The Metropolitan Opera – Verdi: Macbeth (2008)
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.
Director: Gary Halvorson
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Željko Lučić as Macbeth |
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John Relyea as Banquo |
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Maria Guleghina as Lady Macbeth |
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Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs as Lady-in-waiting to Lady Macbeth |
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Dimitri Pittas as McDuff, Thane of Fife |
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Mary Jo Heath as Self - Special Guest Interviewer |
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Richard Hobson as A Servant of Macbeth |
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Raymond Renault as Duncan, King of Scotland |
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Russell Thomas as Malcolm, Duncan's Son |
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Adam Hauser Piñero as Fleance, Banquo's Son |
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Keith Miller as A Murderer |
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David Crawford as A Warrior |
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Ashley Emerson as A Bloody Child |
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Anne-Carolyn Bird as A Crowned Child |
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James Courtney as A Doctor |
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Joseph Turi as A Herald |
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MET Orchestra as |
| Directing | Gary Halvorson | Director |
| Sound | Giuseppe Verdi | Original Music Composer |
| Writing | Francesco Maria Piave | Writer |
| Art | Adrian Noble | Production Design |
| Costume & Make-Up | Mark Thompson | Costume Designer |
| Crew | Sue Lefton | Choreographer |
| Art | Mark Thompson | Set Designer |
| Lighting | Jean Kalman | Lighting Design |
| Sound | James Levine | Conductor |
| Crew | Paul Cremo | Dramaturgy |
| Crew | Ron Washburn | Technical Supervisor |
| Writing | Andrea Maffei | Writer |
| Production | Elena Park | Supervising Producer |
| Sound | Bill King | Sound Supervisor |
| Production | Mia Bongiovanni | Supervising Producer |
| Production | Victoria Warivonchik | Producer |
| Production | Peter Gelb | Executive Producer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Tom Watson | Hairstylist |
| Costume & Make-Up | Mitchell Bloom | Assistant Costume Designer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Matiki Anoff | Makeup Artist |
| Production | Louisa Briccetti | Producer |
| Sound | Jay David Saks | Music Producer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Victor Callegari | Makeup Artist |
| Costume & Make-Up | William Malloy | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Writing | William Shakespeare | Original Story |
