Broadway Breakdown: Angels in America (Part 1) w/ Alex Weisman
Podcast: Broadway Breakdown
Host: Matt Koplik
Guest: Alex Weisman
Episode Title: ANGELS IN AMERICA (1st Episode)
Date: February 27, 2025
Overview
This episode kicks off Broadway Breakdown’s in-depth multi-part exploration of Tony Kushner’s monumental play Angels in America. Host Matt Koplik is joined by actor Alex Weisman for a lively, passionate, and profanity-laced discussion about the play’s history, personal connections, performance interpretations, and contemporary relevance. The duo covers both the HBO miniseries and various stage productions, dissecting characters, performances, and what makes this play resonate so powerfully today.
Main Topics & Key Insights
1. Personal Gateways to Angels in America
[02:10 - 12:24]
- Alex Weisman recounts discovering Angels through the 2003 HBO miniseries as a closeted teen in Florida with no real knowledge of AIDS or New York. The miniseries, directed by Mike Nichols, was “the greatest thing ever made,” seminal in introducing him to groundbreaking acting performances and the play itself.
- Matt Koplik shares that he first caught the miniseries in 8th grade; a scene with Patrick Wilson was especially memorable as he navigated his own sexual identity. Later, he pursued the script, performed scenes in acting class, and attended several notable stage productions.
Notable Quote:
- Alex: "For a long time, Angels in America was sort of this HBO show with all my favorite actors... and then it was presented to me as a piece of theater... I don't know what to say other than it's the best play ever written." [09:40]
2. The Power of Art You Grow Into
[12:24 - 15:04]
- Both hosts describe how, like all great art, Angels in America continues to reveal new layers as they age and live more. Initial confusion as teens is later replaced by profound understanding—making it a work that rewards return visits over a lifetime.
Notable Quote:
- Matt: “I think that's sort of the best kind of art, is it can grab you at a young age even if you don’t fully comprehend it… As you understand more, the more you love it.” [13:26]
3. Discussing Interpretations of Prior and Other Key Performances
[17:36 - 32:38]
- Andrew Garfield's performance in the National Theatre/Broadway revival is dissected, with Matt critical of Garfield’s DNA as Prior, sensing the “armor” and “faggotry” are absent when played by straight men. Alex, on rewatch, appreciates Garfield's calculated, modulated choice—seeing a drag persona purposefully dissolve as Prior gets sicker.
- The conversation broadens to Justin Kirk, Christian Borle, and the challenge of embodying Prior authentically (“something in the DNA”), observations about actors’ fem/straight-coded choices, and how much sexuality and cultural experience inform performances.
- Side discussion about Sandy Dennis, Jessica Hecht, and actors whose quirks are either in harmony or discord with their material.
Notable Quotes:
- Matt: “There’s something about the DNA of Prior…I can absolutely always tell when it’s being played by a straight man.” [22:25]
- Alex: “What I saw in this rewatch is the sicker that he got, the more stripped away that Persona was...it really was a person who was used to literally putting on this persona...and seeing the breakdown of that.” [23:47]
- Alex: "When was the last time you saw Paris is Burning? ...Andrew Garfield’s Prior fits that documentary.” [26:28]
4. Defining the Play & Quick Plot Rundown
[34:56 - 39:45]
- Alex gives a succinct, “bullet point” summary: Set in 1985, intersecting Jewish, Mormon, gay, straight, and closeted characters navigate the AIDS epidemic amid “the crumbling of the American empire.” Prior receives a revelation, Lewis and Joe’s lives intertwine, and Roy Cohn’s downfall is catalyzed by his own hubris and self-denial.
Notable (humorous) moment:
- Matt: “You have 30 minutes.”
Alex: “Angels in America is a gay fantasia on national themes. Obviously.” [35:09]
5. Roy Cohn, American Rot, and Political Resonance
[42:09 - 47:30]
- Roy Cohn's characterization and real-world influence (notably as Donald Trump’s mentor) are discussed with urgency given current politics. Alex draws parallels between Cohn’s tactics, disregard for law, and the Trump era’s weaponization of marginalized communities, especially regarding trans rights.
- The significance of Belize’s speech on American “freedom” is highlighted for its enduring relevance.
Notable Quote:
- Belize (quoted by Alex): “Nothing on earth sounds less like freedom to me. You come with me to room 1013...I’ll show you America. Terminal, crazy, and mean. I live in America, Louis. That’s hard enough. I don’t have to love it.” [45:00]
6. Politics, Morality, and the Messy Humanity of Characters
[50:10 - 61:35]
- Matt and Alex dig into Louis, Joe, and the emotional/ethical tangle of their arc—how Louis is on the “right side” intellectually but struggles in practice, and Joe is not necessarily a bad person but is complicit in abstract systems of harm.
- The complexity of Lewis’s (and real people’s) capacity for change is discussed, as well as Joe's inability to fully grapple with the consequences of his choices.
Notable Quote:
- Matt: “People also go where the warmth is. They go where they feel safe and unpressured.” [54:07]
7. Harper & Hannah Pitt: Transformation, Hope, and Magic
[66:10 - 96:07] and throughout
- Harper Pitt is explored as an unreliable narrator with ambiguous reality/hallucination status; Alex posits her final “Night Flight to San Francisco” monologue might be a suicide, while Matt takes a more hopeful view.
- Hannah Pitt represents the possibility of learning and change, even for the older generation. Alex draws real-life parallels with relatives learning new language around queerness and pronouns as an example of growth.
Notable Quotes:
- Alex: “She allows herself to learn something new about something she thought she knew everything about—and that is why she's now like my favorite character.” [97:34]
- Matt (on Harper): “Harper is the character that I feel for the most. But she also has that wonderful speech at the end…” [117:51]
8. What Makes Angels in America Great to Act and Produce
[106:22 - 109:10]
- Actors are drawn to Angels not just for weighty themes but also the delicious, complex writing, the varied and ensemble-driven roles, and the chance to play large ideas inside finely wrought small scenes. It is a play of “huge scope done through microcosms.”
9. Dream Casting & Director Fantasies
[128:44 - 151:44]
- The hosts get granular with dream cast ideas, mixing film and stage stars (e.g., Paul Giamatti, Joe Mantello, Emma Stone, Jean Smart, Jonathan Bailey). Discussion includes age, nationality, and what traits are key for playing each part.
- Directors suggested: Michael Arden, Danya Taymor, Sam Pinkleton—preferably those with a musical and play background to support the play’s rhythmic demands and ensemble nature.
Notable Quotes:
- Matt: “The first thing I need to make sure is that everyone I cast has the ability to understand comedy...Angels is extraordinarily funny.” [135:41]
- Alex: “You also need to cast actors who understand ensemble...every single one of these characters is minor in a scene and you can't have someone who can't blend in.” [136:58]
10. Enduring Layers & Invite for New Audiences
[153:40 - end]
- Angels in America continues to yield new discoveries with every viewing; listeners are encouraged to wade in, not be intimidated, and return again and again.
- Alex generously invites listeners who want to watch the NT Live broadcast to DM him.
Notable Quote
- Matt: “You’re not going to get all of it on your first watch. You’re not going to get all of it on your 90th watch.” [159:03]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
-
On the HBO miniseries:
“It’s just the greatest thing ever made. And watching it live...I did watch them live.”
—Alex, [03:40] -
On Prior's portrayal and the challenge of capturing authenticity:
“There is a performative element of him that is false...but it is also part of your DNA in a lot of ways.”
—Matt, [22:25] -
On contemporary resonance & fear:
“Watching this play in 2025—it is scarier than it was in 2018, because we're right back there.”
—Alex, [44:23] -
On the dynamic friendship group at play’s end:
“How Lewis is friends with any of them, I think, speaks volumes about that group and empathy and forgiveness, but not forgetting.”
—Matt, [65:13] -
On why Angels continues to reverberate:
“Your response to this play is going to be so personal and say more about you than it does about it...it feels really alive right now.”
—Alex, [153:40]
Important Timestamps
- [00:23] — Podcast intro & banter, intro to episode topic
- [02:31] — First exposure to Angels in America
- [17:36] — Discussion of specific Prior performances
- [34:56] — Show begins summary & plot
- [42:09] — Roy Cohn, American politics, and the Trump era
- [66:10] — Harper & Hannah Pitt, transformation, and magic
- [128:44] — Dream casting segment
- [153:40] — Reflections on why the play endures, accessibility
Tone & Style
The episode is—true to form for Broadway Breakdown—unfiltered, witty, and intellectually candid, alternating between passionate fanboy discourse, rigorous dramatic analysis, and inside-theater jokes. Matt’s self-deprecating humor meets Alex’s caustic insight, resulting in a dynamic, forthright conversation full of memorable lines and a profound love for the subject.
For Newcomers
Listeners unfamiliar with Angels in America will gain a solid understanding of the plot, major characters, historical context, and what makes it both a theatrical and cultural touchstone. The fan/analyst approach also highlights the play’s accessibility—to anyone willing to dive in and keep looking for new meaning, no matter their background.
Closing
Next week’s follow-up dives deeper, with more guests and more opinions. Find and follow Alex (@xelawuu) and Matt (@mattkoplik) on Instagram. The show closes, at Alex’s request, with Meryl Streep singing “The Winner Takes It All,” a nod to her Emmy-winning turn as Hannah and others in Angels in America.
[161:30] Alex:
“Let's do Meryl singing Winner Takes It All. Because she won that Emmy.”
“You’re not going to get all of it on your first watch. You’re not going to get all of it on your 90th watch.”
—Matt Koplik [159:06]