MacB! is a magically good time
NOTE: I have no idea if this joke is worthwhile or not, but I spent the time to write it, so I’ll post it now. A small jab at commercialization of art at the end is weak commentary, I think. It’s certainly long-winded…
Playing this season on Broadway, MacB! is the recent musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s seminal hit, Macbeth. Directed by proud up and coming director Joe Vanderhook, MacB! puts the full force of the best of New York’s artistic talent along side the best of classic British theatre.
The play opens with a prologue featuring the talented Elizabeth Kaine, Claire Rogan, and Kelly Fontaine as the red, blond, and black haired ‘Wyrd Sisters,’ the scantily clad mystical chorus that frames the entire play. Their opening song, ‘Double Double, (Toil and Trouble)’ sets the tone with an incredible display of pyrotechnics and a laser show that is used to supplement the finely crafted set with images of far off castles, smokey clouds, and spectral images that help accent the horror that the rest of the show promises to deliver. The song is well-crafted and danced impeccably with the frantic spasms of the performers providing a true sense of otherworldly possession, while the sharp and almost painful lyrics screamed by these three actresses betrayed their devotion to these complex and intricate characters. The completion of the first song alone caused a standing ovation that lasted over five minutes, sadly forcing the three women to hold their complex final pose no doubt far longer than they expected, but they maintained their stance with a professionalism and aplomb that is to be commended, if not celebrated.
The first act begins with noted actor Dave Sokolov marching down the theatre aisles, axe carried on his broad shoulders and humming with the promise of the extreme heavy metal chords to come. I can only say that his performance of the much anticipated “Duncan’s Delight,” written by the famous Alice Cooper, sent shivers down my spine; often literally with the bass notes hitting me square in the stomach until I was almost convinced I was a soldier in the very army King Duncan was celebrating the demise of. The background chorus of Duncan’s Army provided suitable support musically, and I am only sorry that I cannot appropriately list each performer here, as each one managed to create an individual character with hopes, dreams, and opinions with little more than a musical instrument and backup vocals. I dare say the audience was on their feet and clapping before the song was even finished.
It is at this point that the genius of the set is first revealed to the audience, as the entire stage pivots back, bringing a sudden change of scenery rising up from beneath the action, and we get our first glimpse of our two heroes of the performance, Banquo, played by Mark Hodges, and the titular Macbeth, played masterfully by Nick van Wroth. Their introduction is the much acclaimed ‘Come, Thane of Cawdor,’ a power ballad written by the noted songwriter M. Doughty, sung by the Wyrd Sisters while performing aerobatic maneuvers over the audience in an obvious homage to Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.
It is during this song that the plot is revealed: Macbeth and Banquo are both given prophesies that seem to bring good tidings, though it is clear that Macbeth is disatisfied with his future, and sings the song ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,’ as an affirmation of his hubris, ambition, and passion for power. The intertwining songs, sets, and aerobatics all braid beautifully to create an amazing smorgasbord of talent and pinpoint precision that had the audience on the edge of their seats.
This display is halted, however, by the arrival of The Messenger, played by Evan DuMain, whose haunting reprise of ‘Come, Thane of Cawdor’ foreshadows the terrible tragedy that is to come. The set then pivots again, suddenly transforming from a rocky knoll overlooking a castle to the castle itself, the miraculous illusion of flying over the countryside an effect worthy of Julie Tamor or even Peter Jackson. It is here that we are first introduced to the song that created so much stir in the news: for the uninitiated, ‘Dunsinane,’ written by famed performers Beonce Knowles and Paul McCartney, resulted in the hiring and firing of no less than seven different music directors and dance choreographers. It is easy, upon hearing the song as performed by seventeen chorus members, including solos by Kurt Servenski and Evan Smith as ’the Pot Men,’ to understand where this nervousness arose from, as the lines “Jewel of Scotland/Great Dunsinane/We seek but a needle/to fit in the vein,” and “We live on our knees/to praise our great Thane/or to earn us our living/in Great Dunsinane,” seem to glorify the illegal drug culture and prostitution respectively, but I am gratified to report that the audience seemed unwilling to allow the potential harm to children detract from their obvious enjoyment of the ribald and outlandish lyrics, and thrilling performances from the chorus.
At last, we came to the great anticipation of the evening, the lauded and greatly hyped performance of Hugh Jackman as Lady Macbeth. It seems almost quaint now, considering recent events, to rehash the controversy that resulted in seven delayed previews due to family values protests outside the theatre, but I am happy to say that the choice to cast Lady Macbeth with a male was simply a stroke of genius on the part of the director. Her introductory song, ‘Unsex Me Here,’ performed both as a sultry tango to entice her husband to murder, and as a gospel prayer to the powers that be, was quite simply a thrill to watch, and any concerns I may have had regarding the choice was swept aside by Jackman’s swaying thighs and sultry voice.
It is here that I must confess that in twenty years of writing reviews to great plays and musicals of our age, I have never in my life been as surprised and amazed as I was by the effects surrounding the death of Duncan. While I cannot in good conscience spoil the surprise for my readers, I can say I have never seen rubber hose, mannequins, and old gas cans used in such a — dare I say — spell-binding nature. The entire scene is performed to the instrumental ‘Screwed to the Sticking Place,’ with lead guitar by Paul Jones and drum solo by Megan MacRea. The set almost seemed to split in half upon completion of this piece, and the act closed with the soulful ballad, ‘Sleep No More,’ with amazing solos by Macbeth, Banquo, and Lady Macbeth.
Act Two opens with a sidesplitting slapstick performance by noted actors Alyson Reed and Joe Potnik, as the Porter and the Doorman. I am pleased to note that the performers needed to pause in their antics no less than seven times for the audience to catch their breath and applaud. (Pay careful attention to the lollipop — I was so amazed by the performers that I didn’t notice until halfway through the scene where it had gone.)
Any end to this scene would have been a depressing let down, had it not been interrupted by famed veteran of film and stage, Ryan Worpole as Macduff. His solo reprise of ‘Dunsinane’ somehow managed to seamlessly transition the entire performance from the light pallette cleansing comedy back into the dark and depressing ennui that had so dominated the first act. I have always found Worpole to be a fantastic performer, and in his debut musical I was delighted to find his singing voice is no less wonderful to witness.
It is here that I fear the director lost his vision. It should be no surprise that, even in theatre, there are stories that are never completely told, and I cannot say if an actor refused to take part or if the producers or insurance companies lay down a mandate, but the death of Banquo simply did not have the emotional piquancy that I had come to expect from this amazing performance. It is, of course, not to be attributed to the three murderers, whose A Cappella song, “(Let it) Come Down,” has already topped the charts on iTunes and pays homage to the seminal heavy metal god Ozzy Osborne. I can only say that this portion of MacB! failed to live up to the amazingly high standards that had been set by what had come before. Accepting that, the scene was still easily worthy of any performance on Broadway.
The Banquet scene is visually striking, but while ‘Hence (and Quit My Sight),’ is well performed, noted artist DJ Shadow is simply not a composer who fits in a Broadway production with such high production value.
The minor let-down of this scene, however, was not allowed to stand for long, as the death of Banquo is framed again by the Wyrd Sisters, this time leaping out of the set from traps in the floor, and the reprise of ‘Double Double’ is sung. This wondrous display is highlighted by the wonderful puppet work of Jim Henson Studios, whose fifteen foot tall puppet of Hecate manages to juggle the three witches over the bubbling cauldron, with astounding acrobatics on the sisters part, and clever placement of hidden trampolines. The smoke and laser display is truly a wonder to behold, and never before has the phrase ‘magic of theatre’ been so accurately presented.
From here, the play begins moving at a feaver pitch, picking up speed all the while. A deep bass line is played for the rest of the performance, providing a metronome — or a heartbeat — for the action. Macbeth reprises ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow,’ while Macduff’s ‘Burnam Wood will Burn him Down,’ provides a musical counterpoint while the action jumps back and forth between the castle and the rebel camp. Lady Macbeth’s ‘Out Damn Spot’ provides a chilling end to her performance, with the Nurse and Doctor providing backup singing.
Periodically during this performance, during the brief lulls in the the onstage-action, I found myself wondering how the finale of this performance could possibly measure up to the wonderful display I was witnessing. I am glad to report that the director did not let us down. The final battle, which reprises ‘Dunsinane,’ ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow,’ and ‘Sleep No More,’ is one of the most thrilling climaxes to a production I have ever seen. The audience — and I am including myself in this group — instantly were transformed into spectators at a gladiatorial event, watching the final showdown between the two vocal and physical powerhouses, Macbeth and Macduff, in the style of a battle of the bands. The wonderful bass voice of Macduff singing lines such as ‘I was from my mother’s womb / untimely ripped, / Now I shall send thee down / to thy dark crypt’ provided a wonderful check to Macbeth’s Baritone, and lines like ‘Of all men else / I have avoided thee, / Now back thee off / or I shall cutteth thee.’ I will not spoil the climactic effects, suffice to say that I have never seen, heard, nor indeed felt such a tremendous display as the conclusion to MacB!. The pyrotechnic displays, lasers, lights, smoke machines, and the surprising return of the Wyrd Sisters as janitors created a tour de force that left every audience member on their feet, applauding through five curtain calls and an encore performance of ‘Tomorrow and Tomorrow.’
Broadway has a true wonder with MacB!, and the single notable rough patch in the production I can easily shrug off as a single crack on the liberty bell, or a small bone in a perfectly grilled salmon. MacB! is running for the next three months and is more than deserving of your patronage. I urge everyone to purchase their ticket immediately, as this is the sort of performance that is not content to merely be art, but simply demands your money.