rOcKS @ 'Angels in America'- Page 3

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:14am

Where is the magic? Where is the inventive direction? All the scenes are so static. What do these people want? What do they need? I don't know.

Exactly! Theatre 101: Your characters are living, breathing creatures with wants and needs. With a text as rich and human as this, one should not be left feeling cold. And I was. I felt gipped.

[vodkastinger]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 8:50am

I am very surprised by all the negative opinions of the show. I'm in the camp of thinking this production is absolutely mesmerizing. I would say this is the second greatest piece I've seen in New York, after David Cromer's Our Town. An absolutely incredible ensemble, and I really don't see how Michael Grief and his team could need to go back to Theatre 101. This production is pulsating with character and life.

I suppose this production won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I think we are likely looking at the highlight of the season, unless something else this good comes along and surprises me.

Additionally--as someone who often gives a sigh of relief when I'm told by the usher "90 minutes, no intermission", I have to take my hat off again to Kushner and this team for creating 7 hours of engaging theatre that never had me wanting to look at my watch.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 10:17am

"All"? Two people on this thread didn't like it. Not quite a quorum. I saw the original Broadway production, the HBO movie and loved this production - and the design, in particular. I was glad that through different cast and creative team, the play still had a lot of new things to tell me.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:24am

I was able to catch Millenium Approaches this evening, and I definitely fell into the camp of loving this production. I thought the direction, sets, lighting and the acting were all amazing. Of course the text is the real star of the production, and it came through so beautifully and clearly when delivered by this cast. I kept saying to myself, this is the best line...no this one...no this one!!

LOVED Christian Borle tonight. He was nothing short of spectacular and I thought each line delivery was brilliant, especially when he was telling Louis off in the hospital. When he shouted that his love was worth nothing I had chills. Zachary Quinto was the perfect Louis to me. He has put a lot of thought into his character and reaps the success in spades.

Billy Porter nailed the scene in the coffee shop. I love the whole "Love is not ambivalent" speech and it was great. Bill Heck was a great Joe, and I thought Zoe got into Harper. I disagree that she was doing a warmed-over MLP impersonation. I thought she totally made Harper her own.

I could keep gushing about everyone, but I think you get the point. I thought this was just fantastic and can't wait to see part 2. To each his own, but I will be telling everyone I know that this is the thing to see this fall/winter.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:29am

I saw MA this afternoon. Mixed-bag. Kushner was sitting in the row behind me, scribbling away at his note pad. Grief was in the same row, doing the same thing, on the opposite side.

Borle lacks the edge. Wood lacks the edge. Kazan lacks the edge. Quinto, Heck, Porter, Bartlett and Weigart are all quite good.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:37am

No one else thinks the projections are tacky? Especially the beach scene between Louis and Joe, and they have to sit on the edge of the stage and the projection pulls around them. Awful direction and design! Ugh! And the cheesy "rain" effects? Gross. You couldn't have given me real rain? Or a better, more creative solution?

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:46am

The only projections I had an issue with were the fire effects. The rest, I feel, were used to pretty great effect. You're asking a lot of the production, RippedMan. Not only is the theatre small and cannot realistically allow many of the effects you seem to have wanted, but Tony Kushner plainly states in his notes on the play that the production is not to be a polished spectacle. While the effects could have been greater and more theatrical, they are (at essence) exactly what he demands of the production.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:50am

I was there tonight and loved absolutely everything about it. I (shockingly) have never seen the movie before so I went into this completely blind and was blown away. I cannot wait to see Part 2 tomorrow. A stunning production that is the must-see of the season. Truly outstanding.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 12:54am

Eh, I don't think I'm asking for much. I'm not saying it news to downpour on the stage, but why can't rain trickle down the window in the back as opposed to some really crappy rain graphics? And I know Tony wants it messy, etc, but to me there is a difference between an ordered chaos and just sloppy direction/design.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/26/10 at 2:40am

I'll give you the fire projections...cheesy, cheesy, cheesy. They should be cut for sure.