Farinelli and the King NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%

(540 Ratings)

Positive

89%

Mixed

Negative

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.

'Farinelli and the King' is inspired by the fascinating true story of Philippe V (Rylance), a Spanish monarch on the brink of madness who finds unexpected solace in the voice of world-renowned castrato, Farinelli. Soon, Farinelli and the King forge a powerful connection, and the celebrated singer must make a difficult choice: return to throngs of adoring fans or perform forever for an audience of one. Like Broadway’s 'Twelfth Night' and 'Richard III,' this contemporary work is presented in the signature style of Shakespeare’s Globe – traditional baroque instruments are performed live in a gallery above the stage; the audience enjoys intimate seating with several rows onstage; and the story is told by candlelight. 'Farinelli and the King' comes to Broadway following sold-out runs at Shakespeare’s Globe and on London’s West End.

Show-Score Member Reviews (540)

Great acting, Great singing, Great staging, Enchanting, Beautiful

See it if you want to see a visually lush play, a wonderful performance by Rylance, and some truly masterful singing from Davies

Don't see it if you want to see a deeply moving, carefully structured drama unfold. the production kind of outshines the writing

Great acting, Great singing, Enchanting, Exquisite, Funny

See it if you want to see--as you certainly should--Rylance's amazing acting (matched by others in the cast), beautifully staged with much humor.

Don't see it if you don't like farce, even when it's based in language and not physical humor; or, if you require a 2nd act to match the heights of the 1st.

Absorbing, Great acting, Great singing, Resonant, Clever

See it if you want to see another stellar Mark Rylance performance. You like countertenors. You want to be transported to another time and place.

Don't see it if You don't like costume dramas. You don't like Mark Rylance.

See mark rylance, one of the planet's best actors, in an interesting tale about how music soothes a mad king

See it if Rylance's (usual) extraordinary performance as philosophical paranoiac, gorgeous countertenor singing, clever poetic script

Don't see it if script lacking drama, Rylance's mad king has no effective foil to play off of; superfluous ending

Great acting, Great staging, Ambitious, Uneven

See it if you are a fan of Mark Rylance and/or baroque opera and are willing to accept an interesting but flawed play to enjoy great performances.

Don't see it if you don't like historical plays and don't respond to baroque music.

Mark rylance! mark rylance! mark rylance!

See it if You love good acting and engaging theatre. Mark Rylance is amazing as always!

Don't see it if You hate period dramas.

Delightful, Great acting, Intelligent, Masterful, Slow

See it if You like period pieces.

Don't see it if You’re hoping for an epic story

Absorbing, Ambitious, Disappointing, Banal, Great acting

See it if You're a Rylance fan, curious about Farinelli, like sumptuous sets & costumes beautifully lit by candles, you're not expecting dramatic plot

Don't see it if You don't like Rylance's overboard theatrics, expect an elaborate historical drama, not interested in the castrati and their music

Critic Reviews (56)

Trailer

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