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The Farnsworth Invention Reviews
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Would recommend! Review by: , Feb 29, 2008 |
| Great subject - acting terrific and really kept you interested and entertained. Highly recommend! |
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Adults
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| 2 |
Top play on all counts. See it! Review by: Ellen, Feb 27, 2008 |
Great! Smart script and terrific acting. Sorkin rarely lets you down. A riveting story and some "fictionalized" history but fascinating nonetheless.
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 3 |
Excellent Production, Questionable Authenticity Review by: DoctorJoeE, Feb 27, 2008 |
| Good production, well-acted, interesting plot -- but nothing that could be called character development, and it was not made at all clear that this ONE VERSION of the story of Farnsworth vs. CBS, and according to many, not the most accurate one. Here's all you really need to know about its authenticity: probably the most intense and interesting single scene is the one, toward the end, where Farnsworth finally confronts Sarnoff -- and it's ... read more entirely fabricated (as the Sarnoff character later admits) because the two men never actually met. It's a very entertaining show, I enjoyed it, and I recommend it. But don't go thinking you'll be seeing an undisputed true story. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 4 |
TERRIFIC! Review by: Big Papi, Feb 24, 2008 |
| What a fabulous show....The acting was incredible and the story engaging throughout! GO SEE IT! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 5 |
Great story and acting! Review by: Lynne W, Jan 11, 2008 |
| Great story with wonderful acting! We were riveted throughout. Only negative (small one!) is that it is typical Aaron Sorkin writing, so very rapid dialogue that some people may find difficult to follow. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
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Recommended for:
Business Assoc., Seniors, Tourists
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| 6 |
I already bought tickets to see it again! Review by: Loved Loved Loved it, Jan 10, 2008 |
| Who knew? My friend and I went in expecting nothing but overdramatic lighting a la Sorkin. We were shocked to find a spectacularly acted play. Historically accurate or not, who cares? Neither was Amadeus and that was fantastic as well. Hank Azaria is fantastic as always but the real surprise and the best part of the entire production was Jimmi Simpson. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Don't know what else to say. I absolutely adored this show.... read more. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Business Associate
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Seniors, Adults
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| 7 |
Well Acted Review by: Mr. C, Jan 7, 2008 |
| We saw the Sunday matinee on 1/6/08; it played to a full house. The Farnsworth Invention is a good Broadway drama. Jimmi Simpson is outstanding playing the role of Philo T. Farnsworth. Hank Azaria is very good in the role of David Sarnoff but a certain four letterword is overused. |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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Recommended for:
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| 8 |
The Farnsworth Invention Review by: Tom Bestor, Jan 2, 2008 |
I stepped into The Music Box this afternoon fully prepared to enjoy the story of how David Sarnoff basically stole television from inventor Philo Farnsworth. And did.
Others -- you, for instance -- may not appreciate a certain lecture-y quality that seeps out from this densely (but elegantly)-packaged history lesson, seen through the eyes of two titans: Sarnoff, the Russian-born exiled Jew who created modern broadcasting, and Farnsworth,... read more, the Mormon farm boy who saw the key concepts necessary to making possible perhaps the most influential technological breakthrough of the 20th century. (Hank Azaria plays Sarnoff with unapologetic ambition, and Jimmi Simpson does good work as a simple genius, overwhelmed by powers far beyond his experience.)
But me? I love the quick repartee of Sorkin's characters, the efficiency of his exposition, the richness of his characters. It's not a great show, and it's not for everyone (and it probably won't survive long on Broadway), but it tells an amazing story -- and it's going to be the perfect thing for high school drama departments that need shows with big casts that shed light on important moments in history.
And no matter what opinion you may hold of the "vast wasteland" of "57 (or 557) channels and nothin ' on" that is broadcasting today, it's impossible to argue that the introduction of television marks a watershed in human history, and watching its birth pangs is pretty darn compelling.
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| 9 |
The Farnsworth Fabrication of the truth -- still enjoyable. Review by: Rich, Dec 5, 2007 |
| The play was enjoyable enough -- good acting and directing; however, the facts are majorly distorted. At the end RCA is credited with the invention of television. The true outcome of the case is that Farnsworth was awarded the tv patent and yes, RCA did pay him one million dollars in royalties to use "his" invention. Cannot figure out why the facts were so distorted. The play would have been just as interesting if the ... read more audience learned the truth - the little mouse (Farnsworth) had defeated the lion (RCA). |
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My recommendation:
Go see if you get a chance
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I saw this show with:
Large Group
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Adults
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| 10 |
Sorkin's Way with Words Review by: Pigeyes, Dec 5, 2007 |
| Contained the usual great Sorkin writing. If you like thinking and listening closely to dialog and learning something new, this is the play for you. |
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My recommendation:
Make an effort to see
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Recommended for:
Seniors, Tourists, Adults
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| 11 |
GO! Review by: RT, Dec 4, 2007 |
| How can you not see a play starring Hank Azaria, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Des McAnuf? Do not miss it. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family
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| 12 |
fast paced, GREAT acting! Review by: Theater1969, Dec 4, 2007 |
| Very fast paced play...learn while you watch. McAnuff again directs with amazing expertise. Sorkin's story is quite solid. The acting was incredible |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Business Associate
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| 13 |
soooo worth it. the most fun i've had at the theater in several years Review by: , Dec 2, 2007 |
| farnsworth's story is pretty fascinating. RCA's sarnoff is build up as his counterpart or nemesis but that felt a bit invented. none-the less the two leads really carried the heart of the show and did a fantastic job. azaria was great and so was jimmi simpson who plays farnsworth is hypnotizing as well. the play leaves you with questions of what is right vs what is legal in science and invention and how much one can ever own or profit on ... read more invention vs having to be a responsible cutodian of technology. he calls attention to the fact that the record is incomplete and that he's invented scenes that didn't take place and it's so interesting that this doesn't diminish the "reality" of the play or the characters. at times the preasching does feel a bit stretched and forced (as he tries to take a story that's simply fun to watch and make it have some moral center). but overall the comic and tragic turns of phrase are classic sorkin. clever characters and more clever use of language makes this utterly enjoyable to watch. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Alone
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Recommended for:
Romantic Date, The Entire Family, Business Assoc.
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| 14 |
We were meant to be explorers!! Review by: Graber, Nov 12, 2007 |
| Excellent show, really intelligent and thoughtfully performed. This is no fluffy broadway musical. Simpson and Azaria are both extraordinary, and the depth, humanity and humor brought to their performances is a joy to watch. The set is simple and rightly so, there is so much story and character to absorb that you really don't need anything else to distract you! I recomend this show! |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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I saw this show with:
Spouse/Partner
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Recommended for:
Anyone
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| 15 |
STUNNING PERFORMANCE. Review by: someone like you, Nov 9, 2007 |
| While I am generally skeptical of dramas, this show absolutely restored my faith in the genre. It was smart, funny, emotional, and informative, to say the least. Sure, the set was minimalist, but the performances were so fantastic that a more elaborate set would have made no difference at all. The story, which I cannot verify its 100% accuracy, told a story that the world should know - especially those who take any interest in the television,... read more, for whatever reason. I highly recommend this show to those looking for a change of pace from the slightly less intelligent musicals on Broadway (despite their legitimate entertainment value). I'm not one to run home to my computer to write online reviews, but this show deserves nothing but success. See it - you'll undoubtedly agree. |
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My recommendation:
must see!
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Recommended for:
The Entire Family, Business Assoc., Seniors
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| * Review is an opinion of a BroadwayBox user and not that of BroadwayBox.com and BroadwayBox, Inc. |
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