The Farnsworth Invention First Preview

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/14/07 at 11:23pm

Anybody going?

Post your comments here.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 12:57am

What if somebody went but they prefer to start their own thread?

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 1:33am

I'll be there tonight with two friends...looking forward to it.

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 4:49am

WAT...please post your thoughts. I will be there this weekend!

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:36pm

Then they could start their own thread?

WAT, PLEASE post your thoughts. I hear Hank Azaria is GREAT.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:37pm

Seeing it Wednesday.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:51pm

I am looking forward .. I am seeing it this coming Saturday matinee...


BTW- Here's a picture from playbill

Jimmi Simpson and Bruce McKenzie in the La Jolla production of The Farnsworth Invention.


Updated On: 10/15/07 at 05:51 PM

[mominator]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 5:58pm

This is on the list and I am looking forward to it greatly!

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 6:01pm

Updated On: 10/15/07 at 06:01 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 7:48pm

Truly enjoyed it. Lovely to look at, wonderful to listen to.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:05pm

Did you see it at the La Jolla Playhouse? Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:05 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:08pm

No. Here at the invited dress today.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:16pm

Well. Can you give us anything ? how's the cast ? scenery ? how long ?


Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:16 PM

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:19pm

The sets and the lighting were gorgeous when I saw the show in La Jolla. Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:19 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:20pm

Photos from La Jolla Productions






this one really looks good !


Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:20 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:26pm

from La Jolla Playhouse Productions











Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:26 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:34pm

Sets are simple but inspired. Lighting is brilliant. Excellent cast.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:37pm

Do the sets look anything from the La Jolla Productions ? ^^ see above
Updated On: 10/15/07 at 08:37 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 8:44pm

Looks similar to me.

[bigbigbill]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 10:24pm

I'm seeing it next Wednesday! I can't wait!

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 11:00pm

I just got back. It didn't move me much, I have to say. It felt like a history lesson without a lot of depth or dramatic tension. I kept waiting for the human story and I kept getting exposition. Miles of exposition. It felt like half of the show was exposition. And a lot of surface. Maybe I was missing the point. The story pits two characters against each other but they don't ever appear in the same scene together, instead each appears to narrate the other's story and add their two cents, I guess. And they interact as narrators. And actually, they do appear together in the climax, but it is explained away as a fantasy meeting. Apparently they never met in real life.

It could just be that this kind of play isn't my thing, but I found the whole affair pretty dismal. Also, it's obviously way early in the preview process and I don't usually go to the first preview. As far as the set goes, the show is set in the past but the set is pretty modern, bland and cold, imo.

I thought Hank Azaria was pretty good. A lot of the cast had problems projecting and when they were deep in the set it was hard to hear them at all. I wonder if they've worked out all the blocking, because a lot of times I felt like I was staring at people's backs and couldn't even hear them. Jimmy Simpson took a while to warm up. He may need more time.

But the two leads did get a standing ovation at the end, so maybe I was in the minority. I stood up grudgingly, only because I couldn't see the stage if I remained seated.

Sorry. I wish I liked it more. I will be interested to read other's reactions.

[ohjohnny]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 11:20pm

I hate to piss all over a new show, so let me just add that I watched Legally Blonde 4 times this weekend. Just so you know where I'm coming from. And I also really liked Mauritius, which a lot of people did not. So maybe this show just wasn't my thing. Although I did really like Sorkin's Sports Night, the West Wing and, to a lesser extent, Studio 60.

It's just that with all the story that Farnsworth had to tell, there wasn't a lot of time to develop characters or scenes of any dramatic depth. Everything was done with quick, broad brush strokes. ALso, if you are a fan of female characters, look elsewhere. Farnsworth has a few wives and a secretary thrown in, but they have almost nothing of interest to add.

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/15/07 at 11:21pm

It was exactly what you would expect from Aaron Sorkin: instantly entertaining; emotionally and dramatically flat. (Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to the individual viewers; I lean towards the latter) Sorkin spins catchy and funny streams of dialogue peppered with quick witticisms and one-liners, with direct address narration from Sarnoff and Farnsworth. This was all engaging to a point, but I wanted to see more introspection into the lives of the characters. We see this briefly with Sarnoff--we learn that his Jewish family was run out of Russia and that he's cutthroat and ballsy--but not at all with Farnsworth. I kept waiting for something that wasn't coming, and instead was greeted with more rapid fire (and forgettable) dialogue.

Hank Azaria was great in the book scenes, but basically played himself in his narration. Jimmi Simpson was excellent. The ensemble--with the exception of the wonderful young actress who played Farnsworth's wife--was blah. The show ran a quick two hours and ten minutes. The audience seemed to love it. The mezzanine was less than half full, which surprised me, since the person at the box office told me that they were very well sold this morning when they refused me student tickets.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 12:08am

Hm. Well, so far it's garnered a mixed bag with you guys who attended tonight, whereas, the La Jolla production was supposedly brilliant. I'll wait for WAT's review - Hopefully his will shed some more light (e.g.: positives) 'cause I have a pair of front row seats for Tuesday, 11.13. Haha! I REFUSE to be disappointed.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, guys!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/16/07 at 12:10am

What was the show curtain, or is there one? Are show curtains standard for plays or not so much? Also, any pics of the marquee?