Angels In America
1. Pre-Broadway Production
By Carol Woddis, The Herald, January 28, 1992
"Packed into its three-and-a-half hours -- and by the end, it felt more like three-and-a-half gut-wrenching days -- is a saga which confronts death and homosexuality head-on but in a way that lifts it far beyond the merely political." http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5780391138&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=901&resultsUrlKey=29_T5780387759&cisb=22_T5780391179&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=142728&docNo=911
This review is extremely over enthusiastic in it's word choice. The author, Carol, heaps praise upon Tony Kushner for his achievement, citing that he is very young to have such a theatre success. Carol believes that this is a "Deeply political play", a contrast to many reviews I have read that state that this play is not political, but rather politics are a tool used to paint character and humor.
2. Original Broadway Production
Soaring 'Angels in America' // Ethereal epic of dissolution takes flight on Broadway
David Patrick Stearns, LIFE, May 5, 1993
"But director George C. Wolfe has taken the best from the Los Angeles production, shored up the weaker areas and delivered a work that unfolds with such fleetness, you wish there weren't intermissions." http://www.lexisnexis.com.unx1.shsu.edu:2048/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5789230777&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5789230780&cisb=22_T5789230779&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=8213&docNo=1
David's review is clear and descriptive of the preformance. Without going too deeply into a plot synopsis he praises the actor's understanding and portrayal of their parts. He appreciates the humor in the show and thinks that it helps to tell the story of AIDS without making it overly angst ridden and preachy.
3. Non-NYC based production
Review: 'Angels in America'
Zev N. Valancy, Backstage, April 7, 2006
"The Hypocrites' staging scales down the scenic grandeur but leaves the size of the emotions and ideas intact." https://secure.vnuemedia.com/bso/news_reviews/nyc/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002345662&inp=true
This review is longer than many I have found. In particular he seems to appreciate how well the actors handle the dual casting. He also discusses the designer's choices, something I didn't see in the two previous reviews. He makes note of the subtle set and lighting to compliment the plot. His main criticism for the play is the director's choice in tone for the play.
4. A College Production
K-College theater hits most notes of 'Angels in America' just right
Mike Wedel, Kalamazoo Gazette, May 16, 2008
"Tony Kushner's Tony and Pulitzer winning masterpiece hits notes of love, guilt, sexuality, politics, fear, disease, evil, history, religion, comedy, tragedy and death, all played through quick scenes packed into around three hours." http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/05/kcollege_theater_hits_most_not.html
This review for a college newspaper is more plot synopsis than the reviews for professional theatre. Mike's description of the scene changes and chorus are intriguing and almost make me want to see it. Mike was way carried away with his parentheses.
5. HBO mini-series
Winged Victory
John Leonard, New York, December 1, 2003
"Ten years after making Broadway history, Tony Kushner’s immensely moving epic-cum-fantasia about life in the age of AIDS, comes to HBO." http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/n_9578/
John's language is entertaining and colorful in it's diction. His description of the actors in the cast is descriptive and he makes many references to their other work. I would have liked to see him write more about the tech aspects. Besides the mention of glowing eyes and the wings on the angel nothing was mentioned in costume, set, lighting or sound.
Soaring 'Angels in America' // Ethereal epic of dissolution takes flight on Broadway
David Patrick Stearns, LIFE, May 5, 1993
"But director George C. Wolfe has taken the best from the Los Angeles production, shored up the weaker areas and delivered a work that unfolds with such fleetness, you wish there weren't intermissions." http://www.lexisnexis.com.unx1.shsu.edu:2048/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T5789230777&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T5789230780&cisb=22_T5789230779&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=8213&docNo=1
David's review is clear and descriptive of the preformance. Without going too deeply into a plot synopsis he praises the actor's understanding and portrayal of their parts. He appreciates the humor in the show and thinks that it helps to tell the story of AIDS without making it overly angst ridden and preachy.
3. Non-NYC based production
Review: 'Angels in America'
Zev N. Valancy, Backstage, April 7, 2006
"The Hypocrites' staging scales down the scenic grandeur but leaves the size of the emotions and ideas intact." https://secure.vnuemedia.com/bso/news_reviews/nyc/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002345662&inp=true
This review is longer than many I have found. In particular he seems to appreciate how well the actors handle the dual casting. He also discusses the designer's choices, something I didn't see in the two previous reviews. He makes note of the subtle set and lighting to compliment the plot. His main criticism for the play is the director's choice in tone for the play.
4. A College Production
K-College theater hits most notes of 'Angels in America' just right
Mike Wedel, Kalamazoo Gazette, May 16, 2008
"Tony Kushner's Tony and Pulitzer winning masterpiece hits notes of love, guilt, sexuality, politics, fear, disease, evil, history, religion, comedy, tragedy and death, all played through quick scenes packed into around three hours." http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/05/kcollege_theater_hits_most_not.html
This review for a college newspaper is more plot synopsis than the reviews for professional theatre. Mike's description of the scene changes and chorus are intriguing and almost make me want to see it. Mike was way carried away with his parentheses.
5. HBO mini-series
Winged Victory
John Leonard, New York, December 1, 2003
"Ten years after making Broadway history, Tony Kushner’s immensely moving epic-cum-fantasia about life in the age of AIDS, comes to HBO." http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/reviews/n_9578/
John's language is entertaining and colorful in it's diction. His description of the actors in the cast is descriptive and he makes many references to their other work. I would have liked to see him write more about the tech aspects. Besides the mention of glowing eyes and the wings on the angel nothing was mentioned in costume, set, lighting or sound.
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