Dazzling Mac, Temptations will carry theater-goers away
The incomparable Taylor Mac is back and fiercer than ever. The bedazzling Mac, beloved for works such as “Hir” and “The Lily’s Revenge,” is coming to San Francisco’s Curran Theatre with his mind-blowing “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music.” A gender chameleon in sequins and heels, the performance artist said the seeds of this gorgeously gaudy piece were planted during the first AIDS walk in San Francisco in 1986.
The glitzy “An American in Paris” musical will also try to sweep you off your feet and a highly anticipated Temptations musical aims to get your groove back. One of the big themes this fall season spins around evoking the social engines of the past, from old movies and Motown to the history of pop music.
There are also juicy new plays to dive into such as Bess Wohl’s comedy of mindfulness “Small Mouth Sounds” at American Conservatory Theater and Madeleine George’s timely tale of AI, “The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence” at Shotgun Players.
Consider this a cheat sheet for the new theater season. Here are five shows you must see this fall:
“AIN'T TOO PROUD: THE TEMPTATIONS MUSICAL” >> Des McAnuff, the creator of “Jersey Boys,” directs this Motown jukebox musical that seems destined for box office gold. Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, this musical gets its world premiere at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. It charts the life and times of the R&B icons The Temptations, five young guys from the streets of Motor City who made it big. Anthemic songs include “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
DETAILS >> It is in previews today-Sept. 13 and the main run is Sept. 14-Oct. 8; Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre; $70-$125; www.berkeleyrep.org.
“AN AMERICAN IN PARIS” >> Get whisked off to the city of lights with this Tony Award-winning musical about an American soldier, a gamine French girl and a war-torn city yearning for rebirth. Estimable director/ choreographer Christopher Wheeldon captures the joy of the classic tale, immortalized in the 1951 Gene Kelly movie in this national tour launch of the Broadway smash.
DETAILS >> Presented by SHN, Sept. 12-Oct. 8; Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; $45-$214; www.shnsf.com.
“A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC” >> Mac drew raves for this epic piece that was workshopped at San Francisco’s Curran before being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and hailed by the New York Times as “one of the great experiences of my life.” A colossal pop music marathon that stretches out for four six-hour performances, this show charts a 24-hour history of the United States through 246 songs that were popular throughout the nation from 1776 to now. Presented by the Curran and Stanford Live in association with the Magic Theatre and Pomegranate Arts, this high-prestige piece is bound to be a hot ticket.
DETAILS >> Sept. 15-24; Curran Theatre, San Francisco; $49-$285; sfcurran. com/Taylor-Mac; Mac will also perform an abridged version at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University; listed as sold out, but check for ticket releases or to register on a waiting list; live. stanford.edu.
“THE (CURIOUS CASE OF THE) WATSON INTELLIGENCE” >> Madeleine George examines the brave new world of artificial intelligence in this finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize. Hurry up and catch the final performances of this time-hopping, ornately-plotted drama about a robot known as Watson, with a soothing Siri-esque tone and how real people bond to machines across the centuries.
DETAILS >> Through Sept. 10; Ashby Stage, Berkeley; $25$40; www.shotgunplayers.org.
“SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS” >> Bess Wohl skewers the cult of mindfulness in this noted off-Broadway comedy about a wellness retreat in the woods. “Sounds” makes its regional premiere at American Conservatory Theater, directed by Rachel Chavkin, a Tony nominee for “Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812.”
DETAILS >> In previews Oct. 11-24, the main run is Oct. 25-Dec. 10; ACT’s Strand Theater, San Francisco; $25-$90; www.act-sf.org.