rOcKS @ 'Angels in America'

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/14/10 at 11:41pm

I'll divulge in specifics when I'm home but this is the production to beat this season, already. Zoe Kazan, Billy Porter, Bill Heck, and especially Zachary Quinto are all INCREDIBLE. I'll post more in a little!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/14/10 at 11:44pm

Zoe has to do a lot to get back into my good graces after her awful performance in Behanding! So we'll see!

[playlover2010]

Posted: 9/14/10 at 11:51pm

I was there tonight as well, and I totally agree -- it was absolutely breathtaking. So much so that I'm not sure I can post more until tomorrow, I just want to luxuriate in how I'm feeling right now.

It was a first preview, so I'm sure it will continue to grow a lot, but I will say that Zoe Kazan was a revelation. Zach Quinto is no simple TV or movie actor, he was truly astonishing, and Bill Heck continues to prove he can do no wrong. More tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to hearing other's thoughts (and also seeing this show again...and again...)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:09am

Okay, so my attempt at some organized thoughts on tonight:

The show started about twenty minutes late and was stopped about 70% through the first act due to a set malfunction. They fixed the problem within five minutes and everything else went off relatively smoothly. You could hear some set pieces falling and the hustling of the stage hands, but these are things that will obviously be ironed out in the coming days or weeks.

The first act was absolutely fantastic. It did take a few minutes for the cast to seem to gel and get into the groove of things but once they did, the show took off. The cast is great, overall. I wasn't the hugest fan of Christian Borle's performance after the first act, but he grew on me. Robin Bartlett had quite a few line stutters and hesitations but nothing that took away from her performance drastically.

The best performances came from the four actors I mentioned in the first post. Zoe Kazan is giving a really special performance. She is so real, so believable, and so heartbreakingly honest. I was NOT a fan of her work in BEHANDING but she has definitely made me a born-again fan now. Billy Porter practically stole the show with his scene opposite Zachary Quinto in the third act...funny, acerbic, and yet very, very moving. Bill Heck is so devoted to this character that it is at times unnerving. You feel his pain, you feel his anguish, and you feel his frustration. He's fantastic. But my favorite performance of the evening came from Mr. Quinto. What a performance. There's not much else to say. He is really brilliant.

Michael Grief's staging is very tight for a first preview. He moves the show along swiftly, so much so that tonight's 3 1/2 hours felt like 90 minutes, truthfully. And, with all the delays and lengthy intermissions, it probably hit 4 hours. And I barely noticed it.

The set design is really gorgeous (although, as I mentioned, has a few kinks that need to be worked out) as are the lights and costumes.

My one major qualm about the production is the angel's descent scene. I am still a bit on the fence to how I feel about it. Maybe they just need more time to rehearse it? But, truth is, for me, it felt a bit mechanical and kinda cheesy. I hope they smooth it out to make it work more fluidly. It is hard to stage a moment that expansive on such a small stage, so I do think they did a commendable job with it, but it just teetered on falling flat for me.

The bottom line? Once this show gets rolling and into the swing of things, it will be pretty damn close to flawless. I can't wait to see Part Two this weekend!! And I already want to see Part One again! Get tickets people. This is the theatrical event of the season, and with pretty damn good reason.

**** out of **** for me (just because I have complete faith that all the little kinks will be ironed out ASAP)

If anyone has any questions, ask away.

Updated On: 9/15/10 at 12:09 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:29am

I've seen Part One staged once, but I get chills just thinking about finally, finally experiencing the whole thing live, in New York City nonetheless. I won't see it until December because I'm out of town until then, but I can't wait.

I have to ask, though, as an admitted Zoe Kazan skeptic, what exactly about her performance is "a relevation"? I'm not trying to be snarky, it's just that people here often seem to throw around that statement about things without ever saying WHY they think this. What's she doing, exactly, that's so revelatory? Maybe it's something you just have to see for yourself, but I'd be interested in more detail.

Updated On: 9/15/10 at 12:29 AM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:35am

I wish I had been able to get tickets for this. Regardless, I am going to at least try the standby line- it sounds too exciting not to give it a shot. I love this play, and would kill to see it staged.

[lindsaysfnm]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:43am

Please say more about Zach as Louis. We (his online community) have seen him do readings, sliding into the character so smoothly that it looked effortless and natural. How was his Louis? What was so brilliant about it?

[scripps]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:47am

And Frank Wood as Roy Cohn was ...?

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 1:00am

How much historical background is necessary to enjoy the show? I don't know much about the play itself or the period, but I'd still like to see it. Should I do some research beforehand? I'd rather not read the play before, but would it be helpful for me to look into some background?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 1:21am

Not too much, I think, although I guess it depends on your familiarity. There's historical context you need to be aware of, obviously, but I don't think it's a play that requires research, per se as much as it requires paying serious attention while you are watching it. The play will pretty much give you what you need to understand the issues as they relate to the characters, but if they're subjects you're not up on, you might want to look into an overview of Reagan-era politics, Mormon beliefs, Roy Cohn's career, his role in the Rosenberg trial, and what the state of the AIDS crisis was in the mid-80's. There are always going to be questions the play leaves you with -- even if you've read it 100 times. There's no way to "get" everything that's going on there. But those things should help you to put it in context.

[CockeyedOptimist2]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 1:24am

Thank you, luvtheEmcee, for your response. I am not well-acquainted with the era and will look into the topics you mentioned a bit. Then hopefully I'll be able to get a ticket!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 7:41am

Quinto's performance was just a genuinely great performance. There isn't much to explain or describe. Just see it for yourself and be blown away like I was. He's a wonderful, wonderful actor. He has razor-like precision when it comes to the rough and wordy material he is given and delivers it with gusto. Frank Wood was good as Roy. He seemed to be doing a bit of a Pacino impression at times and his first scene was definitely rocky but once he got into it, he was very, very good. I couldn't help but think what Frank Langella could have done with the role though.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 9:30am

Excited for Part I. I've always felt Part II was meant to be read and not performed. Let's hope this changes that.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 10:01am

i actually remember (and most people agreeing with me) when the original production opened that Part 2 was the more exciting and interesting of the two plays. That's the part I'm really looking forward to!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 10:17am

Regarding Frank Wood and "doing a Pacino imitation"... I'm not certain that's what he's doing, so much as the real Roy Cohn had a distinct voice and manner, which every actor I've seen play the role has utilized to a certain degree.

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 11:41am

How close is the HBO mini-series to the actual play? I was only able to get tickets to Part 2 (hoping to catch part 1 later in the run). Will watching that and reading the play be enough to understand part 2?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:16pm

Very close. I believe there's one scene missing, and there are some minor textual changes, but unless you had seen/read either multiple times, you wouldn't notice them. You'll definitely be fine seeing Part 2 on stage if you've seen the Part 1 of the movie.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:47pm

Just don't get intimidated by the Oldest Living Bolshevik monologue at the beginning of Perestroika!

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 12:50pm

Thanks luv, looking forward to it, ordered the book, hopefully it arrives before I see it next week.


BTW, great review Rocks : )

Anyone looking to see Part 2, tickets are available on their website for Sept 17th. Keep checking the website that is how I got the tickets for next week ( I missed getting them when they first went on sale) FYI, if you are looking for a single ticket and get this message "Sorry! We were unable to find tickets matching your specific request. Try searching for Best seat(s) available" call the box office because the website will not breakup a pair of tickets but person at the box office will. I asked if any tickets will come available for part 1 and they said no, guess any premium seats that did not sell (if any) will be sold day of the show.
Updated On: 9/15/10 at 12:50 PM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 1:49pm

Thank you for posting that information. I was just able to snag a pair for this Friday!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 2:55pm

I could see how that could be true, smaxie. For me though (I guess the fact that it's the only real etched image of the character that I have in my head) he really reminded me of Pacino at certain points.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/15/10 at 3:16pm

Perestroika is definitely my favorite of the two parts. But the piece as a whole is obviously just remarkable. Glad to hear this isn't a disappointment! Thanks a lot to the posters who shared their thoughts.

[jasonk]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 6:43pm

Saw the first half today. Zach Quinto does the impossible. He made the play about Louis and made him entirely likable. He is the star of this show. And I wasn't a fan going in. The Angel/Nurse and The Mother/Ethel are both very good. Belize is fantastic. The guy playing Joe is perfect for the part. The Prior isn't hitting the humor as much as I would like but he is decent. Zoe Kazan is an atrocity. To think Marcia Gay Harden and Mary Louse Parker have both played this roll. Two of our greatest actresses. And this girl who looks all of 14 is all they could find? I heard they offered this first to Maggie Gyllenhaal and then Lauren Ambrose. God please beg one of them to replace her. Either of them would hit it out of the park compared to her. If she doesn't get lambasted by the critics then nepotism really is alive and well. I have tickets to see the show again in December and I don't think I will be able to sit through it if she is still in it. She acts like a whiny teenager. Everything is indicated as opposed to felt. She had no feel for the language or the fantastical. She was just so plain and obvious. I have seen better college performances. I have never seen her in anything on stage before and expected her to be good since Telsey is a great Casting Director but wow she is truly awful. Frank Wood who I love. Always have. Is totally miscast. It's a shame. He was so great in Clybourne Park recently but who the hell cast him as Roy Cohn? The accent he is working with is forced and off and slips away at times. The only thing working for him as Cohn is the spray on tan. I still enjoyed him at moments though because he is such a good actor normally. But on the whole I can't wait to see the second half. I found the first half to be very well directed and it flew by time wise. And the scene with Pryor and Louis dancing made me cry. The other standouts for me so far were the scenes with Joe and Louis and the scene with Belize and Louis which was the "moment" of the first half. It was so fantastically acted. The language is just so beautiful and never once sounded dated. I guess Tony Kushner is really still the star of this show.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 6:56pm

I don't know if that's true, but Maggie Gyllenhaal would have been a stunning Harper, I think. I also think you're supposed to have at least some distaste for Louis (or his choices), so I'm not sure if making him "entirely likable" is an ultimate success, but I guess I'll see for myself.

the scene with Belize and Louis which was the "moment" of the first half.

The diner scene? "Real love isn't ambivalent," etc. etc.?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 6:57pm

If that's true, then Grief is a miracle worker. That scene is one of the most boring things I've ever had to sit through...or work on.