Machomer Meets Macbeth In Los Angeles

By Author: Don and Kim Tatera
Total Articles: 3
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MacHomer Meets MacBeth

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Let's Visit MacHomer

"Let's go ahead and get it all out now so we don't distract the performer. On the count of three give me your best Homer."

After the one, two, three countdown the thunderous Homer J. Simpson trademark, "Wooohooo's" echoed in the 199 seat Curtis Theatre in Los Angeles. The announcer then said, "Next, give me your best Barney Gumble impression!" The 100+ audience members in this intimate theater then belched their best (or worst) Barney Gumble impressions.

"That wasn't bad, now give me your best Marge Simpson impression." The enthusiastic crowd, ranging from grandparents down to pre-teens, then, in unison nervously went, "Hmmmmmmmm."

"Now, who has read Shakespeare in the last 30 days?" Suddenly, many eyes were now glued embarrassingly to the floor, while a few brave hands rose proudly from the audience. Well, ...
... I have to admit that my hand was waiving in the air like the U.S. flag being hoisted on Iwo Jima. Lastly, the perky announcer queried the audience, "Who has watched 'The Simpsons' in the last 30 days?" Now, cheers began and the hands of nearly every person at this Saturday 2:00 p.m. matinee were waiving in the air like miniature U.S. flags at a Fourth of July parade. Let the show begin, I thought.

MacHomer is a great way to introduce Shakespeare's most powerfully written, concentrated tragedy to the whole family in a fun way in 60 minutes or less. You certainly can't get this on PBS, that's for sure. To top that, why not have one of the most dysfunctional families in television history, no not the Osbournes, do another from literature? Yes, nearly each of the 50+ characters from The Simpsons cartoon has been incorporated into an amazing one-man theatrical rendition of Shakespeare's MacBeth. Of course, MacBeth is played by no other than the loveable Homer J. Simpson, and Lady MacBeth is Marge Simpson. Believe it or not, but MacHomer is still 85% true to William Shakespeare's original work. They obviously didn't have Homer J. Simpson, jelly donuts, or rock and roll back in the early 1600s, so creative license was taken so that these critical characters, props and mood enhancing items were added by the theatrical genius/one-man performer known as Rick Miller.

Like the Emmy Award winning episodes of The Simpsons, all forces of man and nature are gathered to shakedown MacHomer into alternating moods of dejection and irritation, much like the man of many moods, Homer J. Simpson. Homer is the perfect lead for MacBeth since nearly everybody knows and relates to him, and like the planets of our solar system, MacBeth's subplots, incidents and speeches all revolve around MacHomer.

Using "Tell-o-vision," a huge television screen to show primitive short movies and cartoon character drawings from The Simpsons, Rick Miller adds one part smoke machine, a dash of eerie purple lights and one part puppetry to cook up a fast paced, hysterical theatrical production. Rick's facial expressions, body language, and voices for 55+ characters are amazing! He's certainly quite a talented actor and has further honed his production over the last six years that MacHomer has been touring large and small theaters around the globe. His funny Simpsons characterizations really bring the single-minded Homer Simpson as MacHomer to life, as with Moe the evil bartender, the ever-cheesy Troy McClure, and the disgruntled Krusty the Klown, among other wacky characters added in for fun.

A modern MacBeth interpretation calls for rock and roll, Wrestlemania, and other pop culture and media icons to be incorporated into a very well crafted, well directed and fast paced two-act play. Don't plan on commercials to grab an icy cold MacDuff and some greasy pork rinds since there's no intermission between the two acts. I won't ruin the climactic plot by giving you a step-by-step explanation, since that's what Cliff's Notes are for. You know, currently it's called theatrical preparation whereas it used to be mandatory for English Literature class in high school.

Rick Miller's acting and vocal range is outstanding. Entertainment Weekly, calls him "one of 100 most creative and irresistible people who are on the rise in showbiz." He quickly changes his tone, inflection and body language from one character to another with the quick flip of a well-crafted Shakespearian verse and sonnet. Watch an episode of The Simpsons and take note of how many characters revolve around the wacked out family from Springfield. Now, try to imitate and master just one voice similar to yours. Even better, imitate all the characters from the longest running show on television, and you're a winner. It was also quite interesting to hear Homer J. Simpson recite line and verse from Shakespeare with an old English accent. Not only is it very witty, but it's hysterical. This Toronto based actor/writer quickly jumps from one voice and personality to another faster than Sybil. Rick Miller is smooth, polished, and professional, and certainly makes MacHomer quite a memorable and fun theatrical event.

After the dramatic conclusion of MacHomer, the crowd is further amazed as Rick Miller serenades the audience with, 'We are the World' sung by the voices from The Simpsons. Then he sang his big finale, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. As you would expect from this atypical theatrical production, this version is also not like the original either. Rick sings this song as a benefit for Sally Struthers by imitating quite well many rock stars like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Willy Nelson, Neil Diamond, Aaron Neville, Meatloaf, Ozzie, Julio Iglesias, and AC/DC as they each jump in to sing a verse. He's got the rock star poses, prances, and expressions down pat. As if we didn't already think he was a talented genius who taught us that William ShakespearBook Your LA Hotel Onlinee can be both fun and educational at the same time. Now that certainly is an oxymoron worth noting.

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Kim and Don Tatera, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent - Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com


About the Author Don and Kim Tatera,
Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Leave your email next to the logo for FREE e travel newsletter.