Tag: review

Posted on in art, concert, Dance, Lady Gaga, lifestyle, Light SHow, London, London Tube, Madison Square, Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, Mayhem Ball, MSG, Music, New York City, O2

GO! Go See the Show!

New York!

For my birthday, my daughter gave me a ticket to see Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Concert at Madison Square Garden. I immediately began mentally making excuses not to go—too much work, too far to travel, too complicated. Then I bit the bullet and went to New York for the show.

What would I have missed had I stayed home working? A transformative cultural experience. That would have been my loss, despite whatever tasks I might have accomplished at my desk.

I have been attending concerts since the Who opened for Herman’s Hermits (yes, I was young once). After countless shows in theaters, stadiums, and arenas, I grew jaded. I thought having seen some of the best, I was done.

Not so fast.

These concerts are not merely performers singing their songs loudly while audiences cheer. This is an experience like none other: music, costumes, dance, theater, sociology, spectacular lighting, elaborate sets, powerful themes, and above all—generosity of spirit.

The Artist Who Delivers

We have all read about difficult performers who show up angry, battling group dynamics and technical problems. The performance I witnessed had none of those issues and all of the magic. Gaga delayed the concert start by several hours to accept the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, including Artist of the Year. Then she arrived and gave us her heart. She had already put in a whole day’s work, then performed an electrifying two-and-a-half-hour concert. And yes, she incorporated her award statues into one of the acts.

The later start gave us time to enjoy a leisurely dinner and a relaxed entry into Madison Square Garden. The music and performance were exceptional—but you don’t need me to review an exceptional artist’s performance. Of course it was off-the-charts wonderful. What captivated me was the audience and the atmosphere they created with the performer.

London!

The Magic of the Crowd

So many people came dressed as Mayhem characters. There was me in a nice colorful cocktail dress, all the way to the full Lady Mayhem complete with lace mask, crown, and red costume. In my party, the costumes were breathtaking. I felt a bit underdressed, but the show went on.

The audience was gracious and kind. It was delightful to meet so many enthusiastic fans who came to enjoy both the performance and the camaraderie. People stopped to admire costumes and introduce themselves. The atmosphere was electric.

I spotted Gaga’s parents in the audience. They must have been over the moon—awards and adulation: proof that those voice and piano lessons paid off.

Breaking My Own Rules

I loved the NYC concert so much that I made a rash decision: I would see it again in London. I broke my promise not to travel in 2025 and booked a flight. While the NYC concert was out of this world, somehow the London performance exceeded my expectations. The audience’s appreciation and Gaga’s acknowledgment and gratitude were palpable.

The London performance was at O2 Arena, where 20,000 people entered, reached their seats, experienced the magic of the performance, and then miraculously filed out onto the Tube without pushing, shoving, or even loud words. They were gentle and patient—even in the very crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder train cars. Twenty thousand people, some dressed in their finest Mayhem costumes, made their way home peacefully. We were a bit less conspicuous on the return trip than we had been heading to the venue.

Before the concert, I worried about wearing our regalia on the Tube and causing other riders consternation. But Londoners are tactful and uninvolved with the strangers with whom they share the evening commute. A few Gaga fans even cheered us on.

Having just seen the NYC show, I was prepared for excellence. But I wasn’t prepared for excellence multiplied. How can perfection improve? The London audience’s energy was supercharged. They cheered, sang, and hugged their neighbors. The costumes weren’t as over-the-top as in NYC, but some were incredible. This time, I made better plans and packed a crown, cape, and dress in my suitcase. I WAS Lady Mayhem! Although, looking at the pictures – maybe more like Little Red Riding Hood?

The Real Gift

After the performance ended and we returned to my friend’s house in London, I pondered what I’d just experienced. This was more than entertainment—it was an entire sensory event that spoke not only to my musical and dramatic interests but to my soul. To my sense of joy and gratitude.

To those of us who have seen many concerts: go to the new ones. To those who haven’t experienced such events: this is a cultural phenomenon worthy of the cost—even if you don’t dress up and look silly on the Tube or Metro.

I thank Lady Gaga for her generosity in sharing her talents with us and creating an impeccable experience worthy of causing me to break my travel moratorium. I thank my lovely and incredible daughter for inviting me and for such a memorable birthday gift.

Photo Credits: Krasi Henkel

Posted on in A24 IAC Films, Apple Original Films, art, Banquo, Books, British National Trust, Culture, Cush Jumbo, David Tennant, Donalbain, Donmar, Donmar Warehouse, Dreams, Film director, Fleance, Hecate, King Duncan, Lady Macbeth, Lady Macduff, Lennox nobleman, lifestyle, Macbeth, Macbethwestend, Macduff, Macduff's Son, Malcolm, Max Webster, National Theater Live, Seyton, Shakespear tragedy, Siward, Sword, The Scottish Play, Three Witches, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and tomorrow, Trafalger Releasing, Weird Sisters, West End

When Shakespeare Goes Cinema:

A Night with Macbeth at the Crossroads of Traditional and Modern

There’s something deliciously ironic about preparing to watch “The Scottish Play” through a screen. Armed with Marjorie Garber’s scholarly insights and Paul Cantor’s lectures queued on YouTube, I found myself straddling centuries – one foot in traditional academic preparation, the other in digital-age convenience. But nothing could have prepared me for the way that the filmed live Max Webster-directed production at London’s  Donmar Warehouse; starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo; would dissolve that careful distance between viewer and viewed.

The Seduction of Simplicity

In an era where productions often compete to outdo each other with elaborate sets and costumes, this Macbeth takes a boldly minimalist approach. The stark staging serves not as a constraint but as a canvas, allowing the raw power of Shakespeare’s language and the actors’ craft to paint vivid pictures in our minds. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less is more – especially with performers of exceptional caliber commanding the space.

The Intimacy of Technology

Things get interesting with the production’s use of binaural sound technology and the theater’s 5.1 surround sound transformed what could have been a mere filming of a stage play into something more visceral. Every whispered plotting, every sharp intake of breath, every moment of hesitation becomes startlingly intimate. This is psychological cinema at its finest. Using modern technology to achieve what Shakespeare himself must have dreamed of – the ability to place the audience not just in front of the action, but inside of it. Macbeth’s eye contact with the viewer is both thrilling and chilling.

Gender, Power, and the Space Between Desire and Action

At the heart of the play is an exploration of gender dynamics that feels startlingly relevant to contemporary discussions. Lady Macbeth emerges not simply as an ambitious woman, but as a complex figure trapped in a society that offers her “no chance of independent action and heroic achievement.” Her transformation of nouns into verbs – turning the Weird Sisters’ prophecies into calls for action – speaks to a deeper truth about power and agency.

The production masterfully highlights how Lady Macbeth’s infamous “unsex me here” speech resonates with modern conversations about gender constraints. Her willingness to “dash out the brains” of her nursing infant becomes not just an act of horror, but a violent rejection of prescribed feminine roles. In Jumbo’s portrayal, we see a woman who has internalized the brutal logic of a masculine world, turning it back on itself with devastating effect.

The Question of Responsibility

Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of this production is how it implicates its audience. Through the immersive sound design and intimate camera work, we become less spectators and more accomplices. Each choice, each action, each consequence feels personal in a way that traditional staging rarely achieves. The production asks us, in our era of influence and manipulation, whether we are ever truly responsible for our actions – a question that echoes far beyond the theater walls.

A New Kind of Shakespeare Experience

What makes this production remarkable is not just its technical achievements or stellar performances, but how it manages to honor both theatrical tradition and contemporary sensibilities. It’ is Shakespeare for our time: psychologically acute, technologically sophisticated, yet deeply rooted in the timeless power of language and performance.

For those planning to view the film: Yes, do your homework. Garber will guide you through the text and Cantor illuminates the themes. But, be prepared to have all that careful preparation wonderfully undermined by a production that refuses to let you remain a distant spectator. In bridging the gap between stage and screen, between past and present, this Macbeth creates something entirely new – and utterly compelling.

For optimal viewing, resist the urge to maintain analytical distance. This is one production where surrender yields the richest rewards. To whet your appetite take a little tour.