Stewart Opens On Broadway + Talks A Little Trek

Tonight Patrick Stewart opens on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre for a seven week run of MacBeth. Rupert Goold’s Stalinist interpretation of the Shakespeare classic originated with Stewart on the London stage in 2007. In a new interview promoting the show, Stewart also talked a little Trek and how Jean Luc Picard influences his MacBeth.

From a interview at The New Yorker:

New Yorker: Okay, wow. Well, here’s a question you’ll really despise: Has playing Jean-Luc Picard taught you anything about Macbeth?
Patrick Stewart: Why do you think that’s a stupid question? Look, I played that character for seven years, 178 episodes week in, week out, four feature films. Those years were very productive, they were very important to me, and they changed my life in every aspect. I am proud of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I am proud of the work we did, and I am proud of the character I played, because I know for a fact he’s been an outstanding role model to people. Is there any of him in Macbeth? No. There really isn’t. Jean-Luc Picard, supposing he were married to Lady Macbeth — which he would never have been because he is married to the Enterprise, as we all know — he would never have permitted these things to happen because he is not a violent man, and not a man who would put personal ambition before the good of others.

NY Loves Stewart
Stewart’s run in new New York began in February at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The actor has been getting great notices. For example, the New York Times had this to say:

But there have been many fascist-themed versions of “Macbeth” over the years. What makes this one a must-see is Mr. Stewart’s thrilling recognition that his character is as close kin to the fatally introspective Hamlet as he is to power-wielding men of ill will like Richard III. His performance is the first I have seen to realize completely what the scholar Harold Bloom means when he calls this play “a tragedy of the imagination.”

…and from the New Yorker:

As Macbeth, Patrick Stewart is masterly; he makes the character’s journey from tentativeness to tyranny with unhistrionic aplomb. As a promoted war hero nearing the end of his career, Stewart cuts a trim, staunch, but older figure. He’s easy in his body, he’s sexual, and he’s playful, which makes his outbursts all the more terrifying. But the age difference between him and Lady Macbeth (the fine, fierce Kate Fleetwood) raises the vexing issue of masculinity, and that works well for the complexity of Macbeth’s balky bloodlust.

More reviews at Variety, NY Daily News, and AP.

Broadway – MacBeth – Trek Connection
MacBeth has been to Broadway many times over the decades. The last attempt was actually by a (brief) Trek Alum, Kelsey Grammer (TNG: Capt. Bateson). However, his 2000 run only lasted 13 performances.

For more info and tickets, visit TeleCharge

Stewart…to B or not to B
There is no video online of Stewart’s performance in MacBeth, but just for fun here is a clip we found of him showing his Shakespearean stuff on Sesame Street.

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It’s always worth going to see Patrick Stewart doing what he does best!

Ahaha!! That Sesame Street skit is priceless!

I’ll be the second.

or maybe just top ten

HA!

noted. Last time i’ll do it!

LAST!

Love the Sesame Street bit.

It would be nice to see his MacBeth, but that’s not in the cards for me.
(Apropos of nothing, my favorite filmed version is Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood.”)

I saw this production in London. Do yourselves a favour and go see it. I have seen Macbeth so many times I thought there was nothing new for me in that masterpiece. I was wrong. It’s wonderful.

Mr. Orci, please write a Next Gen script and please make it better than Nemesis.

Battletrek,

Shouldn’t you see our first effort before you decide if you want to keep us around? :)

Stewart is a class act, and I would love to see him perform this sometime.

As for the presse’s question, when will they stop looking down at Star Trek with such a fervor? I imagine when the new movie is a hit and they’ll be forced to run with it……hypocrites

I would love to see Stewart on broadway.

And I wouldn’t wear a trek uniform to see it either

Shatner doing that would be a laugh,

To be,,,,,,,or,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,not to be,,,,,,,,,Spock,,,thats the,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,answer

Patrick Steward never ceases to impress me. When reporters slog on Trek like it’s the only sane thing to do, he gives them an articulate and sincere reprimand that would make any Trekker proud. I love the man’s attitude and I love his work. Here’s hoping he makes it into XI.

I will be in NY for the first time in my life in May. And now i can see Mr Stewart! i have already purchased my tickets for Macbeth… this will be a helluva ride!

Greetings from an Argentine in Barcelona!

I know it’s never going to happen, but it would be awesome if Spock had a scene with Picard before he goes back to TOS era. Can you imagine going in to the cinema and not knowing that was there?

Having said that, this group is all about the twists and secrets….

Mr. Orci you aren’t having doubts?
Regardless it would be a treat to see you’re take on Next Gen since you’ve said you like it as much as TOS.

I have to say Stewart classed the sh*t out of Trek, no two ways about it.

I also have to say Stewart classed the sh*t out of Trek, no two ways about it.

#17 maybe not a Next Gen script… how does a Titan script sound???

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE????!!!!!!

Man, I loved that skit from Sesame Street. Patrick Stewart is great.

I miss Sesame Street, the US version. I grew up on that at least for a while. Never warmed up to the German version that replaced it when I was a child. (Big childhood trauma there) It’s little gems like this performance by Patrik Stewart that makes it still special.

I had the fine privilege of seeing Macbeth this past Saturday night. It was a fantastic experience! I highly recommend it! If you can, stick around after the show and go around to the stage door (its one block over on 46th street). Mr. Stewart will come out and give you an autograph!

First–THANK YOU Anthony for finally putting an end to that childinsh first thing. On to the topic.

Patrick Stewart is an amazing fellow and I wish I lived anywhere near where he will perform. He did 15 minutes of A Christmas Carol at a convention many years ago and it was spellbinding. I am sorry we will never again see him as JLP but I applaud his mastery of the arts.

It is obvious that at six AM I have developed no mastery in the art of typing! Sorry, folks!

Patrick Stewart doing Shakespeare is a force of nature. With that commanding voice, he was born for it. I am admittedly not as big a Next Gen fan as I am of TOS, but my favorite NG episode is still “The Inner Light”; an episode he largely carries on his shoulders. “Inner Light” is also a still-relevant warning on the dangers of unchecked climate change. And if you’re reading this, Bob Orci? Your little “fan film” coming out next year looks amazing. The spy photos from the set (whether deliberate or not) only serve to whet the appetite, not spoil it!

Though I am a TOS fan first and foremost, there is no doubt in my mind that Patrick Steward is the finest actor to play a Star Trek role.

This is definately off-topic, but a thread about ‘Broadway’ is about the best place I can think to ask it.

I have a nephew who just got done watching Voyager, and we’re experimenting with other old sci-fi shows and movies, and he’s particularly interested in the music. I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of some good CD compilations (MP3 downloads; .torrents) with some of our old favorite TV and Movie themes?

#13

Yeah – although I’m still envisioning an “alternative” Campfire Scene with Kirk staring into the flames, declaiming

When.shall…we.three…meetagain______inthunderlightningorinrain? When… the…hurlyburly’sdone, when…the…battle’slostandwon.

:)

Anyway, I love ST’s Shakespeare references. I think it’s great that ST provided us with such an apt combination, and that they had classically trained actors such as Shatner and Stewart available to make those moments strong and conclusive.

Congrats to Stewart for such a successful performance!

You might want to check that out, too:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shakespeare_and_Star_Trek

Sesame Street needs to have Patrick back as The Count’s long lost cousin. “B or not a B.” Priceless stuff.

I’ll be sure to sit in the front row at “Macbeth,” wearing my full Starfleet regalia, saluting Stewart in Klingon and being sure to interrupt the play when my cellphone goes off playing the theme to “The Next Generation.”

(Kidding! Leave that stuff at home!)

The respect and love for his work on Trek is evident by how quickly he defends the show. He was a great role model and I always looked up to him when I was younger. In my mind Jean-Luc was exactly what a captain should be. I’m not bashing Kirk or the others, but when it comes down to it no one deserved to fly the flagship of the federation more than Jean-Luc. He will always be my favorite captain.

I wish I could see MacBeth but the tickets are just too far out of my price range. That and it costs too much to drive up to NY from VA to see the show. If there is one broadway play I’d love to see this would be it. Not just because of Stewart, but for my love of Shakespeare.

I was lucky enough to see Patrick Stewart’s performance in the “mirror universe” version of Othello that was staged in Washington, D.C. about ten years ago. (Stewart played a white Othello in a black Venice.) I would love to see him in ‘the Scottish play’ but I won’t have the opportunity. If you get the chance, GO!!!

Frankly, this has nothing to do with Trek or Picard; what I’m talking about is the chance to see one of the best Shakespearean actors currently alive performing one of the greatest roles in English-language theater.

Actually, if you’d like to see Patrick Stewart play another bad guy, I found this on the Internet while doing a little “I don’t want to go back to work” searching for details on his production of MacBeth.

Stewart will be playing the regicidal, fratricidal King Claudius from late July to mid-November in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Stratford-on-Avon production of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

I suspect there will be a lot of geek interest in this production because, along with Stewart’s murderous turn, the title role of Hamlet will be played by another RSC veteran, David Tennant — who may be better known in science fiction TV circles as the tenth Doctor Who.

With tongue firmly in cheek and not belittling either of these excellent actors I have to say: “The Doctor meets Captain Picard” — sounds like fan fiction, doesn’t it?

Speaking of “B”s, there actually isn’t a capital “B” in Macbeth. Snarky, I know, but there it is.

So glad Stewart was willing to make a thoughtful comparison of the characters. That’s the kind of stuff I eat up.

I so wish I could see the Broadway production!

Mr. Stewart is a wonderful actor….

In other news Tom cruise latest movie “Valkyrie” is being push back to feb

From June to November to February….

OUCH!!

Man, I wish I could afford to see this!

[grumble] Stupid maxed-out credit cards!! [grumble]

On top of Steward having the lead, the Soviet setting sounds very intriguing. Here’s hoping he has a long and prosperous run!

Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|

Is it just me or a few months ago there were (on this site) some quotes that sound like he’s had enough of Trek. But now with this quote and the previous one looks he’s back in business :)

It’s great that such an accomplished actor like Stewart still holds some reverence for his Star Trek years.

When I was in college, my friends and I would specifically gather for episodes that we thought would be “Picard”-centric as we knew we were going to be in for an acting Trek tour de force. To see how he has recently taken to defending Star Trek in the press really makes me happy, especially in light of some articles from a few months back that led one to believe he was trying to distance himself from the show. I just knew that he was proud of his contribution to TNG and of TNG’s contribution to both his career and the culture of TV (if one can say such a thing).

Do you think they would make this play into a movie starring Patrick Stuart? That would be awsome to see since I’m poor and can’t see him in NY.

Patrick Stewart on Sesame Street = Instant Higher Grades in Students Across the World.

The end.

*B*oborci beginneth with ‘B’. Just sayin’ ;)

Hadn’t seen Sesame Street in 30+ years. Thanks for that link Anthony… I’ll be putting it to use in the physics classroom when I introduce the “B field”… (as opposed to those who prefer the “H field”).

People took his comments a few months ago about that part of his life being over the wrong way. He was gracefully bowing out, acknowledging the fact that the TNG movies were over. He never said a dispariging word about playing Captain Picard.

Just because you complete a task that you are very proud of and say that it is finished, doesn’t mean that you are any less proud of the work you have done.

He’s a class act that’s never had any problems defending Trek and it’s fans with the media… or correcting them when they are wrong.

It still bothers me that the TNG crew will never get a good send off movie. Oh well. It’s rare for most movie series to end on a good note. I guess TNG was no different.

#44

I totally agree. Stewart has always been a class act, has always defended ST, and has always expressed appreciation for the career opportunities which ST provided for him. Being a great actor, he naturally did not want to fall into the typecasting trap and a few years ago he felt that it was time to move on to other work. It doesn’t mean that he disrespected ST, only that his work there was finished. Some rabid fans and some of the media misinterpreted his actions as ingratitude, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

I somewhat disagree about the lack of a proper sendoff for TNG – the series finale “All Good Things” was by far the best series finale of all the Trek series’ and showcased all the best things about TNG and ST in general.

It bothers me more that TOS never received a proper send-off. The last episode filmed and broadcast, Turnabout Intruder, was the worst of all TOS episodes and one of the worst in all of Trek. Hardly a fitting end to one of the great television series of all time.

For some reason I view the TOS movies in a different light than the series – since they were made so much later than the television series, they had a completely different look and feel, and the actors had substantially aged. Although most of them were fine movies, it just didn”t feel the same.

This production was awesome. It is very violent and bloody, but the truely terrifying aspect of it is the psychology behind the charicters. The ghost scene is done twice: once when the audience sees the ghost, and once where we do not. It was a statement that Macbeth is losing his mind. Stewart effectively brought us into his head.

New York does indeed love Patrick Stewart.

Oh, and by the way… you see all that blood on his hands in the picture? Lady Macbeth gets much bloodier…

Patrick Stewart was the right man for Star trek the Next generation. Like Kirk the Captain of the Enterprise has to be larger then life and Stewart being a theater actor could project that larger then life persona. I remember that Stewart did contemplate leaving the show after the third season and as much as i like Johnathan Frakes, I don’t think he would have worked as lead actor in the show. I think the show would have suffered because of Stewart’s absence.

Aaw. It’s so great to see that Patrick Stewart really seems to appreciate his time on Star Trek. I never really liked TNG, but I adore him! I saw him do a one man show of The Christmas Carol a few years ago, and it was wonderful! I’ve met him quite a few times as well, and he couldn’t be nicer.

I love Patrick Stewart. It’s a good thing that his two captain roles never met each other:

Ahab and Picard.

Think about it:

“Earl grey, hot” vs “Blood of the white whale!!!!”