MacHomer
Encyclopedia
MacHomer is a one-person play by Rick Miller
which blends William Shakespeare
's tragedy Macbeth
with the animated television series The Simpsons
. Miller first conceived of the idea in 1994, when he was performing in a production of Macbeth. The first performance of MacHomer was at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1995. MacHomer has been re-written a number of times. The early version of the play was more of a stand-up
comedy routine, but in 2000, it was expanded into a theatrical production. In 2006, for the 10th anniversary tour, Miller further revamped the play, adding new songs and characters, and incorporating videos.
The script of the play "remains 85% Shakespeare" and mostly follows the plot of Macbeth. Miller performs the various roles using voices from The Simpsons characters, using more than 50 voices. The set includes a video screen at the back of the stage, and sound and video effects are incorporated into the performance. Miller has performed the play in over 150 cities around the world, including performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
, and the Just for Laughs
comedy festival.
MacHomer has received largely positive reviews from critics, with praise going to Miller's impersonations. However, some critics felt that the play seems more like a group of sketches, while others felt that Miller's Homer Simpson
voice was one of his weaker impersonations. According to Miller, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
is a fan of the play and gave him permission to perform it.
According to Miller, he does "half of MacBeth because you can only carry the joke so far. The rest is a mix of ‘Simpsonisms.’"
At first, he "did the show as a sort of brutally edited Coles Notes
version of the play," while still keeping the language
. Miller believes the fusion works well because "The Simpsons and Macbeth are both about dysfunctional families. The TV show's lasted because it has this basic humanity, while the play is one of Shakespeare's shortest, bloodiest works and has some of his best-known lines."
The first performance of MacHomer was at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1995. At the time, the play "was a very basic version with a few slides and me at a mike stand." Miller began touring the following year. He has consistently changed parts of the play since its premiere. Until 2000, MacHomer was mainly a sketch comedy routine, but that year he expanded it into more of a theatrical production. The overhaul was Miller's effort "to turn it into a play I could feel comfortable touring the world with, as opposed to just playing the odd college." In 2006, for the 10th anniversary tour, Miller further revamped the play, adding new songs and characters, and incorporating videos. As of 2011, MacHomer is presented by WYRD Productions and directed by Sean Lynch. The lighting and stage design are by Beth Kates.
Initially, Miller worried that lawyers for The Simpsons would try to stop him from performing the play. At the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the cast members of the television series were performing a special reading of dialog that featured their characters. When the producers found out that Miller was also at the festival, they invited him to a cast party. There he met The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
, who had previously seen a video of MacHomer. According to Miller, "next thing I knew, Matt Groening was shaking my hand, was giving me his blessing and was telling me he'd do all he could to help me continue my show. It's the best situation I could have dreamed of. No one is suing me, or asking for royalties, either."
, "clever rearrangements of lines, crosscuttings between scenes, sometimes topical interpolations and assignment of roles to cartoon entities [...]." During the MacBeth portion, Miller performs the various roles using voices from The Simpsons characters. He does more than 50 voices. For example, Homer Simpson
is Macbeth
, Marge Simpson
is Lady Macbeth
, Mr. Burns is King Duncan
, Ned Flanders
is Banquo
and Barney Gumble
is Macduff. Miller also includes some non-Simpsons characters, such as Kermit the Frog
. Sound and video effects are incorporated into the performance as well. According to critic Nelson Pressley of the Washington Post, "you have to give MacHomer awfully high marks for technical difficulty." At the back of the stage, there is a monitor which shows various images, including 200 drawings made by Miller. There is also a video camera hidden in a cauldron, so that when Miller looks into it, his face can be seen on the screen. Halfway through the play, he puts on a puppet show, which recaps the play to that point.
Miller ends the show with a performance of Queen
's song "Bohemian Rhapsody
". The song is not tied in with The Simpsons or MacBeth. Instead, Miller does impersonations of 25 different famous singers.
and the Just for Laughs
comedy festival in Montreal
. On June 4, 2011 it was announced that MacHomer will be part of the 2012 Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario
.
' people shouldn't miss it." Nelson Pressley of the Washington Post called Miller's performance a "vocal tour de force", but wrote that "like a guy busting a cinder block with his forehead, Miller awes more than he delights, so it's nice that he adds value at the end by serving up hilarious vocal impressions of singers ranging from Tom Waits
to Andrea Bocelli
." Writing for the Modesto Bee
, Lisa Millegan felt that "If any of the actors from The Simpsons ever quit, the producers should call Miller to fill in. He nails the voices for everybody, switching effortlessly from Homer to Marge to Mr. Burns and beyond. [...] Amazingly, he manages to use much of Shakespeare's dialogue while lightening it up with humorous asides and pop culture references. The story is sometimes hard to follow because Miller moves so fast, but a synopsis is printed in the program for those who want it."
Jason Blake of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote that "Miller is adept at nailing the voices, and extraordinarily fast when switching between them. His impersonation of Dan Castellaneta
's Homer is probably the least accurately focused of the set but his Marge is creepily spot-on, as is his Barney Gumble." A number of critics also felt that one of Miller's less spot-on impersonations was Homer. According to Gereben, "There are some misses, especially and surprisingly Miller's Homer characterization. He just doesn’t sound like our man in all his glory."
Rick Miller (comedian)
Rick Miller is a Canadian actor, comedian and playwright, currently living in Toronto. Miller is most well known for hosting the television series Just For Laughs and for performing a version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" during which he impersonates "twenty five of the most annoying voices in the music...
which blends William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's tragedy Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
with the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. Miller first conceived of the idea in 1994, when he was performing in a production of Macbeth. The first performance of MacHomer was at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1995. MacHomer has been re-written a number of times. The early version of the play was more of a stand-up
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comedy routine, but in 2000, it was expanded into a theatrical production. In 2006, for the 10th anniversary tour, Miller further revamped the play, adding new songs and characters, and incorporating videos.
The script of the play "remains 85% Shakespeare" and mostly follows the plot of Macbeth. Miller performs the various roles using voices from The Simpsons characters, using more than 50 voices. The set includes a video screen at the back of the stage, and sound and video effects are incorporated into the performance. Miller has performed the play in over 150 cities around the world, including performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
, and the Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
comedy festival.
MacHomer has received largely positive reviews from critics, with praise going to Miller's impersonations. However, some critics felt that the play seems more like a group of sketches, while others felt that Miller's Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
voice was one of his weaker impersonations. According to Miller, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
is a fan of the play and gave him permission to perform it.
History
Canadian comedian Rick Miller first conceived of the idea of blending The Simpsons and Shakespeare in 1994. At the time, Miller was performing in a production of Macbeth, playing the minor role of Murderer No. 2. He said, "That's a small role, so I had a lot of time to sit backstage and concoct ideas, one of which was to make fun of our production. By then, The Simpsons had become a big part of pop culture, so I decided to do the voices of those cartoon characters in my mangled version of the play." He performed a skit at that night's closing party, which was well-received.According to Miller, he does "half of MacBeth because you can only carry the joke so far. The rest is a mix of ‘Simpsonisms.’"
At first, he "did the show as a sort of brutally edited Coles Notes
Coles notes
Coles Notes are student guides to literature, published in Canada. The Coles bookstore first published Coles Notes in 1948. The first title published was on the French novella Colomba by Prosper Mérimée....
version of the play," while still keeping the language
Shakespeare's style
William Shakespeare's style was borrowed from the conventions of the day, while at the same time adapting them to his needs.-Overview:Shakespeare's first plays were written in the conventionaly happy style of the day. He wrote them in a stylised language that does not always spring naturally from...
. Miller believes the fusion works well because "The Simpsons and Macbeth are both about dysfunctional families. The TV show's lasted because it has this basic humanity, while the play is one of Shakespeare's shortest, bloodiest works and has some of his best-known lines."
The first performance of MacHomer was at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1995. At the time, the play "was a very basic version with a few slides and me at a mike stand." Miller began touring the following year. He has consistently changed parts of the play since its premiere. Until 2000, MacHomer was mainly a sketch comedy routine, but that year he expanded it into more of a theatrical production. The overhaul was Miller's effort "to turn it into a play I could feel comfortable touring the world with, as opposed to just playing the odd college." In 2006, for the 10th anniversary tour, Miller further revamped the play, adding new songs and characters, and incorporating videos. As of 2011, MacHomer is presented by WYRD Productions and directed by Sean Lynch. The lighting and stage design are by Beth Kates.
Initially, Miller worried that lawyers for The Simpsons would try to stop him from performing the play. At the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the cast members of the television series were performing a special reading of dialog that featured their characters. When the producers found out that Miller was also at the festival, they invited him to a cast party. There he met The Simpsons creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, who had previously seen a video of MacHomer. According to Miller, "next thing I knew, Matt Groening was shaking my hand, was giving me his blessing and was telling me he'd do all he could to help me continue my show. It's the best situation I could have dreamed of. No one is suing me, or asking for royalties, either."
Contents
The script of the play "remains 85% Shakespeare" and mostly follows the plot of Macbeth, although lines from other Shakespeare plays are included. MacHomer features, according to the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, "clever rearrangements of lines, crosscuttings between scenes, sometimes topical interpolations and assignment of roles to cartoon entities [...]." During the MacBeth portion, Miller performs the various roles using voices from The Simpsons characters. He does more than 50 voices. For example, Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is Macbeth
Macbeth (character)
Macbeth is the title character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth . The character is based on the historical king Macbeth of Scotland, and is derived largely from the account in Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of Britain. Macbeth is a Scottish noble and a valiant military man. He is portrayed...
, Marge Simpson
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
, Mr. Burns is King Duncan
King Duncan
King Duncan is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Macbeth. He is the father of two youthful sons , and the victim of a well-plotted regicide in a power grab by his trusted captain Macbeth...
, Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
is Banquo
Banquo
Banquo is a character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play Macbeth. In the play, he is at first an ally to Macbeth and they are together when they meet the Three Witches. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his...
and Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
is Macduff. Miller also includes some non-Simpsons characters, such as Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
. Sound and video effects are incorporated into the performance as well. According to critic Nelson Pressley of the Washington Post, "you have to give MacHomer awfully high marks for technical difficulty." At the back of the stage, there is a monitor which shows various images, including 200 drawings made by Miller. There is also a video camera hidden in a cauldron, so that when Miller looks into it, his face can be seen on the screen. Halfway through the play, he puts on a puppet show, which recaps the play to that point.
Miller ends the show with a performance of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's song "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
". The song is not tied in with The Simpsons or MacBeth. Instead, Miller does impersonations of 25 different famous singers.
Performances
Miller has performed the play in over 150 cities around the world. He says that he "tours sporadically, partly because I don't like to perform it straight on for months, but also because I have to fit in all my other projects." Miller has performed it at a number of festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy FestivalMelbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
and the Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
comedy festival in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. On June 4, 2011 it was announced that MacHomer will be part of the 2012 Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
.
Reception
MacHomer has received largely positive reviews from critics. Janos Gereben of the San Francisco Examiner praised Miller's performance, but felt that "It's an often funny, entertaining series of vaguely related sketches, held together only by the performer, not the material. A warning: MacHomer won’t likely speak to those who aren't Simpsons maniacs, or at least familiar with the characters. Conversely, those 'd'oh!D'oh!
"D'oh!" is a catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running American animated sitcom The Simpsons . It is typically used when Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something stupid, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him...
' people shouldn't miss it." Nelson Pressley of the Washington Post called Miller's performance a "vocal tour de force", but wrote that "like a guy busting a cinder block with his forehead, Miller awes more than he delights, so it's nice that he adds value at the end by serving up hilarious vocal impressions of singers ranging from Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
to Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
." Writing for the Modesto Bee
Modesto Bee
The Modesto Bee is a California newspaper, originally founded in 1884 as the Daily Evening News and published continuously as a daily under a variety of names. Prior to its purchase by Charles K. McClatchy and McClatchy Newspapers in 1924, it merged in the same year with the Modesto News-Herald,...
, Lisa Millegan felt that "If any of the actors from The Simpsons ever quit, the producers should call Miller to fill in. He nails the voices for everybody, switching effortlessly from Homer to Marge to Mr. Burns and beyond. [...] Amazingly, he manages to use much of Shakespeare's dialogue while lightening it up with humorous asides and pop culture references. The story is sometimes hard to follow because Miller moves so fast, but a synopsis is printed in the program for those who want it."
Jason Blake of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote that "Miller is adept at nailing the voices, and extraordinarily fast when switching between them. His impersonation of Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
's Homer is probably the least accurately focused of the set but his Marge is creepily spot-on, as is his Barney Gumble." A number of critics also felt that one of Miller's less spot-on impersonations was Homer. According to Gereben, "There are some misses, especially and surprisingly Miller's Homer characterization. He just doesn’t sound like our man in all his glory."