A few comments on PERESTROIKA

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 12:49am

After a rather underwhelming "Millennium Approaches," it is the second half of ANGELS IN AMERICA, "Perestroika" that really delivers the goods. Michael Grief has staged a breathless, breathtaking production that allows the cast, all eight members, and Kushner's text to shine. And it's the quickest 4 hours I've ever spent in a theater.

While it would be hard to pick "stand-outs," I will say that Christian Borle is incandescent as Part II Prior (as opposed to Part I Prior, where I felt he wasn't acerbic enough). Zoe Kazan and Frank Wood also make up for their less than satisfying work int he first half. Bill Heck, Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, Robin Bartlett and Robin Weigert are all quite good, as well.

I was surprised by how fluid Grief's production is, considering I've always felt that most of Part II isn't stage-able. Color me wrong.

(I also must say how surprised I was by the amount of nudity there was, however brief. Both moments, Joe nude on the beach, and Harper topless while asking Joe what he sees, were especially powerful.)
Updated On: 10/17/10 at 12:49 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:11am

Harper is topless now? At the preview I attended a few weeks ago, Kazan was just in underwear.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:24am

I blame your belief that Prior isn't acerbic enough in Millennium on Justin Kirk damage. I am so glad this production exists for so many reasons, not least of which is it can serve as an antidote to some of the serious missteps of the movie, which is all many people have ever seen.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:26am

I've only seen PERESTROIKA and not MILLENNIUM APPROACHES, but I agree with your descriptions of Part II. Borle's performance is probably one of the strongest I have seen on stage.

Really, the entire production is so monumental and yet I feel like no one is talking about it! I hope it gets recorded for posterity. A Broadway transfer would be nice, too. Put it in a nice comfortable theatre, small-to-medium size.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:36am

I saw both parts a week ago today. I have been sitting with my feelings about it for a week. I have not composed a full out discussion because I don't want to do spoilers, but there have been substantial changes to Perestroika that, combined with Grief's fluid direction, make it sail by, clear as could possibly be. I also find myself resisting talking about it much because there are only a few tickets left for a few of the performances of Perestroika in February. That's it.

Both parts are among the finest theatrical events I have seen in my life. Borle is perfect, the last scene works in ways I never thought it could. Quinto does the best diner scene I have ever seen, and I've seen many actors perform that role, including Joe Mantello and Dan Futterman. This production revealed to me how subtle shifts make the focus different and demonstrate the flexibility of the work, like the way perspectives shift while looking at any work of art from a new angle.

Updated On: 10/17/10 at 01:36 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 4:58am

Please let this extend.

Finding, you are so right. You have never seen this if you have only seen the TV production. This show is everything theatre is meant to be.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 8:38am

I saw the Perestroika matinee yesterday, and I disagree about it being better than Millennium Approaches (which I saw the night before). I thought Part 1 was so much more fluid and directed in a far less heavy-handed way. Acts 1 and 3 of Part 2 were not as guided as the entirety of Part 1 was. In fact, Act 2 of Part 2 was the only time Perestroika felt natural or even compelling to me (with the exception of the final scene in Act 1 between Louis and Joe). I thought that the scene in Act 3 with the angels of the principalities was completely misguided. Greif tried to make a strong choice there, but it didn't really work out for him. All in all, the acting was excellent, but I was let down by the direction.

I actually disagree about Christian Borle (whom I though was excellent in Part 2, Act 3). I thought he was excellent overall in Part 1, but the first 2 parts of Part 2 felt over the top to me. Also Kazan blew me away in Part 1, but then lost momentum in Part 2, Act 1. Luckily she gained it back by Acts 2 and 3 of Perestroika, in time for her BRILLIANT final scene on the airplane. The consistent standouts through the whole two-part series for me were Bill Heck, Zach Quinto, Billy Porter, and Robin Bartlett. The only one who I didn't like at all ever was Frank Wood. I constantly felt like he was acting rather than BEING.

In any case, I loved the whole thing overall, but I would give Part One 5 stars and Part Two 3.5 stars.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 9:43am

Namo, I've never actually seen the film all the way through!

[CateBroadway]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 10:24am

So glad to hear good things about Christian. I'm dying to see what he does with this!

[mikem]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:14pm

I was also at yesterday's matinee (I think Ron Leibman was there, too, which was kind of cool) and I enjoyed it, although I agree that the angels sequence towards the end of Act 3 didn't work at all. I guess the black robes are supposed to be like judges' robes, but to me, they looked like they were all going to graduation and it was a distracting choice. I also thought the hand gestures around the radio didn't work at all, either.

Yankeefan, you described the show as being 4 hours. Were you at the matinee or the evening performance? The matinee started at 2:05 and did not end until about 5:50 with normal-length intermissions, even though the posted time was 3 and a half hours, and others who've seen the show seem to report that time as accurate. I asked one of the ushers what time should be out and she said 5:30, but when the lights came down for Act 3 around 5:00, I knew that wasn't going to be even close. A few people left during the final scenes, I think because they were late to something as opposed to disliking the show. I'm wondering if the matinee was unusually long for some reason or if that's the new running time for the show.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 1:31pm

I was also at the matinee. Didn't see Leibman, but Michael Grief and his associates were in my row busily scribbling notes. And Kushner was there for at least part of Act One.

Regarding the time, I rounded up, but I was on the street at 10 to 6.

[mikem]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 2:15pm

I think it was Leibman but I'm not sure. It was very fast. I saw him enter the building towards the end of intermission but I didn't actually see him in the auditorium itself. I saw Kushner but didn't see Greif et al. Where were they sitting? I assumed he would be there but didn't see him.

I wonder if the performance we attended was unusually long for some reason, although I can't imagine what that reason would have been.

Also, has anyone tried stagedooring between shows on two-show days? I wonder if they come out; they don't have a lot of time.

Updated On: 10/17/10 at 02:15 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 2:59pm

Center of row E. I was on the aisle.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/17/10 at 8:27pm

Maybe the show is in better shape now, but I thought his direction was awful when I saw it. Just so static and boring.