Macbeth Meets The Simpsons In Rick Miller’s MacHomer

Classic drama and modern television would seem to make an unlikely pair. However, in Rick Miller’s innovative one-man performance of MacHomer, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth using the voices of over 50 Simpsons characters, the line between traditional theater and contemporary pop culture is heavily blurred.

Using Simpsons characters as Shakespearian figures turns out to be a natural and clever way to interpret the play, perhaps because both works are timeless—Shakespeare in the traditional sense and The Simpsons as the longest-running primetime series in TV history, solidified by Fox’s order for two more seasons of the animated series last Thursday.

Keeping with 85 percent of Shakespeare’s original script, Miller’s Scotland-meets-Springfield version of Macbeth is mainly geared towards an older audience that would not only be familiar with the storyline of Macbeth but also with the themes and motifs of the play as well. Marge is often ordering around her beloved “MacHomie,” while MacHomer himself is unsure of his task to kill the king, the rebellious C. Montgomery Burns.

And, of course, on numerous occasions, we see the Simpsons characters’ true colors shine through, like when MacHomer deliberates about seizing the crown or a hot, fresh doughnut.

The kilt-donning actor has an endless source of energy as he shuffles around the stage, transitioning from character to character with the help of video aids, flashing lights, background music, and, of course, changes in voice to help the audience keep up with the movement of the play.

Miller matches up the Shakespearian archetypes with their Matt Groening equals in an ideal way. He takes the television characters we know and love and breathes life into them, adding a classical dimension. Because both The Simpsons and Macbeth are such well-known members of their genres, the audience is able to relate to Miller’s depiction of how the two would intertwine.

The show is 75 minutes long with a very brief intermission (sponsored by Duff Breweries) and will keep you entertained the entire time. Most of Miller’s deviations from the original script are funny and help to develop the modern characters as their Shakespearian counterparts, though some nuances, like the inclusion of George W. Bush and Sean Connery, are simply a way for him to show off his collection of impersonations.

Though yesterday was th last chance to see Rick Miller’s clever MacHomer at New York City’s Highline Ballroom, he has been touring around the world with his one-man act for the past 13 years, and, based on this performance, he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.