2022 Season
New Zealand Opera Presents:
21 September – 22 October
COMPOSER
Giuseppe Verdi
LIBRETTO
Francesco Maria Piave after William Shakespeare
Macbeth
No one writes about the nature of power better than Shakespeare and to this Verdi brings an all-encompassing dramatic energy through his music.
Be prepared for total theatre. This new production by Netia Jones, conducted by Brad Cohen, features Phillip Rhodes and Amanda Echalaz in their international role debuts as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
With a stellar cast of talent from Aotearoa, New Zealand including Wade Kernot, Jared Holt, Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono, Morag Atchison and the New Zealand Opera Chorus.
Sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Duration – 2.5 hours including a 20 minute interval
There will be no in-person preshow talks for Macbeth. Instead we will offer digital recordings of interviews with the cast and creative team.
SYNOPSIS
After a group of witches predict that Macbeth will become King of Scotland, his wife, Lady Macbeth, urges him to kill the existing ruler, King Duncan. Consumed by his quest for power and encouraged by his wife’s ruthless ambition, Macbeth does indeed assume throne and continues to order murders to eliminate his enemies. However, disaster eventually overtakes both him and Lady Macbeth as the forces of good prevail.
Adapted from Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Creative Team
Conductor: Brad Cohen
Director: Netia Jones
Set & Costume Designer: Netia Jones
Video Designer: Netia Jones/Lightmap
Assistant Director: Jacqueline Coats
Lighting Designer: Matthew Marshall
Chorus Director: Claire Caldwell (AKL), Michael Vinten (WLG), Andrew Crooks (CHC)
Cast
Macbeth: Phillip Rhodes
Lady Macbeth: Amanda Echalaz
Banquo: Wade Kernot
Macduff: Jared Holt
Malcolm: Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono
Lady-in-Waiting: Morag Atchison
With
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Orchestra Wellington
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Opera Chorus
Auckland
21, 23 September, 7.30pm
25 September, 2.30pm
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
Wellington
5, 7 October, 7.30pm
9 October, 2.30pm
St James Theatre
Christchurch
20, 22 October 7.30pm
Isaac Theatre Royal
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REVIEWS AND FEEDBACK
“In something of a coup for the company, (Netia Jones’) services as director, set designer and video artist result in a visual feast that is a wonderment to behold. Her brilliantly innovative staging of this dark, twisted and internecine world manages to be contemporary while remaining true to the power of both Shakespeare and to Verdi. It is a triumph.” – Malcolm Calder, NZ Arts Review
“Phillip Rhodes is the perfect embodiment of Macbeth with his bearded good looks and commanding stage presence….It isn’t long however before he begins a descent into anguish and paranoia as he transforms bit by bit into a mentally tortured tyrant in black combat gear. Rhodes does this perfectly and his presence on stage is impossible to ignore. Matching him in power and at times unhinged malevolence is Amanda Echalaz as his Lady, and then Queen.” – Andrew Whiteside
Photography by Grant Triplow
Videography by Fiftyone50 Productions
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