sab

I saw Angels in America seven times on Broadway over the course of a year. They did this thing with student tickets for the Saturday full-day show, which I preferred to seeing "Millennium" and "Perestroika" seperately, largely because -- like not being able to pause between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi -- I can't leave the boys like that, all frozen in carbonite and waiting for salvation.

So anyway, seven times, at seven and a half hours a stretch with a break for dinner in between. And I don't say this to be all, you know, with the fannish competitiveness that so often inspires us to stake claim on fandoms and characters and say "Mine Mine Mine!" (which, okay, that's part of it too, I mean, it's mine, but it's everybody's), but rather to explain why it's okay I'm typing and watching at the same time, and why, having read the play countless times on top of the Saturdays, I know the story inside and out. So I'm absorbing, you know, other things, this time.

Kind of a shame, really. Not really. I know how it turns out, I know the intimate twists of every character and every scene, but this new school of actors and this new filmic staging still manages to surprise me, impress me. (Al Pacino as the kid at the Rambles! I don't remember that from the show.)

I nearly didn't watch, tonight. I thought I'd be bored. Can you believe that? Thought I knew this show too well. Turns out, kids, Tony Kushner's smarter than me, and this new cast, oh. Man. MAN.

Anyway, cut for spoilers to "Millennium Approaches" and I'll try not to spoil for "Perestroika" till next week...

( the theatre is always at eight! )