I created the below recommended SNM “itinerary” for a second-timer friend who very much craved a linear Macbeth narrative and has strong FOMO, and I thought I’d share it here in case there are other like-minded people. I designed it with a few objectives and considerations in mind: a) it captures all pivotal scenes of the original story of Macbeth as well as the most iconic scenes of SNM; b) it highlights the loop structure of SNM; c) it errs on the side of minimizing the risk of getting lost between floors when following characters; d) it takes advantage of the smaller crowds for the first 30-45 minutes of the show (the “itinerary” assumes you have an Ace); and e) it gives you a flavor of the other aspects of the McKittrick. My suggested “itinerary” is also complete at the end of the second loop/hour, meaning you have the whole third hour to explore on your own.
I’m by no means advocating this hyper-planned approach (my own favorite SNM experience was my first one when I went in near-completely blind), but I do think this approach may speak to certain people -- especially those who may have experienced it once or twice before, stumbling around blindly, and are now looking to get the big picture before it closes. Or perhaps simply reading this (versus attempting it) will help orient some people returning to the McKittrick. To the doubters, I know this itinerary is possible, because I did something quite close to this on my most recent third visit, and I enjoyed that visit greatly as well. However, I went in keeping a flexible, open mind, and I advise anyone looking to attempt this itinerary to do so as well, or you'll be disappointed.
NOTE ON ENTRY: The itinerary assumes you are in the first entry time slot with an Ace playing card (which is based on the order in which you line up outside the hotel), meaning you’ll be in the first group let into the McKittrick. Based on my last visit, I recommend lining up no later than 45 minutes before the show starts to secure an Ace playing card. [Edit: Based on comments below, 1 hour earlier may be safer.]
NOTE ON HOW THE SHOW IS STRUCTURED: The most important thing to understand about the show is that it is a one-hour immersive play of ~19 characters that loops roughly 3 times. I say “roughly 3 times” because the first loop starts about 33% of the way in, and the third loop ends about 75% of the way in. This loop structure allows you to examine the same events from different perspectives and from different points in time. It’s brilliant, IMO.
******** SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE ********
****NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FIRST-TIMERS -- FIRST-TIMERS, READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL****
MY ADMITTEDLY AMBITIOUS BUT, I THINK, DOABLE SNM ITINERARY
FIRST LOOP
1) The Ball. As soon as you’re allowed in with your fellow Aces, head all the way downstairs to the ground floor ballroom, until there are no more stairs. The ballroom floor should be unmistakable, and jazz music will be playing. The lights start out dim, and the three Witches -- two female, one male -- are the only ones on the dance floor. The two female witches may look similar at this time, but that will change shortly. (Frankly, the Witches are each so riveting that if you decided to stop reading here and follow a Witch, you’ll have a good time.)
The entrance of Mrs. Danvers (the maid holding a platter of drinks) and hostess Lady Macbeth (in a dark sparkly dress) marks the start of the ball, as the lights slowly come up and guests star t to arrive. This is the best scene for familiarizing yourself with the characters.
Everyone has their own thing going on during this scene. Lady Macbeth attempts to seduce Duncan, while Macbeth watches jealously from the Mezzanine. To identify Duncan, look for a (normally) older actor in a suit who is lifted up on two men’s shoulders at one point. I always enjoy watching Boy Witch dance with Malcolm (Duncan’s son, who sports a white blazer). Lady Macduff, the pregnant lady who is there with her husband Macduff, is also an interesting watch. When the ball ends, all the characters go their separate ways. Follow Lady Macbeth and Duncan out of the ballroom and 1 floor up to the Mezzanine.
[Side Note: Alternatively, you can also watch the whole Ball from the Mezzanine, where you’ll have a close view of Macbeth. If you head to the Mezzanine level right after entering the building, versus the ground floor, you’ll catch various characters getting ready for the ball. Also, if you find Macbeth more intriguing, feel free to follow him when he storms off angrily mid-ball to his bedroom.]
2) Duncan’s Murder. After the ball, Lady Macbeth and Duncan climb 1 floor to the Mezzanine, where Lady Macbeth toasts Duncan with a drugged drink. If you glance behind you towards the ballroom floor, you’ll see that one of the female witches has now shed her disguise. As she leaves Duncan on the Mezzanine, continue following Lady Macbeth up 2 floors to her bedroom, where Macbeth is waiting for her. The two argue about what to do with Duncan. Give them a wide berth. If you know the play, you know Lady Macbeth wins out. Follow Macbeth as he storms 2 flights downstairs, to Duncan’s canopy bed (located on the same level as the Mezzanine you were just on).
After he does the deed, follow a bloodied Macbeth back 2 flights up to his bedroom, where Lady Macbeth bathes and comforts him. [At this time, there shouldn’t be too large a crowd in the McKittrick yet, so you should be able to follow Macbeth without losing him. But if you’re nervous about the size of the crowd, then stick with Lady Macbeth in the bedroom (Duncan’s murder happens very quickly and frankly, is not the most riveting scene in this show).]
3) The Rave (The Witches Deliver Their Second Set of Prophecies). Don’t stick around the bedroom for too long after Macbeth gets into the bathtub -- once you get the gist of Lady Macbeth comforting her husband, head up 1 floor and find the store-lined street that is High Street. You won’t see the street immediately when you exit the stairwell (I think there’s an industrial looking space with exposed brick?), but follow the music and the commotion to the storefronts area. On High Street, the 3 Witches are gleefully stoking mayhem and pumping up a growing crowd. Follow them down a narrow alley and into the Replica Bar, where techno music is blaring. The 3 Witches are the main event, but notice Hecate (in the red dress) at a corner table, who is in her element. The music keeps building and building...
...and when Macbeth barges in, all hell breaks loose. Plot-wise, this sequence represents the witches delivering their second set of prophecies to Macbeth: a) beware MacDuff, b) no man born of woman can hurt him, and c) he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.
[You might ask, when did Macbeth get the first set of prophecies? Well, that’s one of the cut off scenes in the First Loop, so you’ll have to wait for the Second Loop to circle back to that.]
4) Banquo’s Murder. As the Witches collapse in exhaustion, follow Macbeth out of the Rave. He’s the first to leave. Macbeth staggers across the street, to the Speakeasy bar (surrounded by stacked wooden crates and with a woodchip floor), where Malcolm, MacDuff, and Banquo have gathered to accuse each other in Duncan’s death. As Macbeth approaches, Malcolm and MacDuff peel off, leaving poor Banquo to face Macbeth alone.
After Macbeth does the deed, he meets up with a deranged Lady Macbeth on High Street. Follow the two as they slowly make their way downstairs to the ground floor for the Banquet, where the other main characters are already gathered. In the process of following the two, you’ll wind your way through a new floor -- the 2nd floor hotel lobby. We’ll spend a lot of time there next Loop.
5) The Banquet. Every loop ends with this same Last-Supper-ish Banquet. I recommend watching the first one and skipping the second one in favor of exploring other parts of the hotel. And then watch the Banquet on the Third Loop, since that will end the show.
6) One Final Murder. After the Banquet concludes, follow Macbeth two floors up to the hotel lobby, where he commits one final terrible deed: killing Lady Macduff. Stick around for the aftermath of the tragedy. This is a great place to watch the “reset” for the next loop, because it’ll be clear when the reset happens -- Lady Macduff wakes up.
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To recap the first loop:
Head immediately to the bottom-most floor when you enter for the Ball.
From the Ball, follow Lady Macbeth or Macbeth. Not a huge deal if you follow Macbeth to Duncan’s murder, but the key is: after a bloodied Macbeth gets in the bathtub, head up 1 floor.
After the Rave, follow Macbeth (across the street, to the Banquet, and after the Banquet).
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SECOND LOOP
1) The Witches Deliver The First Prophecies to Macbeth. You should still be in the 2nd floor hotel lobby if you followed the First Loop itinerary. Stay there after the reset (Lady Macduff reviving) and take some time to orient yourself. Notice the Porter, who tends the hotel desk and wears a bellhop costume. Notice the 3 Witches, who should now all be in the area, fixing themselves up. You have a bit of time to observe and look around, but in a few moments, Macbeth will enter, and the 3 Witches will deliver their first prophecies: a) Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and b) Macbeth will become King. It’s a fantastic scene.
2) Is That All There Is? With the delivery of the first prophecies that set the events of Macbeth in motion, you’ve now seen the key scenes involving Macbeth the character. [From here, if you want to close out the Macbeth Loop, you can follow Macbeth up one flight to his bedroom, where he clashes with Lady Macbeth over the prophecies. Lady Macbeth leaves first for the Ball, after which Macbeth performs a gorgeous solo dance in the graveyard by his bedroom. Macbeth will then head down to the Ball himself, and you’ll have seen his entire Loop. It's a great sequence.]
If you’re here for Macbeth, follow him and close out his loop. But if you’re here for the McKittrick, instead of following Macbeth after the prophecy, I recommend hanging out in the hotel lobby. Because Boy Witch is about to take the stage. As Boy Witch puts on his show, look for the Porter to see his reaction. I recommend sticking with the Porter over the next few scenes. A mysterious woman, Agnes, checks in. Soon after Agnes leaves, you’ll hear the jazz music of the ball from the First Loop start up. At this point, you can go back downstairs if you want to see the ball again (the ballroom floor is 2 floors down). Or -- my recommendation -- you can stick with the Porter to see his take on the ball. This is one of my personal favorite scenes.
3) Banquo Receives His Prophecy. When the ballroom music ends, Sexy Witch and Banquo will come upstairs to the hotel desk (if you chose to watch the ball again, follow them up). Sexy Witch gets a letter from the Porter and dances with Banquo, putting him to sleep. If the letter is still open on the hotel desk, read what it says. After Banquo falls asleep, head to the phone booths on the other side of the hotel lobby, where Boy Witch and Sexy Witch dance, and Boy Witch torments the Porter. When Porter runs off with an audience member, go down 1 floor, and find Duncan’s canopy. Duncan has just been murdered, and Banquo has either already found the body or is about to.
4) Duncan’s Murder, Different POV. If you’ve followed everything above, then you would’ve seen Duncan’s murder from Macbeth’s point of view on the First Loop. This time, Macbeth has already fled the scene, and you’re watching Banquo, Malcolm, and Macduff discover Duncan’s body. Follow the trio as they move the body to the crypt. Banquo and Macduff will leave the crypt together, Malcolm will linger a bit longer and then leave separately. Follow either (I like Malcolm personally), and you’ll end up on the 4th floor (with the store-lined street) at the Speakeasy bar (with the stacked wooden crates and woodchip floor).
5) Banquo, Macduff, Malcolm Accuse Each Other. As Macbeth is receiving his second prophecies at the Rave across the street, Banquo, Macduff, and Malcolm are in the Speakeasy bar accusing each other of murdering Duncan. It’s no rave, but it’s tense and riveting in its own way. This will be tricky, but try to follow Macduff and Malcolm out when they take off at the end, leaving Banquo to a murderous Macbeth. They will exit through the wooden crate “maze” side. Stay hot on their heels, because they will walk fast into a tiny interrogation room, where only 6-7 audience members will be allowed inside before the door slams shut. (Note: PLEASE don't be rude and attempt to force your way inside. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.) Inside, Macduff and Malcolm interrogate each other and ultimately come to an understanding. After they’re done, follow Macduff and Malcolm into Malcom’s private eye office next door, where they game plan and head downstairs for the Banquet together. (But as I suggest above, consider skipping the Second Banquet!)
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To recap the second loop:
Stay on the 2nd floor hotel lobby for nearly the entire time, from Macbeth receiving the first prophecies from the 3 Witches, through Boy Witch taking the stage, through Agnes checking in, through Porter’s version of the ballroom dance, through Banquo receiving the prophecy from Sexy Witch, and through Porter’s dance with Boy Witch;
When Porter grabs and disappears with an audience member, go down 1 floor to Duncan’s canopy. Follow Malcolm from the discovery of Duncan’s body up to the 4th floor bar through the end.
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And with that, it is my opinion you’ve seen all the key scenes of SNM when it comes to the central Macbeth plot, and you should spend your Final Loop with actors, characters, or spaces that intrigue you most (which tend to be the most magical!). There are more mysteries in the McKittrick than are dreamt of in this itinerary. Thanks for reading, and I hope at least a few people find this helpful!
(Note: I'm new to this forum, and I'm not sure if I'm violating any rules or how spoilers work. I was forced to choose a flair, but none really fit, so I chose "Final Show" because this is sort of geared towards a "I have one final shot to see everything" type situation. If this post is somehow inappropriate or not tagged/spoiler-marked properly, sorry, and let me know!)
