“Mr. Mac gave me one of the great experiences of my life. I’ve slept on it, and I’m sure.”
– Wesley Morris, The New York Times
Pulitzer Prize Drama Finalist Taylor Mac will perform his critically-acclaimed concert, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, during the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) on June 2 and June 9, 2018.
Mr. Mac will take his audience through an interactive musical journey of 240 years of United States history through popular American songs. Throughout the musical odyssey, Mac will be joined on stage by burlesque dancers, audience members and an array of special guests.
With recognizable favorites ranging from “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music features 246 new arrangements created by music director Matt Ray. Accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra, Mac divides musical periods into two separate segments:
PART I - June 2, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (1776-1896)
PART II - June 9, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (1896-present day)
Mac has garnered recognition as an actor, singer, playwright, director and performance artist. His work ranges from his Off Broadway award-winning piece The Lily’s Revenge to his dark comedy premiered at New York’s Playwrights Horizon.
Since the debut of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music in 2016, Mac has been the recipient of the Edwin Booth Award, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, and named a MacArthur 'Genius' Award winner.