#Glenn Close will play Roy Cohn in ‘Angels in America’ reading

Glenn Close, the Tony Award winner and seven-time Oscar nominee, will play powerful New York lawyer Roy Cohn in a charity reading of scenes from the play “Angels in America.” For contrast, Al Pacino won an Emmy for playing Cohn in HBO’s “Angels” miniseries in 2003.

The hourlong, taped show, which benefits AMFAR, will be streamed on Broadway.com’s YouTube channel at 8:30 p.m. on Oct 8.

“The Wife” star is joined by an impressive roster of celebs: Laura Linney, Lois Smith, Patti LuPone, Brian Tyree Henry, Paul Dano, Andrew Rannells, Linda Emond, Nikki James, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Alan Cumming, Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeremy O. Harris and S. Epatha Merkerson.

Close isn’t the only non-traditional casting choice. Smith, 89, will play young Mormon wife Harper Pitt, and Henry, who is black, is one of three actors taking on the role of gay AIDS patient Prior Walter, who is white.

The performance of Tony Kushner’s two-part drama won’t look like the usual Zoom performances we’ve seen so much of during the pandemic, such as the recent “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” table read. Here, videos of each actor will be digitally combined to make it appear they’re in the same space.

One small step closer to theater audiences actually being in the room with them.