After tonight’s viewing of "And the Band Played On," of its slightly off, yet reliable performing cast that somehow still managed to make us tear up, and of its depiction of the irresponsibility of the Reagan administration, I am left feeling that our group deserves another artistic rendering to supplement this past movie night with Broadway melodramatic showmanship that will offer to tie up the loose ends connecting the emotions and politics of this era. The off-Broadway revival of “Angels in America” will convince our group that we aren’t entirely exhausted from these portrayals of sentimental health crusades, nor are we finished with our griping about the Reagan administration’s deathly silence during the AIDS epidemic.
While "And the Band Played On" focused on the good work of public health servants battling inane bureaucratic red tape, "Angels in America," as the NY Times puts it, explores “the meditation on gay life, politics and religion in America” while letting out an even more forceful cry against Reagan politics. After garnering Tony Awards for the Broadway play and Golden Globes for its HBO made-for-cable movie, the play returns to off-Broadway after a 15-year hiatus to honor playwright Tony Kushner.
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