Oct 15—18, 2026
Taylor Mac and Matt Ray: Songs from Bark of Millions
Pomegranate Arts / From USA
Get TicketsIf you’re not invited to the party, throw a better one!
A powerhouse collective of artists ignites an electrifying collision of performance, live music, and drag spectacle. One of the great creative partnerships in contemporary American performance, MacArthur Award-winning icon Taylor Mac reunites with Obie Award-winning composer Matt Ray, ”the musical nexus of New York’s alt-cabaret scene” (NYTimes), for an evening that invites all to reflect on queer lineage and futures.
Following their much-heralded durational performance A 24-Decade History of Popular Music (subject of an HBO original documentary), Mac and Ray created the epic Bark of Millions, that aims to create a new canon of original songs inspired by queer figures past and present.
Electrifying, provocative, and entirely disarming, this concert version of Bark of Millions is an open call to community and celebration. In Mac’s own words, if you’re not invited to the party, throw a better one!
“Bark of Millions provides a source for poetic contemplation, a queer terroir out of which new forms of life can grow.” (Vulture, NY Mag)
The Bark of Millions book will be published by Black Dog & Leventhal in Fall 2026. Pre-order a copy here!
Presented in association with The Huntington.
Info
Venue
Robert J. Orchard Stage
Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Dates
Oct 15, 2026 - Oct 18, 2026
Details
Approximately 2 hours with no intermission
Ages: 12+
This show contains adult content and themes such as strong language and sexual references/imagery.
Access
Audio Described Performance
Sat, Oct 17 2:00 pm
Note: This show is currently available as part of an ArtsEmerson season package, group sales, or individual tickets. Season Packages still provide the best ticket prices!
Tickets
Artists
Presented by ArtsEmerson
In association with The Huntington
Music and musical direction:
Matt Ray
Lyrics and direction:
Taylor Mac
Gallery
Photo Credit: Daniel Boud
Photo Credit: Daniel Boud
Photo Credit: Daniel Boud
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes
“In all its overflowing maximalism, Bark of Millions feels like a spiritual successor to the work that made Mac a superstar.”
— The Guardian
“A supergroup of musical might and sheer magnetism.“
— Vulture
“Aural gorgeousness and visual spectacle”
— The New York Times
“Each outfit is its own solar system, complete with a star, planets and moons. One pair of gloves looks like whole arms dipped in gloopy pink frosting. A pair of false legs, resembling a mesh sack of loofahs, gives the appearance of a court jester. Red roses form an afro. A garment of copper bubbles is scarved in downy feathers.”
— San Francisco Chronicle