New York City
The Farnsworth Invention opens November 14th at the Music Box Theater, a wonderful, intimate venue built in 1921 by Irving Berlin. This is an enjoyable account of the invention of television from Aaron Sorkin with Hank Azaria playing the lead role as RCA mogul David Sarnoff.
We saw the production today - happening to sit next to Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin - in previews and reminded ourselves that Broadway is back. While the saccharine, big-production musicals that nearly destroyed Broadway in the '80s are still evident, one can readily find serious plays that, despite considerable license and some historical inaccuracies, generate ideas and inspirations that are thought-provoking and meaningful. Witness last summer's Frost/Nixon performance, which garnered a well-deserved Tony Award for Frank Langella (see entry for June 8, 2007).
Philo Fransworth is credited in many circles with "inventing" television. Actually, he invented the first working television using electronic scanning technology. However, as the play underscores, Sarnoff and many of Farnsworth's rivals were competing aggressively to be first to market. Indeed, Sarnoff used longtime Farnsworth rival Vladimir Zworykin to copy and implement some of Farnsworth's innovations, giving RCA certain advantages in the race to own the intellectual property supported by later court decisions that worked against Farnsworth and, coupled with his alcoholism and death of his young son, truly destroyed the brilliant Farnsworth.
p.s. A Saturday in New York City brings many delights. Add Keith McNally's Balthazar to this blog's "best restaurants" list. We love the garlic escargot at this popular Soho bistro. We also enjoyed another Mary Cleere Haran performance at Feinstein's at the Regency, having seen her for the first time eight years ago at the Oak Room. In recent years, we have seen Keely Smith and Patti Lupone at Feinstein's.
The Farnsworth Invention opens November 14th at the Music Box Theater, a wonderful, intimate venue built in 1921 by Irving Berlin. This is an enjoyable account of the invention of television from Aaron Sorkin with Hank Azaria playing the lead role as RCA mogul David Sarnoff.
We saw the production today - happening to sit next to Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Garlin - in previews and reminded ourselves that Broadway is back. While the saccharine, big-production musicals that nearly destroyed Broadway in the '80s are still evident, one can readily find serious plays that, despite considerable license and some historical inaccuracies, generate ideas and inspirations that are thought-provoking and meaningful. Witness last summer's Frost/Nixon performance, which garnered a well-deserved Tony Award for Frank Langella (see entry for June 8, 2007).
Philo Fransworth is credited in many circles with "inventing" television. Actually, he invented the first working television using electronic scanning technology. However, as the play underscores, Sarnoff and many of Farnsworth's rivals were competing aggressively to be first to market. Indeed, Sarnoff used longtime Farnsworth rival Vladimir Zworykin to copy and implement some of Farnsworth's innovations, giving RCA certain advantages in the race to own the intellectual property supported by later court decisions that worked against Farnsworth and, coupled with his alcoholism and death of his young son, truly destroyed the brilliant Farnsworth.
p.s. A Saturday in New York City brings many delights. Add Keith McNally's Balthazar to this blog's "best restaurants" list. We love the garlic escargot at this popular Soho bistro. We also enjoyed another Mary Cleere Haran performance at Feinstein's at the Regency, having seen her for the first time eight years ago at the Oak Room. In recent years, we have seen Keely Smith and Patti Lupone at Feinstein's.