I feel like it would have been better if they had swapped roles. If you look at Quinto’s sardonic delivery in The Boys In The Band, you can see he’d be perfect for Prior!
Honestly, I love Christian Borle; I think he’s an amazing actor and a brilliant singer, but his performance as Prior felt “flat” to me. (I’ve only seen clips, I haven’t seen his entire performance) but to me it seems that this prior doesn’t really have emotion. It just sucks because I feel so bad not liking his Angels in America. I dunno...
He's touched on this a lot actually, when he got the role he made himself sick by barely eating. He said "If I'm meant to look sick the I will get sick" This caused him to become quite numb (Brain starving, happens a lot with restrictive eating disorders! Lots of brain fog and emotional numbness) and so his performance reflected his state back then. He described it as 'shallow' and often says how he was stupid and regrets what he did with the role. But he learned from it.
Borle looks very affected. Even though he often plays gay men (Falsettos also), he doesn't ring true. I don't believe him. Watch Kirk in the HBO movie or, if you were lucky, to have seen Spinella in the original for truth.
Steph Piano angels in america!! one of the great american plays! i highly recommend giving it a read, and watching the hbo miniseries based on the play if you can get your hands on it
