The eagerly-anticipated revival of Tony Kushner’s two-part epic play Angels in America begins previews on Broadway today (February 23, 2018). The celebrated production that comes to Broadway via London’s National Theatre is set to open officially at the Neil Simon Theatre on March 25, 2018. Marianne Elliott directs both parts, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, with a cast that includes Broadway favorite Nathan Lane (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Producers) and film star Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge, The Amazing Spider-man). Both stars repeat the roles they originated in the London production.
Andrew Garfield plays Prior Walter, a gay man living with AIDS who, when visited by an angel, is revealed to be a new profit. Lane portrays the notorious Roy Cohn, a closeted gay man who is dying from AIDS, using his influence and money to bulldoze his way toward beating it. Joining them in the cast are James McArdle as Louis Ironson, Prior’s partner, Lee Pace as Joseph Pitt, a married Mormon who is struggling with his sexuality, Denise Gough as his ever-suffering, pill-addicted wife Harper, Susan Brown as Joe’s mother Hannah, Nathan Stewart-Jarret as the outspoken nurse Belize, and Amanda Lawrence as the powerful Angel.
Angels in America features a set design by Ian MacNeil, Costumes by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Paule Constable, and Sound Design by Ian Dickinson For Autograph. Original music for the production was written by Adrian Sutton, and Finn Caldwell provides puppetry direction and design.
Set in NYC during the 1980s as the world was affected by the emergence of the AIDS crisis, the play follows the story of a handful of gay men and those surrounding them who are affected by the changing world the disease creates. Funny and thought-provoking, the play is a commentary on the world of Reagan America and the direction it would take.
Information on the performance schedule, including when each-half of the play will be performed, as well as ticket prices and seating locations can be found at angelsbroadway.com.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.