FARINELLI AND THE KING Previews

[BroadwayConcierge]

Previews for Claire van Kampen's new play Farinelli and the King begin in just a few days (Tuesday, December 5, 2017) at the Belasco Theatre. Following successful productions at Shakespeare’s Globe and in the West End (and, of course, starring Tony and Academy Award winner Mark Rylance), Farinelli and the King is set to open officially on Sunday, December 17 for a limited run currently through March 25, 2018.

Who's going?!

[Relevance81491]

I will be o the stage a week from tomorrow!  Twelfth Night is a memory I hold very dear, so I can not wait to see this production.  My expectations are the highest they have been for a long time

[CT2NYC]

I had a stage seat for opening night, until Telecharge called to tell me they sold it accidentally. Now, I'm going in January!

[macnyc]

Wow, bummer! I hope they're not making you pay for the new seat. 

[CT2NYC]

macnyc said: "Wow, bummer! I hope they're not making you pay for the new seat."

I paid for it. I suppose I could've made a stink about the situation, but I didn't. I wasn't angry, just a little disappointed. 

[#1Elphie]

The same thing happened to me (my opening night tickets were cancelled) and I made a bit of a stink, but it didn't help. They weren't even apologetic about it. I wasn't rude, but I did express disappointment. Anyway, I was also able to get onstage seats for January. (CT2NYC, I did feel bad that I had been the reason you originally bought a ticket for opening night, but I'm glad we were both able to get stage seats for other performances.)

[CT2NYC]

#1Elphie said: "The same thing happened to me (my opening night tickets werecancelled) and I made a bit of a stink, but it didn't help. They weren't even apologetic about it. I wasn't rude, but I did express disappointment. Anyway, I was also able to get onstage seatsfor January. (CT2NYC, I did feel bad that I had been the reason you originally bought a ticket for opening night, but I'm glad we were both able to get stage seats for other performances.)"

No worries! My original original seat was in January anyway, so I kinda ended up where I started. Plus, I bought my new ticket at the box office, and saved myself $10.

[dramamama611]

On stage...but not until Feb. Very excited about this one.

[Steve C.]

We're in town Christmas week and for Saturday we go from the (hopefully) divine "Farinelli" to the (hopefully wonderful) ridiculousness of SpongeBob. So, it should be an interesting day of a variety of decorations and a variety of theater.

[dramamama611]

Well, you certainly are going to hit the full spectrum!

[BroadwayConcierge]

Bumping since I think final dress is happening tonight?

[Danielle49]

Also thought I'd drop the rush policy here:

http://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-farinelli-and-the-king-starring-mark-rylance-announces-rush-policy

$32 rush tickets, which is essentially the same thing as dropping by the box office to grab balcony or upper level stage seating since they're the same price. No word on where the seats will be.

[CT2NYC]

Some nice pics of the stage/stage seating at the Belasco have been posted on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcV37W-DdBP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcV2VB2h70d/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcV_Vs2n3FS/

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Absolutely gorgeous set!

[GeorgeandDot]

The set is beautiful. Hopefully someone posts the view from those upper level onstage seats.

[CT2NYC]

GeorgeandDot said: "The set is beautiful. Hopefully someone posts the view from those upper level onstage seats."

Those pics make me much more optimistic about the view from up there. I'd assumed (and hoped) that the additional width of the stage at the Belasco would make those seats less problematic than they appear in pics of the London production, and it looks like that's the case. 

[CoolDogeGuy]

Best Set Design of a Play: Farinelli and the King

[RippedMan]

Is it best scenic design if it's the same as his other show? Or is it not?

[mikem]

For anyone attending the show, can you let us know if it appears the show uses microphones or only has natural voices?  I have a ticket for next week and am having trouble with my ear with amplified sound.  I'm guessing/hoping that the show does not use microphones.  Thanks in advance!

[Malloythere!]

From my vantage point (balcony) they appeared not to have used mics.  First half was incredible, second half less so.  Rylance was sublime. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Would love to hear more about the show, Malloythere!

(Also, was Whizzer there tonight?)

[seeseveryshow2]

Was there tonight in the on stage $32 second row of upper level, in seats 14 and 16. This was on stage left house right. View better than we expected but would strongly recommend the stage right house left comparable. There was too much action that neither we nor the upper front row could see that seemed to take place far stage left. Numerous Rylance scenes and a critical scene involving Farinelli at the end. The stage left uppers would have been so much more desirable.

A lot of regimentation getting in and out, but worth it for the glimpses of backstage activity.

A terrific night in the theater. An interesting well written and beautifully produced play, with brilliant acting and music.
 

[wonkit]

There was a lot of regimentation about the stage seats for the Globe productions, too. You have to be seated early, and there is no late seating (obviously).  You are not permitted to cross the stage at any time, including intermissions. All for safety and artistic reasons. How uncomfortable are the benches? 

[elephantseye]

Can't help but be unimpressed with the set, as it is an exact reproduction of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

 

For those that have seen it, did it feel like an intimate production? The Belasco has about 700 more seats than the Wanamaker, so I'm curious how well the show/set is translating to the larger space. ]

[seeseveryshow2]

The benches were nicely padded. In the upper level second row we were leaning forward throughout the play. We had space behind the padded portion for a jacket and umbrella. The first row had more of a seat back to lean back on or against. The wall behind the second upper row was too far behind us for leaning against.

The eight seats center front row banquette looked like a church pew and appeared to have movable seat pads. It looked like those front row patrons were held in the rear of the orchestra and were marched in a line to their seats just before the show started.