Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce…Pandemic! is a COVID-prompted online version of a fabulous touring show of years past, every bit as splashy and flamboyant as one has come to expect from the Mac oeuvre, which includes his Pulitzer-nominated A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. (The funny, wise plays Hir and Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus are out-there as well, though in a more conventional, Broadway-friendly vein.)
To my surprise, there is an additional, startling cultural reference point for this hour-plus revue: namely, a decade and a half of Bing Crosby Christmas specials. Honestly, both structurally and tonally, the show is right out of the “Yuletide With Bing” playbook. But for the drag and glitter and double-entendres, and the occasional swipe at Christianity, the Old Groaner—who pulled off a famous “Little Drummer Boy” duet with David Bowie, lest we forget—would’ve felt right at home here.
Structurally, it’s the same mix of (prerecorded) songs and sketches and (livestreamed) emcee intros that TV has been rolling out between Thanksgiving and New Year’s since time immemorial. Of course we’re always ready for randy twists. The cast shows non-believers how to make mental substitutions to the religioso lyrics to “O Holy Night.” (You’re to think of a real particular hole and the “sin and error” of capitalism pining. “Fall on your knees” defines itself.)
[Read Elysa Gardner’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
But then Thornetta Davis, the “Queen of Detroit Soul” and a Christian through and through, steps up to deliver an angel-voiced rendition of the same carol for holiday cheer at its most traditional. It’s later echoed by Steffanie Christi’an’s heartfelt performance of Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands.” Any Christmas special of any year would’ve been proud to host guests like these.
Tonally, sure, there’s a thick serving of campy sass in Taylor Mac’s interstitials, vocal hints of Paul Lynde and Marion Lorne layered in. (The show’s most brilliant touch is the performance of “Christmas With Grandma,” a musical reminiscence of the elders’ alcoholism, child abuse, homophobia and incontinent dog played against charming animation by violinist Dana Lyn.)
But as we’re told the beloved late mentor Mother Flawless Sabrina once advised, “Irony, snark, cynicism—those are all tools, not ways of life.” So our emcee becomes downright sentimental, belying the headdress at which even Carmen Miranda might balk as over-the-top. The “Queens,” eighteen over-65’s from around the world (from Oslo to Seattle), are highlighted as neighborhood stars in a photomontage sure to bring a tear to any eye. And Taylor Mac ends the event on the tenderest of notes with a pure, lovely rendition of “How Can I Keep From Singing.” (Kudos to music director Matt Ray all around.)
All of which is to say that notwithstanding the avant-garde touches, outré costumes, warnings about (mild) sexual content and adult themes, and overall sense of the naughty, I find Holiday Sauce…Pandemic! more notable for its respect for Yuletide traditions than for its nods to outrageousness. All things considered, it’s an eggnog toast that can be appreciated by devout and skeptic, LGBTQ+ and straight, alike. Indeed, it’s the sort of attraction that might just help to bring all of the above together. I’m told that Taylor Mac’s preferred pronoun is “judy.” Well, judy’s Christmas show isn’t just for friends of Judy. Friends of Bing will get a bang out of it too.
Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce…Pandemic! was streamed December 12, 2020 and will remain online through January 2, 2021. Information and reservations: taylormacholidaysauce.com
