG THEM (THK OF THE SATIRE OF 1950S AMERINA THAT SERV AS THE VER IMAGE FOR THE SHOW, OF TAYLOR A HEADDRS OF 3-D GLASS), PROVIDG A VISUAL QUEERG OF AMERIN HISTORY TO ACPANY TAYLOR MAC’S VERBAL AND MIL ON. THE REVEALS TELL THE STORY.WE ALL KNOW, OR SHOULD KNOW, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HIDN GAY, LBIAN, AND TRANSGENR SUBCULTUR THROUGHOUT AMERIN HISTORY, OM THE MOLLY-HO OF THE 1800S TO THE BALLROOM SCENE OF THE 1980S. (MY LLEAGUE TIM TEEMAN JT REVIEWED A NEW ART EXHIB ABOUT THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF NEW YORK.) THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN LGBT-HEAVY MIL FORMS OM THE BROADWAY MIL TO NTEMPORARY DANCE POP.BUT WHAT IF AMERIN HISTORY IS, SELF, QUEER—THAT IS, NSUMED BY QUTNS OF BORRL, TERSECTNS, GENR, HIERARCHY, AND POWER? WHAT IF BEHD EVERY MLK WAS A BAYARD RT, BEHD EVERY WHMAN A PETER DOYLE? WHAT, I MEAN TO ASK, IF TAYLOR MAC IS RIGHT? JAY MICHAELSON
TAYLOR MAC ON GAY HISTORY, ‘HATON’ AND HIS EPIC 24-HOUR EXTRAVAGANZA AT THE ACE
There are the sensatnal handcrafted stum — ftooned wh fake hot dogs, gay porn, maribou — ma by the signer Mache Dazzle. A lot of the gay men who would have been my mentors or lovers or learned om, they weren’t lived experience was that lbians knew that was happeng and took me unr their wg. The artist’s producg team at Pomegranate Arts requted through CAP’s prs reprentative that genr-specific pronouns be avoid, but Mac seemed more fatigued than fazed when I asked whether there was a difference between Taylor Mac the stage creatn and Taylor Mac the whe, gay man tuckg to a steak before me.
TAYLOR MAC: QUEER AMERIN ARTIST-SHAMAN-HISTORIAN OF THE CENTURY. MAKE THAT TWO CENTURI.REALNS THE ACCLAIMED ACTOR AND MICIAN IS ABOUT TO PERFORM A 24-HOUR-LONG QUEER HISTORY OF AMERIN POPULAR MIC. IN A SGLE TAKE.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 2:37PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 06, 2016 10:25PM EDT AT THE BEGNG OF THE 24TH HOUR OF TAYLOR MAC’S MONUMENTAL “24-DE HISTORY OF POPULAR MIC,” THE “QUEER WOMB” OF PK FABRIC THAT HAD STRETCHED ACROSS THE ENTIRE PERFORMANCE SPACE AT ST. ANN’S WAREHOE BROOKLYN BEME TAYLOR’S DRS FOR THE FALE. IT WAS AS IF WE’D BEEN GATHERED UNR THE PERFORMER’S LOS THE WHOLE TIME, I THOUGHT.IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE CLIMAX, GIVEN THAT MAC HAD ALREADY APPEARED THAT NIGHT—THE EIGHTH OF EIGHT THREE-HOUR NCERTS, EACH HOUR RRPONDG TO A — A GARMENT SHAPED LIKE A GIANT LABIA (HONORG THE LBIAN AVENGERS OF THE 1990S), A HEADPIECE OF SKULLS RAG DOWN TEARS (TO SYMBOLIZE THE AIDS EPIMIC), A FLOOR-LENGTH AT MA OF SSETTE TAP OM THE EIGHTI, A FLANNEL-AND-NIM HOMAGE TO THE LBIAN FASHN OF THE MICHIGAN WOMYN’S MIC FTIVAL, AND, AT TIM, NOTHG AT ALL.“THIS SHOW IS NOT UNIVERSAL,” TAYLOR SAID OM THE STAGE. “DEAL WH .”THIS WEEKEND, THE ENTIRE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR SHOW—ONE HOUR FOR EACH OM 1776 TO 2016—WILL SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, BE PERFORMED S ENTIRETY BY MAC AND AN ENSEMBLE OF MICIANS, GUTS, AND “DANDY MNS.” FOOD WILL BE PROVID, AND HAMMOCKS TO SLEEP . THE DIENCE IS REQUTED TO STAY FOR THE WHOLE TIME. IT WILL BE, MAC SAID, “A RADIL FAERIE REALNS RUAL,” ALLUDG TO THE QUEER SUBCULTURE WHICH FORMED THE LATE 1970S AND HAS SCE PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST NOVATIVE GENR-BENDG ARTISTS OF THE LAST S, CLUDG JOHN CAMERON MCHELL, JT VIVIAN BOND, AND THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE.TAYLOR MAC, TOO, EMERG OM THAT WORLD. BORN 1973 AND RAISED RAL CALIFORNIA, MAC EMERGED NEW YORK’S QUEER, DOWNTOWN ARTS SCENE THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY 2000S—AROUND THE SAME TIME AS MCHELL’S HEDWIG AND BOND’S KIKI AND HERB BROKE THROUGH. IN SOME WAYS, TAYLOR IS A WALKG NTRADICTN: A SUBVERSIVE NONNFORMIST WHO HAS WON MASTREAM ACLAS (GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP, VAR GRANTS); AN ACTOR BOTH HIS OWN UNCLASSIFIABLE SHOWS AND TRADNAL PRODUCTNS OF SHAKPEARE AND BRECHT.I’VE SEEN NE HOURS OF MAC’S GENRE-FYG DURATNAL PERFORMANCE—PARTS BARET, CIRC, TERACTIVE DANCE PARTY, RUAL, BURLQUE, NCERT, HISTORY LSON, DRAG SHOW, MONOLOGUE, AND PERFORMANCE ART—AND, NOT SURPRISGLY, I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG SCRIBG .WHAT TAYLOR MAC HAS BROUGHT TO THIS WAREHOE DUMBO, AFTER YEARS OF WORKSHOPPG AROUND THE UNTRY, IS A SUBVERSIVE UNTER-HISTORY OF THE UNED STAT, TOLD THROUGH THE PRISM OF POPULAR MIC. IT’S LIKE HOWARD ZN A TUTU. PLAYG THE BANJO.AND IS, AS MAC HAS TEND, A MUNY EVENT. FIRST, “EVERYONE” THE DOWNTOWN QUEER PERFORMANCE SCENE SEEMED TO BE EHER THE SHOW OR ATTENDG ; I ULD NAME-DROP THE FILMMAKERS, ACTORS, PRODUCERS, AND PERFORMERS WHO I SPOTTED, BUT THAT SEEMS ANTHETIL TO THE MUNAL SPIR OF THE EVENT.SEND, MAC EQUENTLY VOLV THE DIENCE THE PERFORMANCE—SOMETIM UNFORTABLY, AS WHEN, TO SIMULATE THE WHE FLIGHT OF THE 1950S, MAC MAND THAT WHE DIENCE MEMBERS MOVE OUT OF CERTA SECTNS OF THE SPACE. OR WHEN MAC “SCED” ONE OF THE STRAIGHT MALE ATTEN TO MAKE OUT. OR WHEN WE HAD TO THROW PG-PONG BALLS AT EACH OTHER TO SIMULATE THE BATTL OF WORLD WAR I.AND THEN THERE’S THE SHEER ENDURANCE OF . THREE HOURS IS A LONG TIME TO WATCH A SGLE PERFORMANCE, PECIALLY WH NO TERMISSN, OCSNAL MEANRS TO THE BYWAYS OF AMERIN HISTORY (I’M NOT SURE I NEED THIRTY MUT OF A BABY BOOMER UPLE LOST A SWAMP, OR ATTACKED BY ZOMBI, OR WHATEVER THAT WAS), AND WHAT TAYLOR HAS LLED THE “BENEFS OF IMPERFECTN.” I N ONLY IMAGE WHAT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS WILL BE LIKE. (A FEW ADDNAL TICKETS WERE JT RELEASED HERE.)I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE FEELG THAT WAY. AT THE EIGHTH SHOW, I SAT NEXT TO HUNTER CANNG, AN ACTOR BT KNOWN FOR STARRG THE UNRGROUND-H WEB SERI THE OUTS. “I WENT THROUGH AT TAYLOR’S SHOW,” CANNG SAID. “I LEARNED ABOUT (QUEER) HISTORY, LGHED, CRIED AND ALWAYS AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. Y, SOMETIM MOMENTS WOULD GO ON TOO LONG…. AND TAYLOR WOULD REMD THAT ‘PERFECTN IS FOR ASSHOL,’ AND I ULDN’T AGREE MORE. IT’S THE UNPREDICTABILY THAT’S EXCG AND EVEN DANGERO AT TIM.”IN A PRS STATEMENT, MAC SAID THAT THE NCEPT OF THE EVENT DAT TO “AN AIDS ACTN I ATTEND 1987… WHAT HAS STUCK WH ME OM THAT DAY WAS EXPERIENCG A MUNY G TOGETHER— THE FACE OF SUCH TRAGEDY AND JTICE—AND EXPRSG THEIR RAGE (AND JOY AT BEG TOGETHER) VIA MIC, DANCG, CHANTG AND AGENCY.“NOT ONLY WAS THE MUNY G SELF TO STROY AN EPIMIC BUT THE ACTIVISTS WERE ALSO G A DISEASE, THEIR TERRATN, AND HUMAN IMPERFECTN AS A WAY TO AID THEIR MUNY.”THE HISTORY THAT TAYLOR TELLS IS NOT AN OBJECTIVE ONE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1836-66 SEGMENT CLUD A “SMACKDOWN”—PLETE WH FX-WRTLG STAGG—BETWEEN STEPHEN FOSTER AND WALT WHMAN, FOR THE TLE OF ‘FATHER OF AMERIN SONG.’ NEEDLS TO SAY, THE QUEER WHMAN FEATED THE STRAIGHT, OCSNALLY RACIST AND SEXIST FOSTER. IT WASN’T A FAIR FIGHT.THEN AGA, WHEN IS HISTORY EVER FAIR? MAC’S RADIL, QUEER RETELLG OF THE AMERIN STORY SERV AS A UNTERPOT TO THE ONE MOST OF PROBABLY HEARD HIGH SCHOOL.AND THERE ARE SOME REAL SIGHTS THAT MAC HAS UNVERED. THE ANTI-MEXIN NTEXT OF THE “ZOOT SU RT” WAS JUXTAPOSED WH JAPANE TERNMENT MPS. THE WELL-MEANG, PATRONIZG WHE-SAVR NARRATIV OF ABOLNIST ANTHEMS WERE NTRASTED WH SONGS WRTEN BY ACTUAL SLAV. AND THEN THERE’S THAT B ABOUT “YANKEE DOODLE DANDY” BEG A BRISH SONG MEANT TO SULT THE MASCULY OF THE AMERIN REBELS.THEN THERE’S TAYLOR MAC’S UNGODLY TALENT SELF—THE PERFECT PCH, THE RADIL SENSIBILY, AND OF URSE, THE STAMA. (I JT KVETCHED ABOUT STG FOR THREE HOURS—TAYLOR’S PLANNG TO SG, PRANCE, DANCE, AND POSE FOR TWENTY-FOUR.) IT’S EASY TO FOC TOO MUCH ON THE MEANG OF THIS ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF AMERI, AND TOO LTLE ON THE BAND, THE CHOREOGRAPHY, AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF OVER 240 SONGS BY MAC’S LLABORATOR, MATT RAY.“AND THE STUM—N WE TALK ABOUT HOW AMAZG [STUME SIGNER] MACHE DAZZLE IS?” CANNG ASKED ME. “DURG WWI TAYLOR WAS WEARG A BARBED WIRE HOTDOG DRS. HORRIFIC AMERIN PRI SLATHERED KETCHUP AND MTARD. THAT ABOUT SUMS UP FOR ME.”INED, HAVG SEEN HUNDREDS OF BROADWAY SHOWS, DRAG SHOWS, PERFORMANCE ART EVENTS, BURNG MAN STUM, AND FASHN WEEK EXTRAVAGANZAS, I N SAFELY SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHG LIKE THE LOOKS THAT MACHE DAZZLE—THAT’S THEIR NAME—HAS NCTED FOR THE 24-DE HISTORY.THE STUM EVOKE ERAS WHOUT QUOTG THEM (THK OF THE SATIRE OF 1950S AMERINA THAT SERV AS THE VER IMAGE FOR THE SHOW, OF TAYLOR A HEADDRS OF 3-D GLASS), PROVIDG A VISUAL QUEERG OF AMERIN HISTORY TO ACPANY TAYLOR MAC’S VERBAL AND MIL ON. THE REVEALS TELL THE STORY.WE ALL KNOW, OR SHOULD KNOW, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HIDN GAY, LBIAN, AND TRANSGENR SUBCULTUR THROUGHOUT AMERIN HISTORY, OM THE MOLLY-HO OF THE 1800S TO THE BALLROOM SCENE OF THE 1980S. (MY LLEAGUE TIM TEEMAN JT REVIEWED A NEW ART EXHIB ABOUT THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF NEW YORK.) THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN LGBT-HEAVY MIL FORMS OM THE BROADWAY MIL TO NTEMPORARY DANCE POP.BUT WHAT IF AMERIN HISTORY IS, SELF, QUEER—THAT IS, NSUMED BY QUTNS OF BORRL, TERSECTNS, GENR, HIERARCHY, AND POWER? WHAT IF BEHD EVERY MLK WAS A BAYARD RT, BEHD EVERY WHMAN A PETER DOYLE? WHAT, I MEAN TO ASK, IF TAYLOR MAC IS RIGHT? JAY MICHAELSON
”When asked about siari between “A 24-De History” and “Haton, ” an even more celebrated mil of historil reclamatn, Mac explaed the difference by way of analogy: “I’m not makg Alexanr Haton gay.
Mac has veloped a strategy for alg wh the ocsnal belligerent homophobe who has somehow stumbled to the theater: “If somethg is threateng to take the story away om the storyteller, rporate that threateng thg to the story at all sts. The terpretatn you do of Ted Nugent’s “Snakk Cowboy, ” which you take a really homophobic song and have people fd a same-sex partner and slow dance to , is a great example of somethg that translat well om the show to the I mean, I never get tired of seeg that sequence.