Directed by Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal), the two parts of the Reagan-era-set epic — Millennium Approaches and Perestroika — will begin alternating in repertory from the start of performances (Sept. 15 will see the first performance of Perestroika). The production opens Oct. 28 at Signature's home at the Peter Norton Space (555 West 42nd Street).
Here's how Signature characterizes the Pulitzer Prize-winning work: "Set in late 1985 and early 1986, as the first wave of the AIDS epidemic in America is escalating and Ronald Reagan has been elected to a second term in the White House, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play's two parts, Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, bring together a young gay man with AIDS and his frightened, unfaithful lover; a closeted Mormon lawyer and his valium-addicted wife; the infamous New York lawyer Roy Cohn; an African-American male nurse; a Mormon housewife from Utah; and a steel-winged, prophecy-bearing angel; as well as the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg, an ancient rabbi, the world's oldest living Bolshevik and a Reagan administration functionary, among many others — all played by a company of eight actors. The lives of these disparate characters intersect, intertwine, collide and are blown apart during a time of heartbreak, reaction and transformation. Ranging from earth to heaven, from the political to the intimate to the visionary and supernatural, Angels in America is an epic exploration of love, justice, identity and theology, of the difficulty, terror and necessity of change."
Angels in America features Robin Bartlett as Hannah Pitt, Christian Borle as Prior Walter, Bill Heck as Joe Pitt, Zoe Kazan as Harper Pitt, Billy Porter as Belize, Zachary Quinto as Louis Ironson, Robin Weigert as The Angel and Frank Wood as Roy Cohn.
The production team includes scenic designer Mark Wendland, costume designer Clint Ramos, lighting designer Ben Stanton, sound designer Ken Travis, projection designer Wendall K. Harrington, hair and wig designer Charles Lapointe, dialect coach Deborah Hecht, fight director Rick Sordelet, aerial designer Paul Rubin and make-up designer Cookie Jordan. Music is by Michael Friedman and Chris Miller. Production stage manager is Monica Cuoco. Stage manager is Joshua Pilote.
Angels in America plays Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM, Sunday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM. For the full performance calendar, to purchase tickets or for more information, visit http://signaturetheatre.org/angels or call (212) 244-PLAY (7529). *
Signature Theatre Company's 20th anniversary season celebrates the work of Tony Kushner, and will also feature the New York premiere of iHo: The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures, also directed by Michael Greif and co-produced with The Public Theater; and The Illusion, Kushner's freely adapted version of Pierre Corneille's L'Illusion Comique, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.
The season will also include readings of selected other plays from Tony Kushner's body of work.
