Farinelli and the King
Closed 2h 30m
Farinelli and the King
82

Farinelli and the King NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%
(540 Ratings)
Positive
89%
Mixed
8%
Negative
3%
Members say
Great acting, Great singing, Absorbing, Great staging, Entertaining

About the Show

Oscar and three-time Tony winner Mark Rylance returns to Broadway in this new drama about Spain's King Phillippe V's bond with a legendary castrato. 

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Show-Score Member Reviews (540)

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122 Reviews | 13 Followers
100
Absorbing, Delightful, Enchanting, Funny, Great acting

See it if You're a musical-theater buff and want to see something truly original, not commercial.

Don't see it if You only like blockbuster shows.

73 Reviews | 9 Followers
100
Clever, Ambitious, Great acting, Great singing, Enchanting

See it if You love a thoughtful premise that beauty humanity and the healing nature of music. Wonderful acting. The magical sound of a counter-tenor

Don't see it if You are uncomfortable with challenging material, spoon-fed resolution for every premise raised.

50 Reviews | 18 Followers
100
Down-to-earth, Enthralling, Fast-paced, Riveting, Sublime

See it if you want to see characters you care about

Don't see it if you can't tolerate coarse language

576 Reviews | 88 Followers
100
Absorbing, Clever, Great acting, Great singing, Great staging

See it if you have 2 brain cells to rub together.I NEVER give shows 100,but this is a must see.Rylance is brilliant,play well written,staging is great

Don't see it if you are looking forward to Sponge Bob.This show is very funny, also very touching, and so brilliantly done. It really is a gem. Go see it!

83 Reviews | 25 Followers
100
Absorbing, Enchanting, Exquisite, Great acting, Great singing

See it if you love great theatre.

Don't see it if You despise baroque operatic music or period pieces Read more

290 Reviews | 92 Followers
100
Absorbing, Enchanting, Great acting, Great writing, Great singing

See it if You would like to experience a magnificent play. Totally moving ...A MUST SEE....

Don't see it if I would see it no matter what...

762 Reviews | 147 Followers
100
Clever, Entertaining, Great acting, Great singing, Great staging

See it if I love this time period and the music and singing is GREAT. Parts are funny

Don't see it if If you cannot handle opea singing

51 Reviews | 13 Followers
100
Absorbing, Enchanting, Entertaining, Exquisite, Great acting

See it if You value the intricacies of polished acting and appreciate the beauty of fine storytelling.

Don't see it if If you hate opera or are expecting a musical. This is not a musical. This is a fun show about a king who went mad and how music saved him.

Critic Reviews (56)

Chicago Tribune
December 17th, 2017

"Rylance dives deep inside wacky Philippe in a performance as empathetic as it is seemingly spontaneous...A strange and slow-burning theatrical experience in many ways and seemingly focused on just one relationship, actually turns out to be a remarkably complicated exploration of the most important question in the arts of the last 500 years, i.e., who gets to go? And, of course, you get the incomparably immersed Rylance, that most live of performers."
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Entertainment Weekly
December 18th, 2017

"The elements of 'Farinelli and the King' taken in isolation are fascinating...And yet, somehow 'Farinelli and the King' unfolds as lethargic and two-dimensional, too enamored with its own cleverness and obvious metaphors to provide anything of real emotional weight...Any time Rylance is available on stage to a New York audience, it’s impossible not to recommend you see him. But 'Farinelli and the King' is all dazzle and no depth."
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AM New York
December 17th, 2017

"It may contain arias from obscure Baroque operas and candlelit chandeliers, but the play is, at heart, a straightforward and sentimental 'bromance'...It is also a celebration of the power of music to overcome emotional and mental instability. Rylance, who excels at playing sad and strange characters, gives a full-bodied and endearing performance that combines volatile behavior and over-the-top comedy with gentle contemplation."
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NY1
December 18th, 2017

"The play, written by Rylance's wife Claire van Kampen, is most entertaining but principally as a vehicle for her husband, tapping into his bravura skills as both a comedian and tragedian...Directed by John Dove, it's graced with a dream production, expertly acted, and designed with exquisite authenticity by Jonathan Fensom. But while 'Farinelli and the King' has the look and feel of a classic work, dramatically it falls short."
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Theatermania
December 17th, 2017

"Van Kampen's middling historical fiction...Van Kampen eschews the typical portrayal of Isabella as Lady Macbeth, opting instead for the even staler trope of the giving tree...A baffling attempt to insert conflict into the second act risks dramaturgical disaster, and is saved only by Davies's achingly beautiful interpretation of Handel's 'Cara sposa.'...Davies makes the most exhilarating Broadway debut of the year as the voice of Farinelli...Dove's production is a total delight to the senses."
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Lighting & Sound America
December 18th, 2017

"Despite its many attractions, 'Farinelli and the King' is a crudely constructed affair that barely rises to the level of anecdote...For all of his lovingly rendered comic business, Philippe remains a distant figure, elusively skipping from one eccentric fancy to another...One wishes Rylance would strive harder to find roles commensurate with his abilities...For all of Crane's fine work, Farinelli is little more than a pawn with a gorgeous voice, his interior largely left unexplored."
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Talkin' Broadway
December 17th, 2017

"A feast for the eye and ear...Crane, in particular, is the perfect foil for Rylance. Against the star's edgy, rambunctious performance, Crane's Farinelli is calm, centered, and quite content to be at a remove from the limelight. Van Kampen does her best work in contrasting these opposites...While Mr. Rylance clearly dominates the stage, 'Farinelli and the King' would not work nearly so well without the collaborative dance of Mr. Crane and Mr. Davies that brings Farinelli richly to life."
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Broadway News
December 17th, 2017

"Watching Rylance convey the pain, fear and vulnerability of that striving is heart-rending and unforgettable...Farinelli is played by an actor and a famous countertenor...The device works beautifully, thanks to director John Dove, who demonstrates a dab hand throughout...Overall, there is a fairytale-like lightness to the simplicity of the storytelling. This quality charms in places but can seem predictable or overly 'on the money' in others."
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