My Favorite Year
My Favorite Year
#1My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:20amI know little about this show, but its opening number, Twenty Million People, gets played on Sirius XM. It seems like a terrific opening number, but the show only ran a month, although it did garner a Tony for Andrea Martin. Was the show seriously flawed, or might it be revivable? If Joseph Gordon Levitt were interested, he seems perfect for the role of Benjy (based strictly on the opening number).
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#2My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:44am
I never actually saw the show, but it is one of my favorite cast recordings (I am a sucker for an Ahrens/Flaherty score). I have a Tim Curry thing (and a Lainie Kazan thing too), but beyond that, I love the score and the cast. I really wish I had been able to see it.
I swoon for Joseph Gordon Levitt! And if he could sing, I would take Eddie Izzard as Alan Swann.
#2My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 1:38amJoseph Gordon Levitt certainly is getting a lot of attention on these boards right now. He must be the new Neil Patrick Harris.
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." -Stephen Colbert
#3My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 1:44amI know high schools around here seem to being doing lately.
#4My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:00amThe show had a lot going for it, but never quite came together. Evan Pappas was a bit too show choir (I like him a lot, but it was a bit much), and Tim Curry had two solos - one at the end of Act I, one opening Act II, and both EXCESSIVELY self-pitying. Andrea Martin was good, but it felt like they were trying to re-jigger the piece to give her more to do, when the character was not essential to the story. The book had no build, and the Act II climax was completely flat and unexciting.
#5My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:17am"Larger Than Life" was, for years, the go-to audition song for young tenors. I swear to god, if I never hear that song again, it won't be soon enough.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#6My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 10:27am
I like the score a lot. Great opening (no one writes opening numbers like Flaherty/Ahrens) and some great songs.
But, and I say this as a fan of the show, there were some clunkers too. As mentioned above both of Curry's solos are whiny and surprisingly tuneless.
Laine Kazan has two great songs (Welcome to Brooklyn, Rookie In The Ring) and is always overlooked for some reason when people talk about the show.
My favortie song is a little duet where Andrea Martin tries to teach the hopelessly unfunny Lanyl Stephens to tell a joke (Funny/The Duck Joke).
Still, it's definitely worth tracking down the cast recording. It has charm and warmth and some truly wonderful songs.
....but the world goes 'round
Updated On: 7/24/10 at 10:27 AM
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#7My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 12:51pm
I remember seeing it & enjoyed it a lot.
I liked "Larger Than Life" but found fault with 1 lyric . There were never "porcelin angels" in old theaters. They were plaster.
I enjoyed it more than Once On This Island .
Poster Emeritus
#8My Favorite Year
Posted: 7/24/10 at 1:41pmI think it has one of the best opening numbers ever but it's down hill from there in my opinion. It's a good idea that with some reworking might turn into a hit but I doubt anyone will take the time.
#9My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/6/10 at 3:36pmI wish they would re-visit the material and give it another go. I LOVE the score to this show.
#10My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/6/10 at 4:03pmI really enjoyed this show so much, and Martin stole the show with "Funny". Whatever happened to Lanyl Stevens? I would've loved to see Katie Finneran, who understudied, do that number with Martin!!
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
#11My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/6/10 at 4:12pm
I really like most of the score. My least favorite song is that vaudeville number, Professional Showbizness Comedy. It has more corn than Carol Channing's toilet bowl. But much of the score has great melody and heart. Funny/The Duck Joke makes me laugh every time. So many funny moments.
"Accordion lessons!"
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
greensgreens
Broadway Star Joined: 10/14/09
#12My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/6/10 at 5:11pm
Aww... I too missed this show by days and have never truly recovered. Regardless, it was one of my favorites in high school and although it's what I would consider to be an old fashioned musical comedy with a wide appeal, it just never took off. I love the Izzard/Gordon Leavitt pairing - that would be divine! - and I wonder if the show were "revised" just a touch if it could not be the musical comedy success it has the makings to be!
Oh, and Andrea Martin won her Tony with those two words, Mister Matt. Even on the recording, you can hear the legendary-ness of her delivery. Thanks for reminding me of that little bit!!!
#13My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/7/10 at 12:18am
Glad that some people here like the show. I was fortunate to be working at the Beaumont for the entire run. Suffice it to say,that the show was extensively re-written and re-worked during the previews. In fact, the Andrea Martin number was not in the show initially - when it suddenly appeared weeks later among many other rewrites, we were amazed at how great it was. Having witnessed eons of preview periods for shows, I know that "reviewing" shows at this juncture is ridiculous. During previews, changes were not implemented until weeks later. Notes were taken furiously every night. I liked this show due to it's sentimental nature, and love for 1950's TV era. Always loved the cute production number with the cigarette girls in those crazy costumes.
Tim Curry, at age 47 flew down that rope from the mezz to the stage every night (no stunt doubles)! My fave number is "WELCOME TO BROOKLYN" inimitably performed by Lainie. The older character actors in this show were great, I have to say that this group of actors really, really liked each other and working on the show.
Unfortunately, there was a huge stock market crash right before (or after) opening night.
#14My Favorite Year
Posted: 12/7/10 at 12:20pm
Tinymagic - Did they make it better with all the changes/revisions or did you like the earlier versions better?
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