I finished watching the Broadway production of Angels in America today.
The full title is Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and this year's revival marks the 25th anniversary of the original Broadway opening. The play's over 8 hours long with intermissions, and is broken down into two different parts. I watched Part I last Sunday, and the second and final part today. Part II went by a lot faster than the first, but the entire production and experience itself was so good that it made the time just fly by.
It's hard to believe it had been about twelve years since I last went to a Broadway show in New York! I forgot how it felt to sit in an audience and experience everything together in real time. To laugh and clap, or feel speechless as a group made me realize the power in good writing. How a word or a phrase brought the entire audience to the same reaction (which is no easy feat), invoking an emotion that felt so much better in solidarity. The set design, lighting, and acting were all so amazing. I was floored by the entire production, and how spaces were transformed so quickly through details both slight and grand. I especially enjoyed the art direction of this production because it was based off neon lights, which I've always had a thing for.
As a gay man, it felt like an honor to watch Angels in America on Broadway. I can't imagine how it felt to watch it in 1993, when the AIDS crisis was still happening and the future of helping those in need was an unclear road. Watching it now in 2018 was comforting because many of the issues the play discussed have gotten better thanks to science and technology. But what makes it so relevant right now is how it hits on topics that still influence culture today like homophobia, corruption, drugs, and America's views on those who suffer from an illness.
One of my favorite lines from the play was towards the end and said by the character Prior Walter. He was played by Andrew Garfield, who was phenomenal. "More life," Prior pleaded after declaring he had not done all of the things he'd wanted to yet in life. He was still only in his late twenties, and demanded more time to live. It was during scenes like these when everyone watching was stunned, with even the constant soundtrack of audience members coughing coming to a pause.
Here's a photo I took with the neon wings set up by the downstairs bathrooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment