Azaria to star in new Sorkin play on B'way

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Hollywood actor Hank Azaria has signed on to star in the world premiere of Aaron Sorkin's new play, "The Farnsworth Invention," on Broadway.

Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, the play will co-star "The Rainmaker" actor Jimmi Simpson and begin performances at the Music Box Theatre in New York on Nov. 14.

Previews are slated to begin Oct. 15.

Produced on Broadway by Dodger Properties and Steven Spielberg in association with Fred Zollo/Jeff Sine, Dancap Productions, Latitude Link/The Pelican Group, the play is about the bitter conflict between a boy genius who invented television as a high school student in 1927 (Simpson) and the head of the Radio Corporation of America (Azaria), show notes said.

"The Farnsworth Invention" debuted at La Jolla Playhouse in a "Page to Stage" workshop production last February.

Azaria, who is well-known for lending his voice to several characters on "The Simpsons," earned a Tony nomination for his performance in "Monty Python's Spamalot." He has also been seen in the movies "The Birdcage," "Great Expectations" and "America's Sweethearts."

Sorkin has written "A Few Good Men" and "The American President" and created the television shows "The West Wing" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."