A quarter-century after stunning the theater world, one of the greatest theatrical journeys of our time returns to Broadway in an acclaimed new production from the National Theatre. As politically incendiary as any play in the American canon, Angels in America also manages to be, at turns, hilariously irreverent and heartbreakingly humane. It is also astonishingly relevant, speaking every bit as urgently to our anxious times as it did when it first premiered. Tackling Reaganism, McCarthyism, immigration, religion, climate change, and AIDS against the backdrop of New York City in the mid-1980's, no contemporary drama has succeeded so indisputably with so ambitious a scope.
The National Theater production of Tony Kushner's phenomenal 1993 epic work doesn't feel like a historical artifact that won the Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, an Emmy, and the National Medal of Arts for its author. In fact, experiencing this revival of the 25-year-old play feels more like picking up a scorching hot ember from a fire that won't burn out. The scribe's thoughts about religion, politics, sex, morality, mortality, civic corruption and environmental calamity - as viewed through the prism of the 1980s AIDS crisis - seem every bit as prescient as they did when all our friends were dying.
'Angels' presents a complicated story that covers nearly eight hours in two parts, a major commitment requiring audiences to maintain deep concentration just to keep up. But it's time well spent, if only to revel in the glories of Ian MacNeil's futuristic set and the spectacular performances of each actor, all of whom play multiple characters. Lane reverts to his comedic roots, portraying one of Prior's deceased relatives. In one of her several roles, Susan Brown becomes a spectral vision of Ethel Rosenberg, whom Cohn prosecuted, and in a haunting scene says kaddish over his body. Everyone ends up as an angel at some point.
2017 | West End |
National Theatre Production West End |
2018 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2018 | Regional (US) |
Berkeley Repertory Theatre Production Regional (US) |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Play | Andrew Garfield |
2018 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Angels in America |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Andrew Garfield |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | James McArdle |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Marianne Elliott |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | Adrian Sutton |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Puppet Design | Finn Caldwell |
2018 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Angels in America |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | James McArdle |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Andrew Garfield |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Andrew Garfield |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Marianne Elliott |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Denise Gough |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design | Paule Constable |
2018 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Angels in America |
2018 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Denise Gough |
2018 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | James McArdle |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Nicky Gillibrand |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Marianne Elliott |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Paule Constable |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Adrian Sutton |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Nathan Lane |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Andrew Garfield |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Susan Brown |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Denise Gough |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Angels in America |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Ian MacNeil |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Ian Dickinson |
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