As a thing, you can imagine, this is a rare opportunity. In many ways, it's the younger gay generation's "Angel's In America." Unfortunately, it's no "Angels." It's, in my humble opinion, too preachy, too salacious, and too tedious. I struggled to be more diplomatic with my review of the first part back in August when I saw it. In the interim, my subconscious has spent a lot more time digesting the experience. I was better prepared to take in the saga's conclusion with a critically prepared mind.
Generally speaking, the acting again was fine. We pick-up the story of the lives of the younger and older gay couples where we left them: Eric Glass has just been betrayed by his lover of 7 years after Toby Darling's play is a sudden smack hit. Toby is a drug-addled user who men find charming, but whose presence is toxic. Eric's friendship with his elder neighbor, Walter Poole has also come to an abrupt end at the sudden death of Walter. Walter's passing has left his partner, Charles Wilcox a billionaire real estate mogul alone and a flirtation begins between Eric and Charles.
In part two, Charles proposes to Eric and Eric accepts. Charles is sincere, but is looking at the relationship as a transaction; Eric, ever the romantic wants love, something Charles can't really do. The whole production revolves around a house in the country that Charles had given to Walter after he surreptitiously turned it into a retreat for their gay friends to come to to die, back when that was the only option. Walter's compassion is mirrored by Eric's. Upon his death, Walter left the house to Eric, but Charles and his sons decided to hide this truth from Eric.
As with the first half, the life of a younger man (played by the same actor), Leo interjects a tension between Charles and Eric (as it had as Adam between Eric and Toby in part 1). Leo is a street prostitute who's life we've watch descend throughout the work. He has contracted AIDS and without any support. Like Walter before him, Eric takes his care under his concerns. And once again, to the initial chagrin of Charles, the house in the country becomes a sanctuary.
Three observations: 1) The role of Charles given to the actor Robert Gant of Hollywood fame: a lead in the popular "Queer as Folk, American version" was played by his understudy, Eric Hissom, a local fixture in the DMV theater world and a tried and true member of any cast in any roll. I enjoyed Eric's portrayal of the character far more than I did Robert's. 2) In the final act which takes place at the country home, we are introduced to Margaret (the only woman in the cast). Margaret's son was one of the first of Walter and Charles friends to come to the country house to die. It was there that Margaret came to accept her son's homosexuality on his dying bed, and she has remained in the community every since, a sort of de facto care-taker of the place. Played by another local luminary, Nancy Robinette, she was such a moving and grounding presence as this ship finally decide to land. 3) The principal cast contains 10 younger men. In Part 1 back in mid-August, it's safe to say, all were of reasonable build, some much more muscular, but def to fatties. Well, Jesus, Joseph and Mary! They've all been working out at the gym! During a Fire Island beach orgy scene (oh, come on, surely you expected one of those!) we got a hell of a lot of six-pack ab undulation action going on along with a call and response choral narrative that would have made George Carlin's 6 words look as quaint and ridiculous as "See Jane. See Dick. See Spot." In its candor, it reminded me of my first viewing of the original British version of "Queer as Folk" when Stuart Jones (Aiden Gillen) goes down on Nathan Maloney (Charlie Hunnam)'s ass and rims him into ecstasy! For someone (me) who has been to many fucking "rodeos," my prudish streak even confused me. Chalk it up to coming from a closeted generation.
I am so glad that Round House has their Press Photos out now so that I can share some of the images with you.
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