Opening night at the Metropolitan Opera rarely lacks theatrical fireworks, but the launch of the 2026-2027 season brought something genuinely unexpected. When Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth took over the Lincoln Center stage, it did so under pressure. Director Louisa Proske stepped into the production on short notice after Bartlett Sher withdrew, inheriting an immense machine and less than a year to make her mark. What resulted was a high-stakes gamble that proved why Verdi’s first Shakespearean adaptation still commands fierce debate among opera traditionalists and modernists alike.
If you walked into the opera house expecting a standard period-piece tartan fest, Proske’s staging threw you off balance immediately. Backed by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin in the pit, the production leaned heavily into the grotesque and the supernatural. Verdi famously obsessed over the witches in Macbeth, pushing them to the narrative forefront far more than Shakespeare ever did. Proske ran with that musical cue, turning a coven of twelve witches into omnipresent voyeurs. They lingered over walls, peered into bedchambers, and basically treated the royal couple like goldfish in a tank. Building on this theme, you can also read: Inside the Quiet Revolution of Daisha Auda and the Making of a National Voice.
Vocal Heavyweights Take Center Stage
The real draw, however, was the powerhouse pairing of baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role and soprano Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth. Both artists arrived at these role debuts with massive expectations riding on their shoulders.
Kelsey played Macbeth with a fascinating psychological arc. He started out somewhat tentative, almost sheepishly dragged into regicide by an iron-willed spouse. But as the body count rose, so did the terrifying weight of his vocal delivery. During "Fuggi, regal fantasima," his outburst against Banquo's ghost tore through the auditorium with absolute despair and defiance. By Act IV, he stripped away all swagger, leaving behind a hollow tyrant confronting his own ruin. Analysts at GQ have provided expertise on this situation.
Davidsen faced a different kind of scrutiny. While her legendary vocal wattage is undeniable, purists often question whether her voice truly fits the venomous, bloodthirsty requirements of Verdi's heaviest soprano writing. On opening night, she brought immense vocal security and commanding presence, though some theatergoers noted her physical acting felt occasionally detached from the carnage unfolding around her. Even so, hearing those phrases soar across the Met acoustics remains an elite theatrical experience.
Staging Choices That Sparked Intermission Arguments
Opera intermissions exist primarily for strong opinions, and this production handed patrons plenty of ammunition. Designer Jon Bausor utilized the Met's massive revolving stage to push scenes through a jagged hole punched into a concrete wall, creating a gritty, war-torn aesthetic that felt light-years away from medieval Scotland. In fact, eagle-eyed audience members spotted modern structural rebar in the set design, prompting plenty of muttered questions during the break about ancient construction techniques.
Then came the visual shocks. During the banquet sequence, an enormous dead boar was unceremoniously dumped onto the dining table before morphing into the blood-soaked apparition of Ryan Speedo Green’s Banquo. It was grotesque, visceral, and entirely effective at rattling Macbeth's sanity. Later, the prophecy of a man not born of woman manifested via a bloody baby doll emerging from an exaggerated pregnancy. It was weird, bold, and entirely characteristic of Proske’s refusal to play it safe.
Action, Pacing, and the Verdict
Movement director Ran Arthur Braun and choreographer Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson injected intense physical energy into the battle sequences and ensemble numbers. Sword fights threw literal sparks across the stage, while the men executed sharp, athletic choreography that felt closer to fantasy sports than traditional folk dancing. Yet, this frenetic energy occasionally made the latter acts feel rushed, compressing the tragic downfall into a breathless sprint.
Despite a few jarring aesthetic choices and pacing hiccups, the evening succeeded because the core musical forces refused to compromise. Nézet-Séguin kept the orchestra surging with relentless theatrical momentum, matching the psychological decay happening onstage.
If you missed opening night, you don't need to stay locked out of the experience. The production hits movie theaters globally through the Met: Live in HD series, and local radio broadcasts offer another way to catch the vocal fireworks without battling the Lincoln Center crowds. Check local listings for screening times to experience one of the most polarizing stagings the Met has launched in years.
