Reviewed by Julie-Anne Whitney, Editor
Songs From Bark of Millions; concept, lyrics, and co-direction by Taylor Mac; music and musical direction by Matt Ray; co-direction by Niegel Smith and Faye Driscoll; costume design by Machine Dazzle; lighting design by Paul Frydrychowski; sound design by Brendan Aanes; produced by Pomegranate Arts and Natures Darlings; presented by ArtsEmerson in association with The Huntington Theatre at the Emerson Paramount Center Robert J. Orchard Stage in Boston through October 18, 2026.
Co-director, lyricist, and performance artist Taylor Mac has described his show Bark of Millions as a “songbook parade trance extravaganza,” and an “abstract rock-opera meditation on queerness.” The full show which, according to Mac will never be finished, is five hours long. The concert version, Songs From Bark of Millions, is half that length and worth every fabulous, sparkling minute.
With music written by Matt Ray and lyrics by Mac, the show consists of “57 songs (and counting), one song for each year since Stonewall (1969).” Each song is inspired by a different Queer person (or myth) from world history. In the concert version of the show, you are treated to 20 songs about well known figures like Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, Marsha P Johnson, and Audre Lorde, as well as lesser known folks like Chavela Vargas, Area Scatter, and Justin Chin. The intention, Mac insists, is not to teach you about these people, but to acknowledge their existence– and, by way of the show, the performers themselves– as part of the larger Queer family.
This show is not a history lesson. It’s performance art. It’s drag and cabaret. It’s camp and comedy. It’s also a protest and a celebration; a protest against homophobia, transphobia, and violence against Queer people, and a celebration of Queer identity, Queer bodies, and Queer life. Bark of Millions allows Queer artists (and audiences) to bask in the glory and beauty of their own Queerness. Watching the artists watch each other was the most unexpectedly moving part of the experience. The terrifically talented 12-person cast stays on stage throughout the concert to support each other’s performances, showing the audience exactly how to respond to this work: with appreciation and affection.
Ample appreciation must be given to Machine Dazzle’s deliciously decadent costumes. With fabrics and shapes you’ve never seen before, his designs are bold, flamboyant, wacky, and full of pizazz. The performers are dressed from head to toe in a wild, wonderful array of wigs and capes, gloves and gowns, ruffles and ribbons, polka-dots and pompoms, tassels and sparkles, feathers and fringe, caftans and sequins. The creativity is, truly, astounding.
Bark of Millions is messy, flashy, and silly. But it’s also beautiful, radical, and inspirational. It is a much-needed celebration of Queer existence and an offering of healing to a community that refuses to be invisible despite the efforts of those who would keep us hidden or erase us altogether. Bark of Millions is a declaration: we have always been here and we will always be here.
