Bark of Millions

a rock opera meditation on queerness from Taylor Mac & Matt Ray

A powerhouse collective of international artists ignite an electrifying collision of performance, live music, and drag spectacle in the latest from theater-making renegades Taylor Mac, Matt Ray, and Machine Dazzle. The team unleashes their creativity in a rock opera meditation on queerness, featuring 55 original songs by Mac and Ray and a bevy of costumes by Dazzle. With the fierce elation of a pride parade, Bark of Millions is a luxuriant, provocative spectacle unlike any other.

Taylor Mac (a MacArthur Fellow, Ibsen Award winner, and Pulitzer Prize finalist) and Obie Award-winning composer Matt Ray are the masterminds behind this extraordinary event, which was commissioned and produced by Pomegranate Arts. Co-directed by visionaries Niegel Smith and Faye Driscoll and showcasing the extravagance of Machine Dazzle’s costume design, Bark of Millions is brought to life by an international ensemble of 22 artists.

As in his legendary retelling of American history A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Mac and his artistic community use music, dance, and drag to subvert and deconstruct conventional narratives and joyfully, transgressively celebrate queerness in all its forms.

Bark of Millions is a transformative experience that celebrates the power of individuality and human connection. This once-in-a-lifetime event promises to shatter conventions, push boundaries, and bring a bold new perspective to the stage.

Lyrics and Direction by
Taylor Mac
Music and Musical Direction by
Matt Ray
The Ensemble
Ari Folman-Cohen, Bernice “Boom Boom” Brooks, Chris Giarmo, Dana Lyn, El Beh, Greg Glassman, Jack Fuller (Vocal Captain), Joel E. Mateo, Jules Skloot, Le Gateau Chocolat, Lisa “Paz” Parrott, Machine Dazzle, Mama Alto, Marika Hughes, Matt Ray, Sean Donovan (Associate Choreographer), Steffanie Christi’an, Stephen Quinn, Taylor Mac, Thornetta Davis, Viva DeConcini, Wes Olivier
Co-Director
Niegel Smith
Co-Director / Choreographer
Faye Driscoll
Costume Design
Machine Dazzle
Lighting Design
John Torres
Sound Design
Brendan Aanes
Art Direction
Matthew Buttrey
Props Design
Oscar Escobedo & Zach Blumner
Produced by
Pomegranate Arts & Nature’s Darlings
Creative and Executive Producers
Linda Brumbach & Alisa E. Regas
Commissioned by Pomegranate Arts and BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)
Co-commissioned by Sydney Opera House and the Berliner Festpiele with additional support by the Ron Beller & Jennifer Moses Family Foundation and Hal Philipps. Residencies at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, MASS MoCA-North Adams, MA, Irish Arts Center-New York City, and PEAK Performances in the Alexander Kasser Theater, Montclair State University-Montclair, NJ.