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FOR RELEASE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017
THE GREAT WORK RETURNS
NATHAN LANE & ANDREW GARFIELD STAR IN THE NATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION OF TONY KUSHNER’S LANDMARK PLAY “ ANGELS IN AMERICA ” ON BROADWAY
FEATURING SUSAN BROWN, DENISE GOUGH, AMANDA LAWRENCE, JAMES McARDLE, & NATHAN STEWART-JARRETT
DIRECTED BY MARIANNE ELLIOTT
PERFORMANCES BEGIN ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 AT THE NEIL SIMON THEATRE
OPENING NIGHT SET FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21
STRICTLY LIMITED 18-WEEK ENGAGEMENT
New York, NY – Producers Tim Levy (Director, NT America) and Jordan Roth (President, Jujamcyn Theaters) announced today that the National Theatre Production of Tony Kushner’s epic and seminal masterwork, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, will return to Broadway for the first time since its now-legendary original production opened in 1993. This spectacular new staging of Part One of Angels in America, Millennium Approaches, and of Part Two, Perestroika, had its world premiere earlier this year in a sold-out run at the National Theatre, where it became the fastest selling show in the organization’s history.
This strictly limited, 18-week engagement will begin performances at The Neil Simon Theatre on Friday, February 23, 2018, with an official opening on Wednesday, March 21. Starring two-time Tony Award® winner Nathan Lane and Academy Award® and Tony Award nominee Andrew Garfield, the cast of Angels in America will feature fellow original National Theatre cast members Susan Brown, Denise Gough, Amanda Lawrence, James McArdle, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. (Additional casting will be announced shortly.) Two-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott (War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) directs. Elliott & Harper, the new
213 West 35th Street Suite 403 New York NY 10001 t 212 695 7400 omdkc.com production company set up by Marianne Elliott and Chris Harper, joins as a producer on the show.
In a joint statement, Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre, Mr. Levy, and Mr. Roth said, “With Angels in America, Tony Kushner created one of the most indelible literary works of our age. It has been twenty-five years since its original Broadway production, and it is now time for an entirely new generation to be mesmerized, stirred, and astonished by its humor, poetry, and power at a time that feels more relevant than ever.
“We are delighted that American audiences will have the chance to experience the astonishing performances of our original cast members and the singular dynamism of Marianne’s production.
“Producing the original UK and Broadway productions of Angels in America in London and in New York remain defining achievements in the history of the National Theatre and Jujamcyn Theaters. We couldn’t be happier that our two organizations will be working together to bring this new National Theatre production of Tony’s masterwork back to Broadway.”
A quarter-century after stunning the theater world, one of the greatest theatrical journeys of our time returns to Broadway in an acclaimed new production from the National Theatre. As politically incendiary as any play in the American canon, Angels in America also manages to be, at turns, hilariously irreverent and heartbreakingly humane. It is also astonishingly relevant, speaking every bit as urgently to our anxious times as it did when it first premiered. Tackling Reaganism, McCarthyism, immigration, religion, climate change, and AIDS against the backdrop of New York City in the mid- 1980’s, no contemporary drama has succeeded so indisputably with so ambitious a scope.
When it first premiered, Angels in America won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, seven Tony Awards, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Evening Standard Award for Best New Play. HBO’s 2003 screen adaptation won both the Emmy® and the Golden Globe® Awards for Best Miniseries.
The design team includes Tony Award winner Ian MacNeil (Scenic Design), Tony Award nominee Nicky Gillibrand (Costume Design), Tony Award winner Paule Constable (Lighting Design), Drama Desk Award winner Adrian Sutton (Music), Tony Award nominee Ian Dickinson (Sound Design), Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell (Puppetry Designers), Finn Caldwell (Puppetry Director and Movement), Robby Graham (Movement), and Chris Fisher (Illusions).
Tickets may be purchased at the Neil Simon Theatre box office (250 West 52nd Street) or online at www.angelsbroadway.com.
To download photos, please click here: http://tinyurl.com/y7czqben
C R I T I C A L P R A I S E
"The production confirms its place in the pantheon of dramas that stretch toward the heavens. In the case of ‘Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,’ the sky is not the limit, and no work of theater since has quite matched its reach." -Ben Brantley, The New York Times
★★★★★ Sunday Times
★★★★★ Evening Standard
★★★★★ Daily Telegraph
★★★★★ What’s On Stage
BIOGRAPHIES
Tony Kushner’s (Playwright) plays include A Bright Room Called Day; Angels in America, Parts One and Two; Slavs!; Homebody/Kabul; the musical Caroline, or Change and the opera A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck, both with composer Jeanine Tesori; and The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. He has adapted and translated Pierre Corneille's The Illusion, S.Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk, Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and Her Children; and the English-language libretto for the opera Brundibár by Hans Krasa. He wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols' film of Angels in America, and for Steven Spielberg's Munich and Lincoln. His books include Brundibar, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak; The Art of Maurice Sendak; 1980 to the Present; and Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, co-edited with Alisa Solomon. Kushner is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, two Evening Standard Awards, an Olivier Award, an Emmy Award, two Oscar nominations, and the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award, among other honors. In 2012, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, Mark Harris.
Marianne Elliott (Director) is Artistic Director of Elliott & Harper Productions. She is the first woman in Broadway history to win 2 Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play. Marianne was an Associate Director at the National Theatre for 10 years. Her work for the NT includes the multi-award winning War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. War Horse, co-directed with Tom Morris, transferred to the West End and Broadway, and has toured the UK and Ireland, two tours of North America, plus runs in Canada, Toronto, Berlin and China. War Horse’s awards include the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Marianne’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time transferred from the NT to the West End and Broadway, as well as tours of the UK & Ireland and North America; winning Marianne an Olivier and Tony Award for Best Director and the South Bank Show Arts Award. At the National Theatre, Marianne also directed Husbands & Sons (a co-production with the Royal Exchange Theatre), Rules for Living, The Light Princess Port, Season’s Greetings, Women Beware Women, All’s Well That Ends Well, Mrs. Affleck, Harper Regan, Saint Joan (Olivier Award for Best Revival, South Bank Show Award), Thérèse Raquin, and Pillars of the Community (Evening Standard Best Director Award) for the NT. She was an Associate Director at the Royal Court, where her productions include Stoning Mary, Notes on Falling Leaves, The Sugar Syndrome and Local. Previously she was an Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre where she directed Port, Design for Living, Les Blancs, As You Like It, A Woman of No Importance, Nude with Violin, Fast Food, Martin Yesterday, Deep Blue Sea, Mad for It, Poor Superman and I Have Been Here Before. Other theatre includes Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic; Much Ado About Nothing for the RSC and The Little Foxes at the Donmar.
Nathan Lane appeared last season in the hit Broadway revival of The Front Page, for which he received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. Prior to that, he appeared in It’s Only a Play on Broadway and at BAM as Hickey in the critically acclaimed revival of The Iceman Cometh. Broadway: Present Laughter, Merlin, Wind in The Willows, Some Americans Abroad, On Borrowed Time, Guys and Dolls, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Love! Valour! Compassion!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Producers, The Frogs, The Odd Couple, Butley, November, Waiting for Godot, The Addams Family, and The Nance. Theater awards include two Tonys, five Drama Desk Awards, five Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Obies, and an Olivier. In 2008 he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. On television, he was last seen as F. Lee Bailey on FX’s “The People Vs. O.J. Simpson”. He has had recurring roles on “Modern Family” and “The Good Wife” as well as many guest appearances. He has received six Primetime Emmy nominations, two Daytime Emmy Awards and the People’s Choice Award. He has appeared in many films including Ironweed, The Birdcage (Golden Globe nomination, SAG and American Comedy Awards), Frankie and Johnny, The Lion King, Mousehunt, Stuart Little, Nicholas Nickleby, The Producers (Golden Globe nomination), Carrie Pilby, and Sidney Hall.
Andrew Garfield is an award-winning stage and screen actor. His many films include Breathe (forthcoming), Under the Silver Lake (forthcoming), Hacksaw Ridge (Academy Award®, BAFTA, SAG and Golden Globe nominations), Silence, 99 Homes, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Social Network, I'm Here, Never Let Me Go, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Lions for Lambs, and Boy A (BAFTA, Royal Television Society, British Broadcasting Press Guild and South Bank Show awards). On stage, he has appeared in Death of a Salesman on Broadway (Tony nomination, Best Supporting Actor) and Angels in America, Burn/Chatroom/Citizenship, and The Overwhelming for the National Theatre. Other theatre includes: Beautiful Thing, Romeo and Juliet, The Laramie Project, Kes, Mercy. Andrew’s television credits include “Red Riding: 1974” and “Doctor Who.”
Susan Brown’s numerous stage credits include Husbands & Sons, Harper Regan, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Playing With Fire, Henry IV parts one and two and Cardiff East (all for the National Theatre), Good People (Noël Coward Theatre), Julius Caesar (Donmar at St Ann’s Warehouse, New York), Making Noise Quietly and The Wild Duck (both for the Donmar Warehouse). She is also known for her role as Septa Mordane in “Game of Thrones” (HBO).
Denise Gough’s work in theatre includes People, Places & Things (Olivier Award, Best Actress) at the National, in the West End and at St Ann’s Warehouse from October 2017; Ahasverus for the RSC; Adler & Gibb and O Go My Man at the Royal Court; The Duchess of Malfi at the Sam Wanamaker; Desire Under the Elms (Critics’ Circle Most Promising Newcomer Award) at the Lyric Hammersmith; Our New Girl (Milton Shulman, Outstanding Newcomer nomination) at the Bush; The Painter at the Arcola; The Plough and the Stars at the Abbey, Dublin; The Birds at the Gate, Dublin; The Grouch at West Yorkshire Playhouse; Someone Else’s Shoes at Soho; Everything is Illuminated at Hampstead; The Kindess of Strangers at Liverpool Everyman; Robbers at the Tristan Bates; Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train at Trafalgar Studios; Six Characters in Search of an Author for Headlong at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End; and As You Like It and By the Bog of Cats at Wyndham’s. TV includes “Paula,” “Guerrilla,” “Apple Tree Yard,” “The Fall,” Neil Gaiman’s “Likely Stories,” “Lucky Man,” “Cuffs,” “New Tricks,” “Stella,” “Musketeers,” “What Remains,” “Titanic: Blood and Steel,” “Waking the Dead,” “Silent Witness,” “Tom Hurndall,” “Messiah V,” “The Commander,” “Inspector Lynley Mysteries” and “Tell Me Lies.” Film includes Jimmy’s Hall, Hollows, Complicit, The Kid, Robin Hood, Desire, Lecture 21 and ’71.
Amanda Lawrence’s numerous theatre credits include Angels in America, Here We Go, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Damned by Despair, Greenland, and Tristan & Yseult for the National Theatre. Other theatre includes Once in a Lifetime and The Government Inspector at the Yong Vic; Nell Gwynn, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII at Shakespeare’s Globe; Mass Observation at the Corn Exchange, Newbury and the Almeida Theatre; Wormy Close and Gambling at Soho Theatre; Jiggery Pokery for Battersea Arts Centre and on tour; Nocturnal at the Gate Theatre; Brief Encounter, Cymbeline and The Wooden Frock for Kneehigh Theatre; Nights at the Circus for the Lyric Hammersmith and Kneehigh Theatre; The Firework-Maker's Daughter for Told By An Idiot and the Lyric Hammersmith; and Playing the Victim at the Royal Court. Amanda’s television credits include “Will,” “Houdini & Doyle,” “Enfield Haunting,” “Foyle's War,” “Mr. Selfridge,” “Dead Boss,” “Midsomer Murders,” “Above Suspicion,” “Human Race,” “Little Dorrit,” “Little Miss Jocelyn,” “Doctor Who,” “Hotel Babylon,” “Afterlife,” “The News Never Sleeps.” Films include Denial, Pan, Suffragette, Mr. Turner, Nativity 2: The Second Coming, The Lady, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Womb.
James McArdle’s theatre work includes the title role in Platonov, and Ivanov (Chichester Festival Theatre and the National Theatre- Ian Charleson nomination for Platonov), James I in The James Plays (National Theatre Scotland and the National Theatre), Emperor and Galilean (National Theatre), Chariots of Fire (Hampstead Theatre and the West End), The Heart of Robin Hood (RSC) and Spur of the Moment (Royal Court). TV includes “Man in an Orange Shirt,” “37 Days” and “Love & Marriage” (BBC).
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett is best known for his roles as Curtis Donovan in “Misfits” (E4) and as Ian in “Utopia” (Channel 4). His theatre work includes The History Boys (tour and West End), Wig Out (Royal Court) and The Pitchfork Disney (Arcola). Films include Dom Hemingway (BBC Films) and War Book (Sixteen Films).
National Theatre (Producer). The National Theatre makes theatre that is entertaining, challenging and inspiring, aiming to appeal to the widest possible audience. Based on London’s South Bank, its work reaches right across the UK and internationally with a worldwide paying audience of 3.1 million last year. The National Theatre is currently touring the US with its Tony and Olivier award-winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, also directed by Marianne Elliott. People, Places and Things, co-produced with Headlong, opens at St Ann’s Warehouse, New York, in October. National Theatre Live broadcasts world-class theatre to over 2,500 venues in 60 countries around the world. Through its Learning program, the National Theatre works to share the power and potential of theatre with young people, adults and communities across the UK, giving as many people as possible the chance to experience, make and be inspired by theatre.
Jujamcyn Theaters (Producer) is recognized as a theatrical innovator for championing shows that push the boundaries of Broadway and for creating uniquely welcoming experiences for audiences and artists. Jujamcyn's five Broadway theatres are the St. James, Al Hirschfeld, August Wilson, Eugene O'Neill, and Walter Kerr where current productions include the Tony Award-winning Best Musicals The Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots as well as the upcoming, Springsteen on Broadway, Frozen and Mean Girls. Jujamcyn's proud legacy includes Jersey Boys, The Producers, Spring Awakening, Hair, Fela!, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, and six plays by August Wilson.
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