A Broadway Question -- The Farnsworth Invention
 

Howdy.
I have a question about The Farnswork Invention. I was hoping to buy tickets for this play for our end-of-April trip to NY.

The Playbill website indicates that the run is open-ended, but when I go to the next page to buy tickets, the run seems to end on March 16th. What's up?

I haven't seen a closing notice for this play, but plays tend to extend their runs about 30 to 60 days at a time. If the play continues beyond March 16, you will probably be able to buy tickets right after MLK Jr. holiday.

Thanks, Doug.

MLK Jr. Day is January 21st?

It's a week from tomorrow, so I think that sounds right. The play didn't get stellar reviews, and alot of plays end up closing in January or February, but I think this will still be around.

Thanks very much.

The fact that you can't get tickets for performances beyond March 16 could indicate that it's possible that the show may be closing around that time if business doesn't pick up. There's no assurance that you'll know anytime this month if The Farnsworth Invention will be around in April. In fact, it's possible that you might not know until shortly before your trip.
(The current grosses for the show are not that promising--slightly more than 60% capacity, with a lot of discount tickets in that figure.)

What should we go see then? We've been seeing a lot of theatre here in Toronto -- saw The Drowsy Chaperone, and will soon be seeing Jersey Boys and Avenue Q and Twelve Angry Men.

What's been getting great reviews and will be around till April/May?

The best-reviewed openings on Broadway lately have been plays, not musicals. August: Osage County is the best-reviewed play of the decade in NYC, but it has a limited run, and I'm not sure it's going to be around until late April. The Seafarer was also very well received, but again it's a play not a musical.

Sunday in the Park with George opens soon, and it won all the top awards in London last year. It's the same production and cast here. I think this is your best bet for a well-received revival, though it's not my favorite Sondheim musical.

Spring Awakening was widely and very positively reviewed last year when it opened and is still playing.

Young Frankenstein, alas, got a middling critical reception, and while I liked it well enough, it wasn't a play I'd strongly recommend.

Xanadu, though a trifle, is stupendously entertaining and got pretty good reviews as well.

South Pacific is coming for a limited run to Lincoln Center, and it will be playing during your trip. It's never been revived, so I think that might be a promising shot in the dark if you want to try it, but I've not heard much about it.

Thanks, Doug. Too bad about Young Frankenstein -- that one could have been fabulous.

I'll look into the others.

I thought "Is He Dead?" was hilarious...!

I'll look into that one.

November's got great reviews on the Playbill site but once again, tickets aren't available yet for the end of April/beginning of May.

Has anyone seen it? Doug, do you think that run will be extended?

We saw Wicked on Saturday night and enjoyed it thoroughly. My daughter had read the book and its sequel and memorized the score; I had almost no knowledge of it. Nevertheless, it was a highlight of the weekend for both of us. Both the female leads were excellent.

Thanks, anon. We've seen Wicked and I enjoyed it too -- the first act especially. I'm just starting the book.

On our last trip (01/08) we saw; Cyrano (closed now), Young Frankenstein (very funny, but not worth "premium" ticket prices - lots of empty seats the day we attended), Is He Dead? (funny, but not as good as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for Norbert Leo Butz), August-Osage County (marvelous! brilliant! a must see), Xanadu (really, really funny - get seats nearer the back of the theater for this one - a very small theater and you really can be too close), Rock & Roll (not a hit with our group), The Homecoming (another downer).

I'll check out Osage County and Xanadu. I don't really want to see a downer.

If you don't want to see a "downer" I'd be careful about August Osage County. There are laughs, yes, but it's certainly NOT light. If you want light and frothy I do hear "Is He Dead" is very enjoyable. You should be able to find many of these with a discount on broadwaybox.com but you might have a wait a bit. Have you seen Spamalot?

Yes, we saw Spamalot last time we were in NY a couple of years ago.

August: Osage County is also over 3 hours long (2 intermissions!!). But I've heard it's mesmerizing. I'm still trying to get to see it but have been having trouble getting cheap tickets, though I'm still trying.

It's so hard to tell if a play will survive the January/February doldrums. But I think November may have a chance based on what friends have said (but I haven't seen it myself).

Well, it seems too early for me to order tix to just about anything right now, so I'll try again in a week or so.

November would be my first pick at this time.

Thanks, all.