The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth

Synopsis

Verdi’s admiration for Shakespeare led to such masterpieces as Othello and Falstaff, and if the earlier Macbeth isn’t on their exalted level it’s still a powerfully dramatic opera that hews closely to the original’s story line. The MET’s production retains the dark aura of the opera while updating it to a vaguely post-modern context. So the witches are bag ladies in various stages of decrepitude, with children in tow. The Banquet Scene features lowered chandeliers, a plethora of chairs, and a slew of extras dressed in tuxedos and party gowns. Macbeth sports a leather coat, the soldiers are in drab brown uniforms and seem to have fingers on their triggers even when they’re supposed to be in non-threatening situations. Director Adrian Noble also has Lady Macbeth do an inordinate amount of writhing around and singing from a lying-down position, adding to the feeling that a less interventionist directorial hand might have generated more impact.

Main Cast

Željko Lučić

Macbeth

Age : N/A | Popularity : 4%

John Relyea

Banquo

Age : 52 | Popularity : 3%

Maria Guleghina

Lady Macbeth

Age : N/A | Popularity : 4%

Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs

Lady-in-waiting to Lady Macbeth

Age : N/A | Popularity : 0%

Dimitri Pittas

McDuff, Thane of Fife

Age : N/A | Popularity : 1%

Mary Jo Heath

Self - Special Guest Interviewer

Age : N/A | Popularity : 0%

Richard Hobson

A Servant of Macbeth

Age : N/A | Popularity : 0%

Raymond Renault

Duncan, King of Scotland

Age : N/A | Popularity : 0%

Crew

Department	Role	Name
Directing	Director	Gary Halvorson
Sound	Original Music Composer	Giuseppe Verdi
	Music Producer	Jay David Saks
	Conductor	James Levine
	Sound Supervisor	Bill King
Writing	Writer	Francesco Maria Piave Andrea Maffei
	Original Story	William Shakespeare
Costume & Make-Up	Costume Designer	Mark Thompson
	Makeup Artist	Matiki Anoff Victor Callegari
	Hairstylist	Tom Watson
	Assistant Costume Designer	Mitchell Bloom
	Wardrobe Supervisor	William Malloy
Production	Executive Producer	Peter Gelb
	Producer	Victoria Warivonchik Louisa Briccetti
	Supervising Producer	Mia Bongiovanni Elena Park
Art	Production Design	Adrian Noble
	Set Designer	Mark Thompson
Crew	Choreographer	Sue Lefton
	Technical Supervisor	Ron Washburn
	Dramaturgy	Paul Cremo
Lighting	Lighting Design	Jean Kalman
Department	Role	Name

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