Nathan Lane on “Angels in America’s” seven hours, with some seeing it a second time: “A big commitment for a theatergoer. I know it’s not Harry Potter.
“Our new production feels more essential and necessary than when it first opened. It speaks to us. Cries out for us to listen.
“This beautiful piece is everything that happens in life. A plea for change, about helping one another, fighting for rights while our politicians are still arguing over love, race, democracy.
“In London, we had to be redesigned. More intimate. Here it’s had editing because a Broadway show must be over at 11.”
On re-enacting the late tawdry lawyer Roy Cohn: “Look, he was still a human being. In a film, I’d have a prosthetic nose. Onstage a change was accomplished with costumes. The performance level playing him is the greatest gift I’ve ever known as an actor.”
Anatomy of Grey’s theater work
For more than 65 years, Joel Grey’s been giving his regards to Broadway.
An early one was as the title character Cohan in “George M!” at the Palace. And Bernadette Peters, who played his kid sister? She’s headlining “Hello, Dolly!”
And starring in the Palace’s new show? A sponge.
More Broadway: The daughter of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has more shows than names, just grabbed a New York Emmy for hosting “At the Tonys with Imogen Lloyd Webber.”
Shove egos. If we’re counting New York Emmys, this makes the Webbers EGOTs — winners of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.
Please try to pay attention
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson just gave $300,000 to winners of HQ, that smartphone trivia quiz I still don’t understand. Why? To promote his new big ape movie “Rampage.” No big ape himself, he’s worth about $200 mil . . . To answer queries, yes, I follow Sheila Nevins, Donna Karan, Christine Baranski, etc., speaking on the Upper East Side tonight at 6 p.m. for Same Sky’s Empowered Women series. The platform elevates our voices. Its mission empowers all women under the same sky . . . Tina Turner’s autobio musical, now in London, is looking to Broadway . . . Also en route to our money pot is France’s Michel Hazanavicius, Oscar-winning director for his 2012 Oscar winner “The Artist.” Cohen Media’s distributing his new film “Godard Mon Amour” . . . Also in July, Studio 54’s doing Tovah Feldshuh’s sendup of — you should excuse the expression — Leona Helmsley.
It’s a small world for a big city
Last weekend, two pages reported a new grave for big earner, big name entertainer Nora Bayes, who left us in 1928.
Oddly, I grew up in famous Miss Nora Bayes’ actual home. A private West End Avenue brownstone on a street of townhouses. Stairs. No elevator. My parents bought the house and rented out the top floors.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, reliving a long ago life made for an odd feeling.
What I know: FBI guys who revere their country, their flag, their president and their honor hate this former snake’s grab for blood money. They say it’s like a snotty kid reacting when a bigger dude snatches his candy.
Writing with a hand that once swore on the Bible, that Friggin’ Bureau of Investigation fink turned on his nation, his oath and whatever principles to which he swore allegiance.
His new name’s James Crummy.
Said not only in New York, kids, only in New York.