By Henry Perez

Cast of Angels in America, outside the Colony Theatre on the eve of opening night Photo: Henry Perez

At first I was afraid, I was petrified…
As Gloria Gaynor said in her hit song “I Will Survive”, so I was feeling, when I realized that on Friday, February 9, I would be attending the opening night of the New World School of the Arts production of  Tony Kushner’s Angels in America – Part One: Millennium Approaches at the Colony Theater.

Not that there is anything to fear regarding this play---au contraire, it is one of the most extraordinarily written plays in the history of theater. It has won many awards and accolades, and it should be seen by everyone.

The problem was with me. I was afraid of being disappointed. I had the pleasure of seeing the original cast of Angels in America on Broadway for what was to be a life-changing experience, and I didn’t want what might be the last time I experienced this amazing work to leave a bad and lasting impression.

When I saw Angels in America on Broadway, I was fortunate enough to see “Part One - Millennium Approaches” as a matinee, returning to the theater that evening to see “Part Two – Perestroika”. The cast included Marcia Gay Harden and Ron Leibman, among other top-notch actors.

I had to wait until 2002, when HBO adapted this play into what was to become one of my all-time favorite movies, albeit, a made-for-cable one, boasting a stellar cast, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeffrey Wright, Justin Kirk, James Cromwell and Patrick Wilson, under the direction of Mike Nichols.

Once again, I had the amazing fortune of attending the HBO world premiere of Angels in America – Part One: Millennium Approaches at the Gusman Theater in downtown Miami. There I met actor Justin Kirk, who played the role of Pryor Walter in the film, and who was friendly and kind enough to pose for a photo with me and my friend, my personal earth angel, Teena Russo. That evening, I also had the double pleasure of sharing this experience with another personal earth angel of mine, Mary Damiano; we were both years away from being involved with MiamiARTzine.com.  The Angels were already at work here.

The HBO movie was fantastic, exceeding all expectations and allowing a more personal, up-close look into the lives of these characters. When Emma Thompson, as the Angel, descended upon Pryor Walter and the credits rolled, we knew we couldn’t wait until HBO would broadcast Part Two – Perestroika.

Director Stuart Meltzer with Johnny Mineo, who played Louis Ironson in the New World School of the Arts production of Angels in America Photo: Henry Perez

To complete the experience, that Christmas I received a very special gift from Teena, the HBO movie soundtrack CD and paperback copy of the Angels in America screenplay, which I read cover to cover.

So, is there any wonder that I worried about seeing a local production of this magnificent play? I knew that it was a New World School of the Arts production, directed by the very talented Stuart Meltzer, but I was worried about being disappointed.

Then, late Thursday night, on the eve of the show, I just happened to make my way home from South Beach by taking an unusual turn. Instead of turning south on Alton from 17th Street, as I usually would, I turned on Lenox Avenue. This turn took me right by the Colony Theater, where I noticed a large group of young people sitting on the side steps of the theater. Among them was director Stuart Meltzer, who was just putting the finishing touches in what was to be the last rehearsal before opening night.

I couldn’t bypass this opportunity to stop, say hello to Stuart, and take a couple of photos of the cast. This group of young actors, who looked both tired from rehearsing and excited at the prospect of undertaking a monumental feat, were just hours away from their curtain call, eager to show off their talent.

I knew right there and then, I would not be disappointed. All my fears were gone in a cloud of angel dust. As these young actors smiled for me and allowed me to take their photo, all was well.

On Friday evening, sitting in the darkened Colony, I found myself mesmerized by the incredible performance the entire cast gave during this three-hour show. I was so impressed by the wonderful sets, lighting, music and staging, which allowed the cast to flow from scene to scene without as much as a hiccup.  Their performances were so true to the characters they embodied, it seemed as if they had played these roles many times before. And I was laughing and crying and feeling the pain and the joy that is Angels in America.

After the performance, I couldn’t stop complementing Stuart for his magnificently flawless direction. Both director and cast had nailed it; this was a complete success in my eyes and in my heart. I have never been so impressed with a local college production. In my book, New World School of the Arts rocks.

I had the pleasure of meeting all the actors at the cast party, taking their photos and talking endlessly about how impressed I was. I must have driven them crazy, going on and on and on about it.

The next morning, I was on the phone, calling all my friends, telling them about this magnificent show and asking them to come see it for themselves. This was their only opportunity, since it would only play through a Sunday matinee. Had I not had a commitment for that Saturday evening, I would have gone back again.

Henry Perez with his friends Betty, Ali, Kim, Silvia, Helen and Giselle, at the Sunday matinee of Angels in America

But I did return for the Sunday matinee, which would be the final performance of this show. This time around, I brought eight friends with me, who shared the experience and loved the terrific, top-notch acting from these young thespians.

Once again, after the show, I met with David Sirois, James Allerdyce, Katie Middleton, Johnny Mineo, Dominic Benevento, Laura Alvardo, Tyrone Davis, Miriam Weiner, Stephanie Delatour, Andy Jean-Gilles, Dusty St. Amand, Katherine Espaillat and Jeffrey Tousey, telling them how much I had enjoyed their incredible acting, and wishing them much success, while regretting the fact that the show had ended as quickly as it had begun. To paraphrase a line from the show---and The Wizard of Oz---plays come and go so quickly around here.

The performance was as sharp and tight as on opening night, the only noticeable difference was the snow falling during the Antarctica hallucination. The make-believe snow seemed almost real this time, smooth, soft, billowy flakes coming down from above, and among the flakes, there were feathers, angel feathers.