Angels in America

Angels in America Pat 1 & Part 2 is playing at the Neil Simone Theatre located at 250 West 52ns Street. It is in two Parts Part 1 “Millennium Approaches” runs three-and-a-half hours. Part 2 “Perestrokia” runs fours. The play closes on July 15, 2018.
The play has been nominated for eleven 2018 Tony Awards for best revival of a play, Director Marianne Elliot, Lead Actor Andrew Garfield, Feature Actor Nathan Lane, Best Feature actress Denise Gough and Susan Brown. This is the first time record of a play receiving the most nominations.
The play premiered in May 1991 in Eureka Theatre in San Francisco, California.
Tony Kushner is the playwright. The play won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for this play..
It won four Tony Awards in 1993 for Best Play, Feature Actor Ron Leibman, Best Featured Actor Stephen Spinella and Best Director George C. Wolfe. In 1994 it won three Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actor Stephen Spinella and Best Feature actor Jeffrey Wright.
Marianne Elliot is the director. She won two Tony Awards The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (2015) and War Horse (2011).
Ian MacNeill is the scenic designer. He won a Tony Award in 2009 for Billy Elliot the Musical.
Nicky Gillibrand is the costume designer. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for Billy Elliot the Musical.
Nathan Lane won two Tony Awards for The Producers (2001) and A Funny Thing Happen on the Way to the Forum (1996). He was nominated for three Tony Awards for The Front Page (2017), The Nance (2013) and Guys and Dolls (1992).
Beth Malone was nominated for a Tony Award in 2015 for Fun Home. Beth does the role of the ange on Wednesday.
Andrew Garfield was nominated for a Tony Award in 2012 for Death of a Salesman.
Part 1 Millennium Approaches Act 1 October-November 1985, Act 2 December 1985 and Act 3 December 1985. It takes place in New York City, Salt Lake City and elsewhere.
Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz (Susan Brown) is giving a eulogy for a woman who just died. It turns out to be Louis Ironson (James McArdle) grandmother, who he hasn’t seen her in ten years. He’s upset and is talking to his lover Prior Walter (Andrew Garfield).
In another scene Roy M. Cohn (Nathan Lane) is on the phone talking to different people cursng. He is a loud mouth arrogant lawyer. When he is finished on the phone he talks to Joseph Pitt (Lee Pace) who is in his office. He offers him a job in Washington, D. C. where he would be a lawyer not a clerk. Joseph says he has to talk to his wife. Harper Pitt (Denise Gough) is hyper and is talking to a travel agent (Nathan Stewart-Jarett), who really is in her imitation. She is on valium, to claim her down. They are Mormons. The marriage is not a happy one.
The story goes back and forth between these characters, their lives intertwine.
When Prior gets aids and almost dies. Louis leaves him.
Roy M. Cohn gets aids and tells everyone he has cancer.
At the end of part 1 Prior sees an angel (Amanda Lawrence).
Part two is named Perestroika (in the former Soviet Union the policy of restructuring or reforming the economic and politic system). Act 1 December 1985, Act 2 January 1986, Act 3 January 986, Act 4 1986, Act 5 1986 and the Epilogue January 1990.
It starts with Alesksii Antedilluvianovich Prelapsarianov (Susan Brown) tells us about it in full uniform.
Prior is one of the lucky ones. The treatment is slowing down the aids virus. He is not cured but he’s not dead. He keeps seeing the angel of death and makes a deal with her.
Roy M. Cohn buys out all the pills used to treat aids. But it’s not working on him, he is dying. His nurse (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who is gay, steals some of the bottles of pills for Prior. They are friends.
In the meantime Joseph and Louis have been romantic for three weeks. Joseph has left his wife and wants to move in with Louis. Patrick wants to be with Prior but Prior wants nothing to do with him.
The play has it twists and turns which I am not telling you. I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Each actor’s do several roles especially Susan Brown and Amanda Lawrence.
The cast is remarkable. Andrew Garfield and James MsArdle do a banner job.
Both parts are excellent. But if you were to choose only one, see Part 1.
This is a wonderful show to see. One you will never forget.
Review by Rozanna Radakovich.
Photos by Annazor.
To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down the left side for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.