TN: 2009 Lapierre- Morgon

[Chris Coad]

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by maureen:
I never saw "Angels in America" in the theater but the TV version (HBO, directed by Mike Nichols, starring (among others) Mary-Louise Parker, Patrick Wilson, Meryl Streep and the incomparable Justin Kirk (ever see his explanation of self-gratification to his nephew on "Weeds"? Brilliant!), is one of the most outstanding things ever to be broadcast on American television.

Yes.

However the play is still better, at least with the original NYC cast.

Despite the fact that I can't recall anyone drinking wine either. Like sfJoe I blame the Mormons.

I'm afraid I must disagree with my learned colleague. I actually found Justin Kirk to be a much more identifiable and human Prior than Stephen Spinella, who tended towards a kind of grandiose campiness, at least when I saw him. And Prior is at the center of things. And for me at least, Mary-Louise Parker made Harper more understandable than Marcia Gay Harden, who is certainly a great actress.

Of course, film and stage are hard things to compare. So differences in taste are understandable and expected.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

Wow, after that outpouring of love, will have to remedy the lacuna.

 

[MLipton]

Angels in America was one of the great theater experiences of my time in NYC, though I never saw the TV program to compare it to. Peter Brook's production of the Mahabharata may have been the only live performance I saw that carried similar impact.

Mark Lipton

 

[Jonathan Loesberg]

Coming late to the game, I approve of the raves for both the TV version and the Broadway version of Angels in America. They are different experiences because theater always owns you more than TV does.

Anyone who thinks War and Peace is tedious hasn't read it I expect. I can think of any number of novels one tenth the length that read more slowly.

 

[Sharon Bowman]

I have only seen the miniseries, but I will chime in that it is a must.

 

[Brad Kane]

I, too, thought the mini-series was quite good.

Getting back to wine for a minute, has anyone on the east coast gotten a Brett bomb out of an '09 Lapierre?

 

[Steven Spielmann]

I bought two of them a year and a half ago at Whole Foods Oakland. The other was delicious but too young last Thanksgiving. I think it was brett because there was still fruit underneath the horrible bacterial smell, but I can't swear to it.

 

[maureen]

originally posted by Chris Coad:And for me at least, Mary-Louise Parker made Harper more understandable than Marcia Gay Harden, who is certainly a great actress.

The key difference, I think, is that Mary-Louise Parker is a much more "sympathetic" actress than is MGH. Parker's natural ability to come across as warm and likeable even when playing pills is one of the main reasons why, I think, she was so outstanding in "Proof" (which I did manage to see on Broadway). I like Harden very much but she comes across as hard sometimes.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
They are different experiences because theater always owns you more than TV does.

I will never forget Kathleen Chalfant's entrance (in her second role).

 

[Brad Kane]

originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I bought two of them a year and a half ago at Whole Foods Oakland. The other was delicious but too young last Thanksgiving. I think it was brett because there was still fruit underneath the horrible bacterial smell, but I can't swear to it.

It's not the first time there's been different showings between East Coast and West Coast Kermit bottlings. Back in the day there were big differences between the showings of the '95 Vieux Telegraph, with those on the West Coast being Brett bombs.

 

[Cliff]

originally posted by Brad Kane:
Getting back to wine for a minute, has anyone on the east coast gotten a Brett bomb out of an '09 Lapierre?

Nope.

 

[Lou Kessler]

Seriously it's a must see. Great theater, whether the Broadway version or the one presented on, I believe HBO).

 

[Jay Miller]

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by maureen:
I never saw "Angels in America" in the theater but the TV version (HBO, directed by Mike Nichols, starring (among others) Mary-Louise Parker, Patrick Wilson, Meryl Streep and the incomparable Justin Kirk (ever see his explanation of self-gratification to his nephew on "Weeds"? Brilliant!), is one of the most outstanding things ever to be broadcast on American television.

Yes.

However the play is still better, at least with the original NYC cast.

Despite the fact that I can't recall anyone drinking wine either. Like sfJoe I blame the Mormons.

I'm afraid I must disagree with my learned colleague. I actually found Justin Kirk to be a much more identifiable and human Prior than Stephen Spinella, who tended towards a kind of grandiose campiness, at least when I saw him. And Prior is at the center of things. And for me at least, Mary-Louise Parker made Harper more understandable than Marcia Gay Harden, who is certainly a great actress.

Of course, film and stage are hard things to compare. So differences in taste are understandable and expected.

But I found the campiness made him (perhaps paradoxically) a more human character. The TV Prior seemed a trifle flat in comparison. And of course it made the "I'm so typical..." line more appropriate.

 

[Chris Coad]

originally posted by MLipton:
Angels in America was one of the great theater experiences of my time in NYC, though I never saw the TV program to compare it to. Peter Brook's production of the Mahabharata may have been the only live performance I saw that carried similar impact.

Mark Lipton

Brook's Mahabharata is in the top two theater experiences of my lifetime. What a wonderful experience. So much magic.

 

[Chris Coad]

originally posted by maureen:

originally posted by Chris Coad:And for me at least, Mary-Louise Parker made Harper more understandable than Marcia Gay Harden, who is certainly a great actress.

The key difference, I think, is that Mary-Louise Parker is a much more "sympathetic" actress than is MGH. Parker's natural ability to come across as warm and likeable even when playing pills is one of the main reasons why, I think, she was so outstanding in "Proof" (which I did manage to see on Broadway). I like Harden very much but she comes across as hard sometimes.

That was my feeling exactly. MLP brought out the childlike lost-innocent quality in Harper that was nowhere to be found when MGH played it.

 

[kirk wallace]

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by MLipton:
Angels in America was one of the great theater experiences of my time in NYC, though I never saw the TV program to compare it to. Peter Brook's production of the Mahabharata may have been the only live performance I saw that carried similar impact.

Mark Lipton

Brook's Mahabharata is in the top two theater experiences of my lifetime. What a wonderful experience. So much magic.

Fastest, best 11 hours of theater, in my experience.

 

[Chris Coad]

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by Jay Miller:

originally posted by maureen:
I never saw "Angels in America" in the theater but the TV version (HBO, directed by Mike Nichols, starring (among others) Mary-Louise Parker, Patrick Wilson, Meryl Streep and the incomparable Justin Kirk (ever see his explanation of self-gratification to his nephew on "Weeds"? Brilliant!), is one of the most outstanding things ever to be broadcast on American television.

Yes.

However the play is still better, at least with the original NYC cast.

Despite the fact that I can't recall anyone drinking wine either. Like sfJoe I blame the Mormons.

I'm afraid I must disagree with my learned colleague. I actually found Justin Kirk to be a much more identifiable and human Prior than Stephen Spinella, who tended towards a kind of grandiose campiness, at least when I saw him. And Prior is at the center of things. And for me at least, Mary-Louise Parker made Harper more understandable than Marcia Gay Harden, who is certainly a great actress.

Of course, film and stage are hard things to compare. So differences in taste are understandable and expected.

But I found the campiness made him (perhaps paradoxically) a more human character. The TV Prior seemed a trifle flat in comparison. And of course it made the "I'm so typical..." line more appropriate.

A perfectly reasonable reaction. Kirk just clicked more with me, I thought he was a more solid center around which everything else rotated, but I can see your point as well. At any rate, it's a surfeit of riches.

I wasn't so sure about Emma Thompson's decidedly-more-tongue-in-cheek angel at first, but it has grown on me in repeat viewings.

 

[Chris Coad]

originally posted by kirk wallace:

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by MLipton:
Angels in America was one of the great theater experiences of my time in NYC, though I never saw the TV program to compare it to. Peter Brook's production of the Mahabharata may have been the only live performance I saw that carried similar impact.

Mark Lipton

Brook's Mahabharata is in the top two theater experiences of my lifetime. What a wonderful experience. So much magic.

Fastest, best 11 hours of theater, in my experience.

I would have stayed for eleven more.

Hah, memories. We took the subway back from BAM where we saw it, and the guy who played Krishna was on our car. We were like hahaha, Krishna's on the subway with us and we're the only ones who know it.

 

[Marc D]

originally posted by BJ:oi

originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
I am planning on drinking this tonight. I will blame Brad if the experience disappoints.

If you're on the West Coast, it will be.

What are you going to do with all those bottles!
Coq au vin maybe?

 

[kirk wallace]

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by kirk wallace:

originally posted by Chris Coad:

originally posted by MLipton:
Angels in America was one of the great theater experiences of my time in NYC, though I never saw the TV program to compare it to. Peter Brook's production of the Mahabharata may have been the only live performance I saw that carried similar impact.

Mark Lipton

Brook's Mahabharata is in the top two theater experiences of my lifetime. What a wonderful experience. So much magic.

Fastest, best 11 hours of theater, in my experience.

I would have stayed for eleven more.

Hah, memories. We took the subway back from BAM where we saw it, and the guy who played Krishna was on our car. We were like hahaha, Krishna's on the subway with us and we're the only ones who know it.

Perfect. And wasn't he amazing in that role!