Shakespeare meets Marge Simpson
Rick Miller, a man of many voices.
His show MacHomer, opening at The Opera House this week, has a cast of more than 50 and stars Miller as, well, everybody. MacHomer is a mash-up of tv’s The Simpsons and Shakespeare’s Macbeth with the one-man vocal impersonator featuring over 50 voices from the popular American cartoon, and a script that he says remains 85 percent true to Shakespeare’s original.
“It’s a fusion of pop and highbrow culture,” Miller says. “Of course Shakespeare never used to be highbrow. Just like the Simpsons are today, Shakespeare was the smart accurate satire of his time.”
Miller hails from Toronto where he’s one of Canada’s most respected multi-disciplinary performers. He’s worked in both classical and avant-garde theatre, in musicals, live comedy, film, television, is an award winning writer, artistic director and a former ABC host. He’s also been a voice actor for animated tv shows and video games. And while it’s a first for Wellington he’s performed MacHomer more than 700 times in over 160 countries.
Of course he’s a lover of Matt Groening’s characters, but Miller says he was “thoroughly changed” by Shakespeare.
“At school in Montreal I’d studied in French and been exposed to all the big French writers. Then at 16 I just happened to pick up Hamlet. I read it, then read it again, then re-read it. I just thought it was some of the best stuff ever.”
Miller attributes his abilities at parody largely to having been brought up in Canada.
“Like Kiwis Canadians live beside a large neighbour and I think that gives us an ability to watch and listen a little more. We often come out using imitation as a way of thinking or learning about something.”
Learning to imitate a voice doesn’t always come easy, and he says switching back and forth between characters can be difficult.
“Mostly I use my ears. I take the car to an isolated parking lot, put in a tape and let rip. I listen to the voice, then try to imitate it, and do that a few times until I’ve got it in my head.”
And he needs a good memory. As well as the Simpsons, MacHomer includes Miller’s version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, sung by 25 of the most annoying voices in the music industry.
Rick Miller in MacHomer, The Opera House, August 11-16.
Have Your Say
1 Comment
FDO at 10:10 p.m. on 12 August said
I just went to see this - it's fantastic. Well worth going! Something for everyone. You don't need to know too much about the Scottish Play to get something out of it...