MACBETH reviews...

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 6:51pm

Looks like we needed one of these! I'm rooting for Alan Cumming. Saw it last night and was blown away. A tour-de-force and a perfomance I'll never forget.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 6:53pm

I have a few friends that have seen this and they have had nothing but amazing praise. Hoping the critics see it the same way.

Well, that, and I hope the stars align and I'll get to see it for myself!

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 6:54pm

Oops! You beat me to it!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 6:55pm

I hope you do too, dramamama. It is remarkable.

Oops, showchoir! Sorry!

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:08pm

Huffington Post is POSITIVE

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:15pm

Closer to being a rave rather than just positive. IMHO. The title alone calls it STUNNING.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:18pm

Good call, dramamama!

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 7:22pm

AM New York- 2 stars

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 8:14pm

When bloody, shirtless Alan Cumming recites the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy on the stage of the Ethel Barrymore, I was floored: He would be great in “Macbeth” I thought. But of course, that was what this was supposed to be ...
Macbeth Review: Alan Cumming in a One-Maniac Broadway Show

[Jim Colyer]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 8:52pm

Roman Polanski's 1971 Macbeth movie is worth the effort.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067372/

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:04pm

The AMNY review is absurd. The physicality of every single character is so different from the last, that it's impossible NOT to follow who each one is.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:14pm

I don't understand the gripes with his accent. I was in the very last row of the orchestra and heard every single syllable crisp and sharp.

No, I'm not a shill. Just really believe this was very special.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 9:45pm

If I recall correctly, he's playing 16 characters. I've seen Macbeth a number of times and, granted its not my favorite Shakespeare by far, I can barely remember the names of 16 characters once you get past the leads...

I'm glad you thought it was crystal clear. Don't say it's "impossible," because your claim becomes very easily falsifiable. .

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:04pm

I'm sure it's confusing, but even if you see a Shakespeare in the Park production, I think you'd probably still be a little confused. I know I always am. Shakespeare just is kind of confusing.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:15pm

I saw it at Lincoln Center. I also say it was crystal clear.

The script has been trimmed. (Expertly, I might add.)

No reasonably intelligent person will have any problem whatsoever understanding and appreciating. Loving it, as a matter of fact.

I would not, however, recommend it for persons of less-than-reasonable intelligence.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:34pm

In reading the reviews, it seems like many are calling out Cumming on what appears to them as him being inauthentic. That this show feels like a vanity piece and adds little to Macbeth.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 10:38pm

lets be honest, if you dont have a familiarity with macbeth before going into this production, your going to be alittle lost.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:02pm

Hmm, so this has been changed since the Lincoln Center version I saw this summer?

Required double dipping?!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:07pm

The NY Times is mixed: http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/theater/reviews/macbeth-with-alan-cumming-at-the-barrymore-theater.html?ref=arts&_r=0&pagewanted=1 Updated On: 4/21/13 at 11:07 PM

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:11pm

I'm inclined to agree with Isherwood on this one. Although Cumming pulls the trick of differentiating between the roles, no mean feat in itself, he doesn't really inhabit them individually. Maybe because Patrick Stewart's performance still resonates so vividly with me, I was continually measuring the two performances of the title character with each other and, sadly, Cumming came off light years behind Stewart. Just my thought.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:12pm

man Davenport just can not catch a break, this on paper should have been a sure fire hit.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:41pm

NY Post is mixed with two out of four stars:
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/when_king_crowns_himself_XjHrKXwNO7F3vEcVYWnA9O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Theater

Variety is positive: http://variety.com/2013/legit/reviews/legit-review-macbeth-1200400767/

EW is positive with a B+: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20364394_20693398,00.html

NY Mag is mixed: http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/theater-review-alan-cumming-as-macbeth.html

NY Daily News is mixed with three out of five stars: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/macbeth-alan-cumming-theater-review-article-1.1322277

NJ Newsroom is mixed: http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/movies/macbeth-broadway-review-alan-cumming-gets-crazy-about-shakepeare

AP is positive: http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/review-alan-cummings-1-man-macbeth-stunningly-redefines-the-concept-of-tour-de-force/2013/04/21/8706e678-aacf-11e2-9493-2ff3bf26c4b4_story.html

Bloomberg is mixed to negative with two out of five stars: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-04-21/alan-cumming-s-nutty-macbeth-looks-for-tonys-review

USA Today is mixed with two and a half out of four stars: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/04/21/broadway-review-macbeth/2095981/

Newdsay is positive: http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/macbeth-review-one-man-cumming-triumph-1.5106891

Time Out NY is mixed with three out of five stars: http://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/macbeth-17 Updated On: 4/22/13 at 11:41 PM

[bjh2114]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:54pm

Wow! I haven't seen this yet, but I am shocked at the reviews based on everything I've heard. Now I'm super intrigued to see this Tuesday. I thought Cumming was going to become the favorite for the Tony after tonight, but maybe Letts still has a better chance than I thought!

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 4/21/13 at 11:57pm

I thought cumming was giving a great performance when I saw this last summer, but man does it seem to be backfiring on him as some kind of ego trip self obsessed vanity piece.

[massofmen]

Posted: 4/22/13 at 8:07am

umm agenda much? a lot of what you say is mixed is pretty negative. Of course you have to say what Alan is doing is difficult and hard, and demanding, but most of the reviews you said were mixed say that he doesn't really know what he is doing. Is pretty damning.