MACBETH
April 16-24, 2016
Music
Giuseppe Verdi
World Premiere
Sunday, March 14, 1847
Conductor
Stephen Lord
Set Design
Noele Stollmack
Stage Manager
Ken Saltzman
Stage Director
Bernard Uzan
Lighting Design
Donald Thomas
Assistant Director
Kelsey A. Ross
BRAVO • Spring 2016
Wig & Makeup Design
Joanne Weaver
Supertitles
Dee Dorsey
Costumes
Malabar, Ltd. Toronto
IDA AND CONRAD H. SMITH
ENDOWMENT FOR
MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE
J. ERNEST AND ALMENA
GRAY WILDE FUND
6
Chorus Master
Suzanne Mallare Acton
Projection Design
Michael Baumgarten
Scenery constructed by
Florentine Opera Company Scene Shop
PRODUCTION SPONSOR
Libretto
Francesco Maria Piave
and Andrea Maffei
2016 SPRING OPERA
SEASON SPONSOR
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
PERFORMANCE SPONSOR
Michigan Opera Theatre
MACBETH
Cast
In order of vocal appearance
Macbeth.......... Stephen Powell (April 16, 20, 23)
Michael Chioldi* (April 24)
Lady Macbeth....................... Susanna Branchini*
(April 16, 20, 23)
Jill Gardner (April 24)
tell Banquo that he will be less great than Macbeth, but greater;
less happy, but happier; and not a king, but a father of kings.
The witches disappear. Messengers from King Duncan arrive,
greeting Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, the previous Thane
having been executed as a traitor. Macbeth and Banquo reflect
on the prophecy. After the men depart, the witches complete the
scene with another chorus.
Fleance.............................................Henry Boyer
Scene 2. In Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from
her husband, telling of the prophecy. She resolves to see him
on the throne. A servant informs her that Macbeth is coming,
accompanied by King Duncan, who will spend the night at their
castle. Alone again, Lady Macbeth invokes the spirits of hell to
help with her plan, and when Macbeth enters, she convinces
him that he must murder Duncan. Music plays in the distance
as Duncan approaches, accompanied by his retinue.
Later that evening, Macbeth has visions of his bloodied knife
and ponders the course of the action he is about to undertake.
He goes to Duncan’s room, murders him and returns to Lady
Macbeth. Macbeth worries that he will never find peace again,
but Lady Macbeth encourages him to be bold and then tells
him to go back and smear blood on Duncan’s sleeping guards.
Macbeth refuses, overcome with guilt and fearing that his hands
will be forever stained with blood. Lady Macbeth takes the knife
and goes into Duncan’s chamber to implicate the guards.
She returns just in time to lead Macbeth away before Macduff
and Banquo enter. Macduff goes to wake the king, discovers
the murder and sounds an alarm. Servants and retainers crowd
into the hall, followed by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Banquo,
having entered Duncan’s chamber after Macduff, tells the
assembled cast of Duncan’s fate, and they denounce the murder,
asking for God’s help to find and punish the guilty party.
Assassin................................. Branden C.S. Hood
ACT TWO
Macduff................................ Leonardo Capalbo*
Banquo............................................. Burak Bilgili
Lady in Waiting................ Raehann Bryce-Davis†
Malcolm........................... Joseph Michael Brent†
Doctor............................... Brent Michael Smith†
1st Apparition...................................Jeff Byrnes†
2nd Apparition.............................. Angela Theis†
3rd Apparition................... Matteo Papadopoulos
(April 16, 20, 23)
Kevyn Roessler (April 24)
Additional Cast Members
King Duncan.................................Charles Tazzia
Valet..................................... Matthew Konopacki
Supernumeraries......... Timothy Brown, Brandon
Doyle, Isabella Edmons-Hogan,
Carl Fontana, Ruben Friend,
Miranda Mayuiers, Dan Pavlat,
Elyse Tazzia, Marvin Tookes,
Alexander Trice, Hilary Zabawski
* Michigan Opera Theatre debut
† Michigan Opera Theatre Studio Artist
SYNOPSIS
ACT ONE
Scene 1. On a wild heath in Scotland, three groups of witches
sing of their magical powers. Macbeth and Banquo enter,
returning from a successful military campaign, and question the
witches about the future. The three groups hail Macbeth first
as Thane of Glamis, then Thane of Cawdor and finally King of
Scotland. Maintaining the threefold division, they cryptically
Michigan Opera Theatre
Scene 1. Macbeth broods in a room in the castle and is joined
by Lady Macbeth. Malcolm has fled to England, arousing
suspicion that he may have been involved in his father’s murder,
and Macbeth has become King. Worried about the prophecy,
the two decide that Banquo must die and Macbeth exits. Lady
Macbeth ponders the implications of another murder, but
decides it is necessary. She rejoices in the prospect of ascending
the throne with her husband and of ending Banquo’s chances to
interfere in their plans.
Scene 2. On the castle grounds, two groups of assassins
confront one another and then band together to do Macbeth’s
bidding. They hide in the woods and Banquo and his son
Fleance enter. Banquo tells his son of a sense of foreboding. As
they wander into the woods, Banquo is attacked and calls to his
son, telling him to flee, that they have been betrayed. Fleance
runs away pursued by an assassin.
Scene 3. Macbeth greets the gathered nobles and asks his wife
to propose a toast. One of the assassins appears at a side door
and tells Macbeth that Banquo has been killed. As Macbeth
returns to his place, he alone sees a vision of Banquo. Thinking
it is a prank, Macbeth demands to know who is responsible, but
then addresses the apparition, which disappears. Lady Macbeth
tries to gain control of the situation with another verse of the
drinking song, but the ghost reappears to Macbeth. This time
Macbeth confronts the spirit and his wife and their guests react
to his apparent madness.
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MACBETH
ACT THREE
In a dark green cavern, the witches are
tending a boiling cauldron and singing
about the ingredients and recipe for their
infernal brew. Macbeth enters asking
about the future and is given the choice
of hearing it from the witches themselves
or the unknown powers that are their
masters. When he chooses the unknown
powers, three apparitions appear in
succession in the cauldron. The first, a
helmeted warrior, warns him to beware
of Macduff. The second, a bloodied
child, assures him that no man born of a
woman will harm him. The third, a child
wearing a crown, reveals that Macbeth
will rule gloriously and invincibly until
Birnam Wood rises against him. Macbeth
asks if the children of Banquo will take
his crown and is told not to ask. He
threatens the spirits with a sword, but
to no avail. Eight kings pass by and the
appearance of the last, Banquo, causes
Macbeth to cry out in terror. Macbeth
realizes that he is doomed and faints.
The witches call for the spirits to revive
Macbeth and they disappear. Lady
Macbeth enters and Macbeth tells her of
the prophecy and the apparitions. They
resolve to kill Macduff, his family, and
Banquo’s son.
Scene 4. On a plain near Macbeth’s
castle, Macduff is leading the English
army as they advance behind their cover
of branches. He confronts Macbeth,
who believes he is still protected by the
prophecy. Macduff tells him that he was
not born of a woman, but “untimely
ripped from my mother’s womb.” The
two men exit, fighting. The women and
children fell in terror. The soldiers return
declaring victory, and Macduff, having
killed Macbeth, joins with the crowd
in celebration as they declare Malcomb
their new king. Macduff returns,
having killed Macbeth. Bards, soldiers,
and women celebrate the victory and
proclaim Malcolm their new king.
Courtesy of Lyric Opera of Chicago
and Richard Wilson
SUPPORTING
SUPPORTING
THEARTS
ARTS
THE
ACT FOUR
Scene 1. On the border between
Scotland and England, near Birnam
Wood, Scottish refugees lament being
forced from their homeland. Macduff,
standing aside, laments the loss of
his wife and children at the hand of
Macbeth. Malcolm enters, leading an
army of English soldiers. He tells them
to cut branches from the wood to use as
camouflage for an attack on Macbeth’s
castle.
Honigmancelebrates
celebratesthe
the
Honigman
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Opera
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Theatre’s
2015-2016season.
season.
2015-2016
Scene 2. A doctor and a lady-in-waiting
watch in horror as Lady Macbeth
sleepwalks through the castle. Riddled
with guilt, she relives the murders and
curses the famous blood spot.
Scene 3. In another hall, Macbeth rails
against those who have joined the
English but recalls the prophecy of the
witches and believes that he is safe.
However, he laments the fact that he
will not have a comfortable old age or be
remembered kindly. Messengers come to
tell him that Lady Macbeth is dead and
The Scotts of Birnam Woods are on the
move.
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Hence, horrible shadow!
The Magic of Macbeth
by
Austin Stewart
I
n a day and age when we expect
however, limited its use in the interest
cutting-edge computer-generated
of “decency,” mostly because the
imagery in our entertainment, it’s
theater would have to be completely
hard to imagine the theaters Giuseppe
darkened. But the new machine and
Verdi knew, illuminated by gas lamps,
its transparent phantoms captured the
with scenery operated by ropes and
audience’s imagination. Even in the first
pulleys instead
publicity for the
of motorized
opera, the poster
winches. Verdi’s
artist Roberto
stage crafters
Focosi featured
relied on smoke
a scene with a
and mirrors,
floating armored
lanterns, fine
head, which bids
silk scrims, and
Macbeth beware
meticulously
Macduff.
Warning: Some
engineered effects
spoilers ahead.
using flammable
powders to
Fantascope projection. Detail from A. Molteni, Creating these
illusions today
create the
Le traité de physique de Ganot (1804).
is much easier
apparitions in
on account of
Macbeth. The
technology and the
appearance of
complex lighting
specters was an
grid hidden high
essential part
above your heads,
of producing
but director
theater, and an
Bernard Uzan still
untold number
carefully devises
of wooden
these fantastical
theaters met
elements along
their end in
with his team,
the interest
and uses them
of wowing
to help fuel the
audiences.
Macbeth meets the apparitions. Broadside
drama. At the
Nevertheless,
publicity by R. Focosi (1847).
end of Act II, for
Verdi knew
instance, Mr. Uzan has the witches
he was stumbling into the genre of
construct a circle of illuminated skulls,
“fantastical opera,” and took every
a symbolic prison from which Macbeth
effort to ensure that the special effects
cannot escape, giving the impression
required of Shakespeare’s Macbeth
that all the apparitions appear from
were astonishingly and mysteriously
within his mind, like a nightmare. Mr.
produced.
Act III of Verdi’s Macbeth, set in the
Uzan also uses a modern magic lantern,
witches’ cave, is littered with “fantastic”
an industrial-size LED projector, to
elements and stage directions: the
deepen our understanding of characters,
disappearance of the cauldron, the
of place and time, and to clarify the
procession of dead kings, a ballet of
relationship between characters and
aerial spirits, and the three apparitions
their thoughts. And perhaps no scene is
that prophesy Macbeth’s end. In 1799,
made more horrible with this resource
the Belgian physicist Ètienne-Gaspard
than Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene,
Robertson patented the technology that
a supreme expression of her psychosis
made these apparitions possible: the
and demise—“What’s done cannot be
“Fantascope,” also known as a magic
undone,” after all. We’ve come a long way
lantern. One such device, consisting of
with special effects since Verdi’s time, yet
a series of mirrors, painted lenses, and
the contributions of his contemporaries
multiple light sources, was diligently
to the areas of magic lanterns, lighting,
copied for the premiere of Verdi’s
and optics were certainly anticipatory of
Macbeth in 1847. The authorities,
modern special effects.
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