Question about "Angels in America" Broadway Premiere

I’m sure this has been discussed on this board over the years, but I wouldn’t know where to begin trying to dig up a thread about it.

I’ve always been aware that Millennium and Perestroika did not premiere together, but I’m still a little perplexed by the timeline of things. From Wikipedia and IBDB, it seems that Perestroika was already being performed elsewhere when Millennium opened on Broadway - so why did they wait 6 months to open Perestroika on Broadway? Was it to drum up anticipation? Or was it simply because producers didn’t want the financial risk of Perestroika without first testing the waters with Millennium? (certainly understandable, especially given what we’ve seen with 2 part plays in recent years, including the revival of Angels).

I know this partly goes back to the fact that they were originally viewed as 2 separate plays, and to this day, many people still consider them as such. But this has also always been a little perplexing for me. I personally just don’t agree, and I’ve never understood why some people feel that Millennium can stand on its own (for that matter, I’ve also never understood why people consider Millennium to be the superior of the 2 - I much prefer Perestroika).

And I know from personal experience, because when the revival rolled around, I saw Part 1 in London, and wasn’t able to see Part 2 until almost a year later, when it was on Broadway (it’s a long, kind of funny story as to why I did it this way, but I won’t get into it here - suffice it to say it wasn’t my first choice). And I personally did not find Part 1 to be a satisfying storytelling experience on its own, because of all the loose plot threads in leaves on the table.

Was there something about the direction of the original production that made it feel more complete? For those who were there at the time: what was the vibe like in terms of how it was received in town? Were people antsy to get Part 2?

Updated On: 6/29/21 at 11:27 AM

That is a great book.

What I remember at the time was that Kushner hadn't "finished" Perestroika. He was the invited keynote speaker for the OutWrite Queer writer's conference in Boston after Millennium opened but dropped out because he was still working on Perestroika. He spoke at the next OutWrite.

The earlier performances of the second part, such as at NYU, I believe, were to see what the work was looking like onstage. Previews of a preview, you might say.

When I saw Millennium for the first time pre-Tonys, in the men's room at the first intermission, I remember one older theatergoer exclaimed to another: "I wonder what Perestroika will be about?"

I felt like those early attendees were already all-in on coming back for the second half. I think there are many reasons some people might see one part and not the other including circumstances of their lives and whatnot.