Macbeth: A Rock Musical – Seattle Public Theater and Macha Theatre Works

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Macbeth: A Rock Musical by an all-femme cast from Seattle Public Theater & Macha Theatre Works. Grungy punk costumes/music/aesthetic were perfect for Seattle. Great score. Entire production run sold out quickly, but rush tickets are still available!

Synopsis from the Theatre: The witches’ prophecy swallows Macbeth whole and a murderous nightmare begins. Can Macbeth upend fate? In this all femme punk rock telling of a classic Shakespearean Tragedy, MacBeth’s foul greed and hunger for power distorts his actions.

Attended Performance Date: 10/19/23 – I would have attended opening night a week earlier but it was already sold out! See my previous preview posts here.

Type: Musical

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several

Static (Stationary) Set: Mostly yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: You should be able to understand old Shakesperean English. As you might already know from my previous posts, I typically don’t prefer Shakespeare plays since they’re so difficult to understand. But this musical was one of the easier shows to comprehend in old Shakesperean English. It helped that the songs were more modern English. Additionally, you might enjoy this play more if you’re already familiar with the Macbeth story or if you’ve seen the original play, both of which didn’t apply to me. Despite this unfamiliarity, I still was able to enjoy the show and follow the general story.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Live Band/Orchestra: Yes, and occasionally during the show, they even spoke dialogue (as witches), walked on-stage, and sang.

Equity Actors: 1

Total Number of Actors: 15

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours

Was there an intermission? Yes

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes, but maybe only a full professional production

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

• Costumes: Lady Macbeth’s red rubber costume and Macbeth’s spiky/sparkly jacket of were well-chosen statement pieces.
• Fire: The letter burning stage magic early in the show was pretty cool.
• Favorite Song: Lady Macbeth (played by Meg McLynn) sang a song with I think Brandi Birdsong’s and Melissa Owen’s character that I wish I could hear again. Unfortunately, I can’t even find an official soundtrack for this musical online!

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Seat Choice: Like I mentioned from Seattle Public Theater’s last musical, try to make sure your seat is close to the right side of the stage (when facing the stage) since the band on the left side might drown out the lyrics.
• The Lion King: Some people sitting close to me mentioned similarities between The Lion King movie and Macbeth, which was pretty interesting to think about while watching the show.
• Harmony: Many song portions where they sang in unison definitely had potential for more harmony to add more interesting song facets.
• Vocal Ranges: While I support all-femme casting, I find the vocal range disparity distracting. I frequently mention this in previous reviews. Typically, when someone sings a part that was originally written for the opposite gender, it sounds like they’re singing too high or too low. And there are songs in this musical originally written for a male vocal range. Songs should be transposed if singing a part that was originally composed for the opposite gender.

Theatre Company: Seattle Public Theater and Macha Theatre Works

Venue: Seattle Public Theater (aka Bathhouse Theatre)

Venue Physical Address: 7312 West Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: Cheap

Tickets: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=spt

• As I mentioned previously, the show is sold out. However, handicap/companion seats are still available online. Rush tickets are available on the day of the performance for $20 each. Box office opens one hour before each performance for rush ticket sales.

Ticket Affordability Options: You can self-select $10 price-accessible tickets.

Dates: October 13 to November 5, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Free plentiful parking lot of Greenlake Park, which is adjacent to the theatre.

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/current-production
• Program

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Joe Iano

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and/or video below

@showsiveseen Joe Popp & Lisa Tricomi's "#Macbeth: A #Rock #Musical" by an all-femme cast from @seattlepublictheater & Macha Theatre Works. Starring Cristin Hubbard & Meg McLynn. Directed by Amy Poisson. Grungy #punk costumes/music/aesthetic were perfect for Seattle. Great score. Entire production run sold out quickly, but rush tickets are still available! Photos: Joe Iano. Review: showsiveseen.com/7028 #shakespeare #theatre #showsiveseen #femme ♬ Bad Decisions – RedHook