An Opening by Any Other Name

And so the first accounts (we're not supposed to call them "reviews" until after the official opening in November) of the first preview performances of Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention are beginning to show up in the blogosphere.  For example, this wrap up from The New York Observer's "Culture Czar" blog:

The Farnsworth Invention takes on the advent of television in the 1920's and 30's. A slick-haired, sharp-suited Hank Azaria is Lang Sarnoff, the president of RCA. Under the glittering lights of Radio City Music Hall, his armies of Ph.D.-bearing scientists and pinstriped executives are racing against a ragtag team of inventors in Chicago, lead by Philo T. Farnsworth. Played by Jimmi Simpson (think of a cross between James Spader and Cillian Murphy), Farnsworth is a mathematical genius from backwoods Utah, who's more interested in electrons and copper wires than notoriety and fortune. RCA would eventually pilfer his ideas and take the credit for inventing the most influential device in the 20th Century.

"Lang" Sarnoff?  A ragtag team of inventors from Chicago?  Huh?  This doesn't sound like the play I saw in San Diego.  Maybe this blogger's ears were stuffed with Silly Putty or something.  At least, apparently, they got Farnsworth's name right.

Comments

[h.c. ecco]

to whom...

if you saw the play in san diego, you'll 'memmer that (stephen) lang played (thegeneralissimogul)sarnoff...must've been a slip of the e-tongue.