This is easily one of the highlights of the year in culture in Los Angeles. Taylor Mac, one of the most innovative and unique performers around, presents a view of American History – all 240+ years of it, through popular song. The result is A 24-Decade History of Popular Music that is being presented by CapUCLA over four nights (each one six hours) at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel.
Here is the breakdown of the four parts:
Thursday, March 15th: Chapter 1: 1776-1836
The American Revolution from the perspective of the Yankee Doodle Dandy, the early women’s lib movement, an epic battle between drinking songs and early Temperance songs; a dream sequence where the audience is and the heteronormal narrative of colonization.
Friday, March 17th: Chapter II: 1836-1896
Walt Whitman and Stephen Foster go head to head for the title of Father of the American Song culminating in the queerest Civil War Reenactment in history. Oh…and a production of the Mikado set on Mars.
Thursday, March 22nd: Chapter III: 1896-1956
A Jewish tenement, a WWI trench, a speak-easy, a depression and a zoot suit riot all make the white people flee the cities.
Saturday, March 24th: Chapter IV: 1956-Present
Bayard Rustin’s March on Washington leads to a queer riot, sexual deviance as revolution, radical lesbians and a community building itself while under siege.
Check back later this week for part one of a two-part interview with Taylor Mac about this massive project. (The second part will run next week.)