Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

Something wicked this way comes—except those stakes are never quite felt in this somewhat uneven production of Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy, Macbeth . Directed by Jack O’Brien ( Catch Me if You Can ), there’s a lack of urgency and intensity throughout much of the nearly three-hour play. Unlike last season’s abridged Macbeth (a thoroughly engrossing production that starred Alan Cumming), this is faithful to the text. And while that could be the reason this production of Macbeth drags, especially in the expository scenes, the poor pacing is more likely to due to the direction. (To wit: There’s plenty of exposition in, say, Richard III , currently enjoying a superlative bow courtesy of Mark Rylance and company. Nothing drags in that production, directed by Tim Carroll.) The good news is there’s a brilliant supporting cast, a winning ensemble uncommon in large productions. We have everyman Brian d’Arcy James as Banquo, one of Macbeth’s trusted compatriots. In small unadorned momen...

I finally got to see Alan Cumming in his not-quite one-man interpretation of Macbeth , arguably one of Shakespeare's greatest works. The bloody and gruesome tale of a vainglorious antihero is told with spectacular power by Cumming, with an assist from Jenny Sterlin and Brendan Titley, in less flashy but no less important roles. Cumming embodies about 15 Shakespearean characters as he portrays one character who is in a mental institution. Part of his therapy is to enact Macbeth's story. Subtly, unobtrusively but powerfully, this production layers another story on to Shakespeare's, mining new depth in the classic story of a man overcome by his need for position and confirmation of manhood. I don't want to give anything away so I won't say much more about the construct of the show, directed by John Tiffany ( Once ) and Andrew Goldberg, with scenic design by Merle Hensel, lighting design by Natasha Chivers, sound design by Fergus O'Hare, video design (an integ...