the farnsworth invention

Despite the hubbub over The Farnsworth Invention being Aaron Sorkin's first big project since Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip closed down, the Broadway play's sales have been dismal and producers announced that they'll be tuning out on March 2. Produced by Steven Spielberg, the $4 million production arrived on Broadway during an unusually crowded season of straight plays, not to mention November's 19-day stagehands strike, causing ticket sales to suffer, according to Variety.  read more »

It’s not a good sign, perhaps, that the first show out of the gate after the Broadway strike, Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, should be about the discovery of theater’s mortal enemy, television. Worse: Mr. Sorkin (creator of The West Wing) has written the kind of pseudo-historical docudrama that would be perfect for television.

At least the play’s technical gobbledygook about cathode ray tubes is marginally easier to grasp than Copenhagen’s Heisenberg principle. It’s not really meant to be understood, however. It’s there to envelop us like fog. Science lessons work quite well on Broadway, making us feel good about ourselves.

The evening begins with RCA mogul David Sarnoff (a somber Hank Azaria) informing us about the mystery of light. “Light bounces,” he announces, “and I wanted to make sure everyone knew that, or 20 minutes in you’re gonna be thinking, ‘What the hell is happening?’”  read more »

THEATER

Now that the Broadway strike is over, there’s going to be a mad rush for tickets and most of this weekend's shows will be sold out. But throw some elbows and get a good spot on line for Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, which is opening on Monday, Dec. 3. It's so good, it'll make you forget Studio 60.

[Check here for tickets.]

CONCERTS

Boston’s post-punk fogies Mission of Burma are coming to the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Jan. 19. Okay, so maybe they were way more important, and more attractive, in the early 80’s, but Mission of Burma is still worth seeing, if only so you can get sore singing/moshing to “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver.” Classic! [On sale: Since noon today. Hurry!]  read more »

With the stagehands strike now in its third day and the opening nights of Conor McPherson's spooky romp The Seafarer and Aaron Sorkin's buzzed-about The Farnsworth Invention quickly approaching, producers of those shows are contemplating rescheduling the official opening nights, according to Playbill.  read more »

“The Farnsworth Invention is actually very complex with 150 characters at more than 50 locations,” said Des McAnuff, director of Aaron Sorkin’s new Broadway play The Farnsworth Invention, which opened to previews last night.  read more »