Macbeth at Park Avenue Armory

Posted: 4/19/14 at 5:04pm

I am going to NYC in June and would like to see Macbeth at the armory, but it looks like all tickets are sold out. I checked stubhub and there are very few extremely expensive tickets available. So, I was wondering if anybody had any tips or ideas for getting tickets. Thanks.

Posted: 4/26/14 at 1:28pm

Bump

[Adair Haywind]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 5:02pm

Looks like the premium seating is all that's left. I don't know the theare's policy on this, but there may be a cancellation line.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 5:34pm

Some friends of mine who saw it in London said it was terrible. Ah, well...

[homeimp]

Posted: 4/27/14 at 12:15am

I saw this Macbeth Live at the Cinema. I didn't get the praise. Staging any play in the mud certainly makes the production different. But different doesn't always mean better, at least not in this case. I don't think the role served Kenneth Branagh nearly as well as Henry V, Hamlet or Iago. He seemed like a 21st century man dropped into feudal Scotland. What the point was in having the actors trudge through every scene in a muddy arena, I don't know. I felt sorry for Lady Macbeth having to wade through the mess in a lovely white dress. Shakespeare would have been mystified.

[Adair Haywind]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 2:27pm

http://m.playbill.com/news/article/190508-Macbeth-Starring-Kenneth-Branagh-Announces-Rush-Policy-and-Adds-Additional-Performance-Tix-Now-on-Sale

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 6:05pm

Actually I suspect shakespeare, given the time period he lived in, would have only been mystified at the lack of human excriment in the mud.

Posted: 4/28/14 at 6:38pm

Super glad they added rush to this! I wonder how early I'll need to get there.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:08pm

Thank god for the rush tickets but I feel like this is going to be a camping out all night affair.

[sciencegirl]

Posted: 5/1/14 at 10:56pm

So, has anyone tried Rush for this? Super-excited to see this now!!!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/1/14 at 11:37pm

Performances don't start until May 31 so I hope no one is lined up just yet.

[Adair Haywind]

Posted: 5/2/14 at 9:38am

I REALLY hope I'm able to get rush tickets to this.

[WickedGinger]

Posted: 5/2/14 at 9:46am

The UK production was part of the Manchester International Festival and was broadcast live by National Theatre Live! I saw this prodcution in the cinema and through it was fantastic. The staging was unique and the venue added to the eeriness of the play. Kenneth Branagh handle the role well, however the real standout performances were from Alex Kingston as Lady Macbeth and the little boy who played Banquos son.

Posted: 5/2/14 at 3:17pm

I'm glad the rush starts at 4:00, so there won't be any need to wake up early... hopefully.

Posted: 5/12/14 at 5:58pm

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/05-2014/kenneth-branagh-led-macbeth-announces-full-new-yor_68530.html?cid=homepage_news

[BroadwayDreamer89]

Posted: 5/28/14 at 11:29pm

Previews start this weekend! Can't wait to hear how [crazy] the rush line is. My friend are I are planning on camping out (if need be) for the June 8th matinee :)

[Miscel4given2]

Posted: 6/1/14 at 12:30am

Anybody tried rush today? How's the line?

[cfk1]

Posted: 6/1/14 at 9:48am

With this venue, I'm not assuming anything, but I'm interested in stage door info/experiences, if any. Do tell!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 1:57pm

Anyone tried to rush or seen the show? I'd love reports on both.

[BroadwayDreamer89]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 2:45pm

Would love a rush report, show report, stagedoor report... anything report! haha

[abbagirl]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 3:29pm

I'm gonna probably try rushing it Thursday...did ANYONE attempt it yet?? :) I have no idea what time to get there, but since it's my day off I can be there at the crack of dawn if necessary...would love some info.

[sciencegirl]

Posted: 6/2/14 at 11:00pm

It's all on you abbagirl! Let us know how it goes Thursday. Good luck!!!!!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 12:23am

I was also thinking about rushing on Thursday but it's opening night so I'm guessing they won't have rush tickets.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 6/3/14 at 9:11am

I saw the production last night and chatted with a friend who did rush yesterday afternoon. According to her, the rush line was shockingly light. At around 1:00 PM there were only about 10 people in line. From what I gathered from her, they have added an extra row on the back of the "South Section" that is not on the seating chart -- Row R -- that is being used for Rush. She wasn't aware of how many rush tickets they were making available, but I would judge at the very least 40 by the size of the row, possibly quite a bit more if they are also doing an added Row R on the North seating side.

It sounds like the fear of rush lines is actually keeping people away from rushing! Get thee to the Armory immediately!

It's a gorgeous production. Seeing Brannagh and Alex Kingston is a true treat and even sitting up high, the show delivers a pretty salient punch. I was particularly impressed with the sound design, which couldn't be easy given the size of the Armory and the logistics of the playing space.

Do be prepared though, the seating isn't comfortable and the Armory gets 'warm.' But I wouldn't miss this for anything, and would advise those of you wanting to do rush to do so - now.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 6/4/14 at 12:31am

I was really looking forward to this production and bought great seats a few months ago, but sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. Neither the best Macbeth I've ever seen, nor the worst: the production ended up sadly somewhere in the middle.

What killed me about this production was the choice of using the Armory, a fantastic space where I've experienced some of the most exciting music/theater/opera in my life (the NY Phil 360 performance was a recent highlight). This production merely touched upon the qualities of the Armory. The problem with using the space superficially is that it becomes only too transparent when a piece was not designed for the space. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone going so....

@Spoiler Spoiler@

But very little actually occurs on the muddy stage...that is, very little that makes this production any different from any other production of the play. Equally disappointing, the stage (though quite imposing and impressive when walking into the drill hall) is entirely underused. I see no reason why this production could not have been featured on a proscenium stage.

To paint a picture of the set, a Stonehenge pilar stands on one side and a candle lit (well, for part of the show anyway) chapel is on the other end. In-between is a dirt filled center rectangle...that somehow never gets muddy despite being "rained" upon. Most of the performance takes place in the rectangle, the rest of the stage is rather superficially used. The audience looks down on the actors (except for one really really poorly directed major scene) which makes even major performances ( i.e. Branagh's) feel incredibly small.

I thought a lot about this before posting my thoughts, and after some reflection, I'm somehow more disappointed by my experience. This isn't a horrible Macbeth by any means. It's merely ok...I had just hoped for so much more.