Angels in America or Boys in the Band?

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:28pm

My 16-year-old daughter and I are coming for a quick weekend in early June. Of the two, which would the members of this board recommend? I know little about either beyond cast and overall theme.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:31pm

Shows themselves aside, would your 16-year-old daughter be up for the 7 and a half hours of theatre required of Angels?

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:34pm

She would. She's been attending theater since the age of four (we started the brainwashing early ) and she has a pretty great attention span. Mind you, it depends somewhat on the quality of the material, but I've generally heard it's an excellent show. If that's true, she won't mind at all investing the time into it.

 

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:35pm

I'll add--if Boys in the Band is the better overall experience, I won't mind filling our extra slot with something completely different and/or saving the money on just a single ticket. But I really do want to see the "better" show (understanding that that's totally subjective, of course).

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:36pm

ANGELS. It's the superior play, and who knows when the next time we'll get a revival of this size.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:36pm

I saw this production of Angels over in London and I can say that it's an absolutely incredible production of one of the greatest American plays.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:38pm

rebeccmam31 said: "we started the brainwashing early"

Ha! 

In that case, I'd probably suggest Angels. If you're raising your daughter to be a theatre fiend (and rightly so), Angels is one of those landmark shows you simply have to have under your belt. And this production is looking to be pretty top-notch.

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:42pm

Early results are confirming what I thought. It will be a cool experience for her (well, and me). Thanks for the input!

[little_sally]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 1:43pm

As someone who read Angels in America for the first time at the age of 14 or 15, I don't see why your daughter wouldn't be up for it. For me, it's no contest. Angels all the way.

[bear88]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 2:17pm

Angels in America is essential theater, certainly the most compelling modern play I've ever seen. I won't be in New York this spring, but I'm going to see it at the Berkeley Rep because there just aren't that many chances to see it anywhere. And from everything I have heard about the production coming to Broadway, it's top-notch.

Enough of my soapbox. I might answer differently if your daughter wasn't as interested in theater as you describe (and in this case, two long plays in a day). I am a little skittish about seeing both plays in a single day.

[Nycat63]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 2:41pm

I will be in NYC for a theater trip with my 16 year old daughter in June and am only opting for Boys in the Band over Angels because I saw the live streamed version from London. If there weren't too many other shows I want to squeeze into this trip I would see it again live, with my daughter, in a heartbeat. I'd seen it before many, many years ago when it came through Chicago but this cast was beyond. Enjoy!!

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 3:00pm

Thank you! I'm really excited because it's the one I wanted to see, but I didn't want to choose it if the other show was a better option for her. 

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 4:26pm

Angels. Angels is essential, vital, mammoth, transcendent, easily one of the great works of the English language. Take her to see it live on a huge, huge scale while she's got the chance. I was only slightly older than your daughter is now when I met the play for the first time and it changed the course of my life. 

Updated On: 12/15/17 at 04:26 PM

[rebeccmam31]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 4:32pm

With endorsements like these, how could I not? Tickets are bought. :)

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 4:46pm

Enjoy! I saw the production in London and it is truly stunning, I can't wait to see it again in March! I first watched the HBO miniseries when I was a freshman in high school, so I think 16 will be perfectly fine, especially if she's already into theatre. Angels in America has been a part of my life for well over a decade at this point and its impact has grown and changed as I have grown up. It's an incredible piece of theatre and art, and this production and cast are wonderful.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 5:01pm

Hmmmm...seeing you both!

http://angelsbroadway.com/

http://www.boysintheband.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Paid%20Search

 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 7:23pm

I taught ANGELS IN AMERICA to teenagers for
years and they loved it!

It would never have occurred to me to assign
them BOYS IN THE BAND, despite its historical
importance or significance to me personally.