Review - Farninelli and the King

There are very few theatrical events that I will pay full price for anymore.  I'm fortunate to be able to access discounts for just about anything I want to see (except, of course, for Hamilton, which I'm starting to resign myself to never seeing, or I'll have to wait and see the eventual movie, since I can't afford their full price in any way, shape or form).  But when a new play starring Mark Rylance was announced, I got out my credit card.  Not that I paid top price, mind you, I did sit in the mezzanine, but the seat was fine and I was quite happy with the price/satisfaction ratio.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I think Mark Rylance is a genius.  His performances in Jerusalem and Twelfth Night are truly two of the best I have ever seen.  Even when the play isn't quite up to his massive talent, he delivers.  And so it was last night at Farinelli and the King - it was a beautiful production, he was incredible, and I had a lovely time.  The play, on the other hand, is a bit more problematic.  At least it was for me.

I should also point out that in addition to wanting to see Mark Rylance in anything he does, I'm also interested in the real Farinelli.  I have no idea why, but one of the first movies I saw when I moved back to New York in 1995 was Farinelli, a Belgian film about the real-life castrato who caught the eye of a king (though that film dealt more with sexual escapades, but still).  Maybe it played at the Biograph, which was a great revival house that also showed foreign films and it was right by my office at the time.  I was known to sneak out at lunch to see movies.  I don't remember it as being a great film, but I did enjoy the music greatly.  So the subject matter of last night's play was even more interesting to me, not just because Rylance was the star.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

Though he IS the star.  THE star.  My goodness, I just marvel at his talent. He is grandly theatrical, yet so real and detailed.  His king Phillippe is clearly mentally ill, trying to hang onto his sanity, but the effort is exhausting him.  The only thing that (temporarily) brings him back to a clear mind is the singing of the famous castrato Farinelli, played by the wonderful Sam Crane.  The two actors have a fantastic rapport and chemisty and you can truly feel their connection when Farinelli sings and the king listens.  Their first scene together is simply fantastic, as they size each other up and try to discover how they can help one another.  One of the cool aspects of the play is that an actual opera countertenor comes on stage to do the singing, dressed identically to Crane - Iestyn Davies is the singer and he is spectacular.  Not only a fantastic singer, he's also a terrific actor and lends a wonderful breeziness to his character, while Crane, as the non-singing Farinelli, has more of a gravitas and self-conscious air.  It's a physical manifestation of someone with great talent having two sides to them - the talent and the public self alongside the private self.  It's really a wonderful conceit.  

photo credit: Joan Marcus

I just reveled in all that beautiful music, played wonderfully by onstage musicians playing period instruments.  The gorgeous set, lit only by candles, and that beautiful music just put me into raptures, as did Rylance.  He and the Farinellis were the best things in the show, I think.  The script rather let everyone else down.  Though it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the evening - I just think I wouldn't need to see other productions of this play starring other people.  The story is an interesting one, about how art can heal and how artists can fail to live up to expectation, but the dialogue in the play is a rather uneasy hybrid of faux-period speech and contemporary language.  You all know I'm not fond of using the f-word just for a laugh and it's done here several times.  Oh, isn't it funny to hear this 18th-century wacky king say f*ck!  After the first shock, no, it isn't all that funny.  At least it wasn't to me.  Anyway.  Of course, Rylance always performs with a twinkle and humor so that was a plus when he got his hands on some truly funny dialogue.

I'm ever so glad I saw Farinelli and the King and it was truly spectacularly beautiful to look at and listen to.  The first act, I think, is better than the second, but the last aria is heart-stopping, so there's that.  I do think the playwright used Rylance and the actors playing Farinelli beautifully, so there's also that.  In the interest of full disclosure, the women on either side of me were bored out of their minds and left at intermission.  I was not unhappy to have more leg room on both sides, I will admit.  And their yuck didn't ruin my yum.  I don't think there are discounts available, but I was marvelously satisfied with my experience last night, discount or no.  I will definitely keep that opera singer's name on my radar and I only hope Rylance comes back to Broadway soon...