This Saturday night, December 12, Live Arts Miami presents Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce… Pandemic! The virtual show, which will be live on Zoom, is described as a blend of “music, film, burlesque and random acts of fabulousness in the most subversive and cathartic event of the season”. You can RSVP to the show here. As an appetizer The Jitney spoke to one of the show’s producers, Kathryn Garcia, to get the lowdown on what viewers can look forward to this weekend.
What can people expect Saturday night from Holiday Sauce… Pandemic?
Kathryn Garcia: Knowing Taylor Mac, I think they can expect a heavy dose of fabulousness and of course they should expect the unexpected! I can think of no better artist to take us through this crazy moment in time as we close out 2020! Holiday Sauce…Pandemic is a celebration of the songs you love, the holidays you hate, and the power of chosen family, an experience tailor-made for this most unusual holiday season.
What are some of the challenges of getting people excited for a show by Zoom as opposed to in person?
Well, of course, nothing replaces the excitement and magic of a live theater experience, but there is also something fresh and wonderful about having access to great theater at home. What’s not to love? You get amazing artistry from the comfort and safety of your own home – for free! We also have a pre-show workshop on December 10 with Taylor’s amazing partner in crime, Machine Dazzle – the endlessly creative designer of Mac’s costumes and sets. And the fun continues after the show with the Sash and Sashay afterparty, featuring some of Miami’s own unique drag personalities.
For those not in the know what makes Taylor Mac a special artist?
Taylor Mac defies categorization – this actor, drag queen, performer, singer-songwriter, playwright, and director, has more awards than a black dress collects lint including the 2020 Ibsen Award (“the Nobel prize of theater”), a MacArthur ’Genius’ Fellowship, a Tony Award nomination, and more. His gender pronoun is “Judy” and that’s hardly the half of it. Taylor creates irreverent, eclectic, and imaginative work that harnesses the power of collective experience to take audiences on extraordinary journeys! If you haven’t experienced Taylor Mac before, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to find out for yourself!
How was Luigi Ferrer chosen to be celebrated on this evening?
Originally Holiday Sauce was created as a tribute to Taylor’s drag mother and, in that spirit, each institution presenting ‘Holiday Sauce’ is honoring a local LGBTQ elder that has made an OUTsized impact in their communities. Collectively, these fearless leaders are known as the Queens. Luigi Ferrer (aka Gawen) was selected directly by Taylor Mac from a group of nominations submitted by Live Arts Miami. Luigi has dedicated his life to providing services that strengthen our local LGBTQ+ community and we are thrilled to have this opportunity to honor him for his work. His official “coronation” will take place at the Sash and Sashay afterparty!
This show is raising money for MDC Pride Scholarship for LGBTQ Students, can you tell us about the scholarship and why it’s a worthy cause?
Yes! This is one of the beautiful things born out of this work. We were inspired to explore how we could use this opportunity to raise funds to support LGBTQ+ students in our own MDC community. The MDC College Foundation agreed, and the MDC Pride Scholarship was born! A staggering 80% of students at MDC depend on financial assistance. This step towards creating the MDC Pride Scholarship will provide vital support for LGBTQ+ students to further their education. After Dec. 12, Holiday Sauce… Pandemic! will be available on-demand, on a pay-what-you-can basis, from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2, 2021, on the Live Arts Miami website, with all proceeds also directly benefiting this cause.
