"Farinelli and the King" tells the true story of Philippe V (played by Mark Rylance), a Spanish monarch on the brink of madness. He finds unexpected solace in the voice of world-renowned castrato Farinelli.
Farinelli’s papers show that the repertoire he sang for the king included hundreds of different
pieces of music from Pergolesi, Scarlatti and other composers. Through Farinelli, the king had
discovered at last, after many years of suffering, a satisfactory therapy for his disorder.
The nine musical selections, all chosen from arias first sung by the real-life Farinelli in the 1730s, range from “Ho perso il caro ben” from “Il Parnasso” to the melting “Bel contento” from “Flavio.”
Playwright: Claire van Kampen
Director: John Dove
Producer: Shakespeare's Globe
Mark Rylance as Philippe V of Spain
Melody Grove as Isabella Farnese, queen and wife of Philippe V
Sam Crane as Farinelli
Countertenor voice of Farinelli performed by either:
Iestyn Davies
Eric Jurenas
James Hall
http://www.farinelliandthekingbroadway.com/
http://www.farinelliandthekingbroadway.com/_docs/FarinelliHenryKamen.pdf
http://www.farinelliandthekingbroadway.com/_docs/Farinelli-David_Cote.pdf
