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.
Elliott, who's become known for her ability to coordinate vast, complex productions (she's the only woman with two directing Tonys, for War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), knows how to embrace the scope of Kushner's play while still keeping it about the ensemble who powers it. She and her top-notch design team are taking full advantage of the resources afforded by a huge, commercial show like this one, but they're doing so with purpose and even restraint, to the full support of the actors.
While the AIDS epidemic has certainly not been completely conquered, it is no longer the automatic death sentence it was in ANGELS IN AMERICA's mid-1980s setting, so in that respect the play can be seen as a bit of a history lesson. But, as the full title indicates, Kushner uses the plague as means by which to address themes that are still with us today; perhaps most prominently the commercialization of health care, the hypocrisy hidden by elected leaders and the effort to guide the country by religious morals. Is eight hours really enough for all of that?
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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