When you hear the name Macbeth you probably don’t think technology. It was limited in Shakespeare’s era to things like the pocket watch. But Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents a short run of an opera using technology to make the performance much more intimate.
The final offering in COT’s 2014 season is the Chicago premier of Ernest Bloch’s Macbeth. Sung in Shakespearean English (with projected subtitles), this interpretation blends the use of hand-held and other cameras to bring additional viewpoints to the audience.
Composer Ernest Bloch was just 26 when he began writing this opera in 1904. Since its premier in 1910, it has had less than a dozen performances worldwide, including this COT production. The story, closely following Shakespeare’s original work, is filled with drama and murder told in just 3 acts. The 110-minute performance (with no intermission) presents music beautifully played by Chicago Sinfonietta and the Apollo Chorus.
The home of the COT is Harris Theater at 2015 E. Randolph. The theater is tucked underground beneath Pritzker Pavilion. You enter at street level and then descend to your seats in the ultra-modern theater, perfect for more intimate settings for the music and dance performances presented throughout the year.
There are just three performances left of this amazing show. Wednesday, September 17 and Friday, September 19 at 7:30pm and Sunday, September 21 at 3pm. Tickets range from $35 to $125 and are available at chicagooperatheater.org.
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