Machomer | Kidoons
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MacHomer | Kidoons This one-man vocal spectacular features impressions of over 50 voices from TV’s “The Simpsons” in a hilarious performance of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”! With a script that remains 85% Shakespeare, MacHomer will leave you “exhausted with laughter” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Rick Miller has performed MacHomer to capacity crowds and awards for 17 years, in 175 cities in Canada, the U.S., Scotland, England, Australia, and New Zealand. In this production filmed at the California Shakespeare Theater, spot-on impressions populate an imaginatively staged multimedia version of the tragedy, truly “full of sound and fury”. The result is a performance that is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for students of all ages and backgrounds. AGES: 13+ GRADES: 9+ CLICK TO VIEW SHOW ON KATSKIDS WEBSITE CLICK FOR PROMO VIDEO A WYRD Production in association with Jeff Lord / KIDOONS Network, Erich Jungwirth / VoiceChairwww.machomer.com Productions, and Richard Jordan Productions, Ltd. MacHomer Select Press www.machomer.com Last revised: Sept 1, 2012 www.machomer.com - Noel Gallagher, The London Free Press London, ON; May 5, 2005 www.machomer.com - Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star Toronto, ON; February 16, 2008 www.machomer.com - Liz Nicholls, Edmonton Journal Edmonton, AB; April 12, 2008 www.machomer.com - James D. Watts Jr., Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK; March 13, 2005 www.machomer.com - Jessica Berthold, Saturday Magazine Bethlehem, PA; October 29, 2005 www.machomer.com - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times Chicago, IL; July 11, 2006 www.machomer.com Homer as Macbeth — The key to the glorious success of this enterprise is that Miller has equal amounts of respect for Macbeth and for The it works Simpsons. Both are revered and ridiculed in equal measure, and the combination is a killer. Sep. 6, 2006 By RICHARD OUZOUNIAN In addition to the virtuoso writing and performing on display, THEATRE CRITIC there’s a first-rate physical production to keep things crackling. It’s a bases-loaded Homer. Beth Kates has designed a combination of lighting and Okilly-dokilly, neighborino, you’re not going to find a funniershow projections that works to perfection, and director Sean Lynch anywhere around than MacHomer. has seen to it that Miller never wears out his welcome. What’s it all about? Well, the subtitle tells a good portion of the Everything you love from The Simpsons finds its way into story: “The Simpsons Do Macbeth.” MacHomer: an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, guest appearances from the likes of O.J. Simpson (“We’re both named Simpson, It’s a concept so outrageous, so simple and yet so brilliant that and we’re both murderers,” he cheerfully assures our hero), creator/performer Rick Miller deserves the keys to Springfield and the singing parodies that deconstruct the modern musical and a special D’Oh(ra) Mavor Moore Award of his very own. with such telling accuracy. Sure, it takes a perverse kind of genius to construct a one-man But ultimately, the triumph is Miller’s. The man is a comic show in which William Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy gets juggernaut — Robin Williams with edge, or Jim Carrey with interpreted by the animated cast of America’s most subversive taste — who carries the show to triumph. television program. Best of all, Miller knows how to keep things moving, and the Once you behold perennial schlep Homer Simpson as MacHomer whole hilarious package wraps up in just over an hour. He’s and his adenoidal wife Marge as Lady MacHomer, you may think learned one Shakespearean lesson well: “If it were D’Oh when you’re in for a one-joke ride that will grow tedious in five or 10 ‘tis D’Oh, then ‘twere well it were D’Oh quickly.” minutes. Think again. Miller is more than a maniacally gifted impersonator. He’s also plugged into the blissful anarchy that Matt Groening has been bringing to The Simpsons since 1989, and understands that nothing exceeds like excess. How about the loathsome Mr. Burns as Duncan, the sanctimonious Ned as Banquo, or the neanderthal Barney as Macduff? That’s just the beginning. You haven’t seen Macbeth in a new light until you’ve experienced Apu from the Kwik-EMart as the First Murderer, or known the total joy of watching Krusty the Klown tackle the character of the Porter, the castle keeper and party person. www.machomer.com - Jennifer Brett, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta GA www.machomer.com - T.H. McCulloh, Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, CA 2001 www.machomer.com - Kevin Prokosh, Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg, MA 2012 www.machomer.com - Stephanie McKay, Star Phoenix - Jacqueline Burt, New York Post Saskatoon, SK 2012 New York, NY 2012 www.machomer.com Recent Quotes: “Miller retells Macbeth casting over fifty Springfield characters “[We] can recommend Rick Miller’s tour de force blend of the in the Bard’s roles. It’s one of the most inventive interpretations Bard & Bart & dozens of characters from The Simpsons as laugh of Shakespeare this country has seen. If you like Shakespeare, out loud funfunfun.” go see this show. If you hate Shakespeare, go see this show. If - James Reaney, London Free Press you like the Simpsons, go see this show.” - Keith Bennie, blogTO London ON, 2012 Toronto ON, 2011 “The best take on the Scottish play you’ve ever seen.” - Peter Birnie, New York Post “Don’t miss Homer’s stomach-centric stream of consciousness mistaking a dagger for a slice of pizza and Marge’s gravelly New York NY, 2012 desperation over that damned spot—unless you want to make “The show is perfect for fans of either The Simpsons or “D’oh!” a new part of your vocabulary” Shakespeare (or both), but it also works for people who aren’t - Donhae Koo, The Village Voice familiar with either.” New York NY, 2009 - Stephanie McKay, Star-Phoenix Saskatchewan SK, 2012 “Shakespeare by way of The Simpsons. Leave it to Rick Miller, a talented solo actor and the mastermind behind MacHomer - a “Rick Miller takes mash-up of Shakespeare and The Simpsons multimedia Macbeth meets The Simpsons” to new heights. MacHomer is now a technical tour de force… - Fern Siegel, Huffington Post, 2009 The result is a rare mix of belly laughs and knowing chuckles.” - Peter Birnie, The Vancouver Sun “MacHomer’s brazen, broad take on Macbeth — a postmodern Vancouver BC, 2011 mash-up of Shakespeare’s text as interpreted by the cast of The Simpsons — remains d’oh-proof. Part of Miller’s genius lies in “Rick Miller’s stage piece is the ultimate marriage of high and his close reading of Shakespeare’s text and his ability to match low art: Shakespeare and the Simpsons. Miller has toured the the Scottish archetypes with their Springfield analogues (irritant show throughout the globe, and it’s no wonder the play has Ned Flanders becomes the object of Macbeth’s murderous been met with incredible acclaim. With 50 of Springfield’s most obsession, Banquo), but there’s also great fun in watching the memorable characters doing Shakespeare’s text, fans of both Canadian performer contort his face and let loose with a wicked the television show and the seminal playwright have reasons to Krusty the Clown impression.” applaud.” - Nick Green, Washington City Paper - Keith Bennie, BlogTO Washington DC, 2008 Toronto ON, 2011 “Miller’s impersonations are so dead-on that with your eyes “His flawless impersonations are the production’s highlight, and closed, you can imagine that someone left the television on and to call him dynamic doesn’t do him justice… You get the sense “The Simpsons” are playing.” Miller really loves Shakespeare, and while The Bard can seem - Tim Treanor, DC Theatre Scene daunting, MacHomer is an excellent, highly entertaining way of Washington DC, 2008 making one of his greatest tragedies accessible.” - Jack Van Beynen, The New Zealand Press “Simpsons do the Bard: Sound and Fury, signifying laughter. Christchurch, NZ, 2011 What the ridiculously talented Rick Miller gives you in MacHomer is both. Yes, two big hits from opposing brows of the culture, “Mmmm Macbeth: The Simpsons meet Shakespeare in Rick sinultaneously, in a virtuoso one-man 60-character multimedia Miller’s brilliant solo show. If you’re a fan of The Simpsons (and show.” who isn’t?), dollars to donuts you’re going to love MacHomer.” - Liz Nicholls, Edmonton Journal - Lauren Gillett, Theatromania Edmonton AB, 2008 Toronto ON, 2011 www.machomer.com so funny!” - London Sunday Mail, UK Classic Quotes: “Miller hits a Homer. MacHomer might have been tagged an amusing offbeat theeatre piece, but Miller’s phenomenal talents “Think ‘Spamalot’ meets Lon Chaney on the way to Birnam elevate it to the level of amazing. In truth, this big Mac attack is Wood. It must be said that for sheer endurance and wackiness, a rollicking tale, full of sound and funny fury, signifying a great Miller also gives Martin Short (a fellow Maple Leafer) a real run deal more than nothing.” for his money – though “MacHomer” is not so much a Shortian - Noel Gallagher, The London Free Press, London ON burlesque as it is a Windows XP take on the Thane of Cawdor. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED” “Simpsons meet Shakespeare, and one-man play is the thing... - Hedy Weiss, The Chicago Sun Times He glides instantly from character to character with nary a hitch.” - Tony Brown, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland OH “It’s a bases-loaded Homer. Okilly-dokilly, neighborino, you’re not going to find a funnier show anywhere around than “I call it – eeeexxcellent. As silly as things get in MacHomer – MacHomer. In addition to the virtuoso writing and performing and they get very silly indeed – Miller never lets the rampant on display, there’s a first-rate physical production to keep things humor completely obscure the fact that this is a tragedy.