My Favorite Year

In searching, I found that MY FAVORITE YEAR ran for a very very short time (only 36 performances). What was the reasoning behind this? Were the reviews deadly? I've heard the book was terrible, but was it really that bad of a show? It did win a Tony Award for Andrea Martin which I'm surprised, because usually people say if a show closes too far in advance of the Tony's that the voters don't remember you when it comes time to vote.

I've only recently discovered this show and enjoy most of the score. Could anyone who saw it please enlighten me to some of its strengths/weaknesses?

Thanks in advance.

---

The book wasn't THAT bad, especially compared to some of today's shows. ( MAMMA MIA, anyone?) But, many people felt that the show lacked the humor that was a hallmark of the movie. Most people missed the gangster subplot of the movie. Also, I know that Ahrens & Flaherty felt that they never quite got the character of Swann exactly right. However, the score is still really fun, and also still has its poignant moments. The "Musicals Tonight" production that was mounted a few years ago got some very positive reviews. And, I know that they are in the process of reworking parts of the show, so stay tuned!

Ronni
The Ahrens & Flaherty website

Top-notch score...awful book. And if F&A weren't happy with how they musicalized Swann, it was because they shot their creative wad writing OUTSTANDING material for Lainie Kazan and Evan Pappas.

The scenes with the TV folk were perhaps the worst, barely holding together with the music, and the King Kaiser character was virtually unmusicalized. Both his featured numbers were the worst in the score.

"Rookie in the Ring" was classic F&A, as were "Shut Up & Dance," "Twenty Million People" and Benjy's "At the Movies" song (Don't recall if that's the correct title).

The inherent problem in musicalizing Swann is that, in order to successfully navigate his dramatic lows (cleverly done in "If the World Was Like the Movies"), one has to experience better highs than "Manhattan."

But I love the score...I can't deny its effectiveness.

You can't compare MM's book and MFY. Apples and Oranges (and for obvious reasons I won't get into)

I found the book to be a mess and an example of how NOT to adapt a movie to the stage. As you mentioned (I'm one of them) - removing the gangster subplot (why oh why do that?) removed ANY tension from the show. Especially the climax, which fell completely flat.

I do enjoy the score (minus Manhattan). My only wish for the score was that they refrained from the overuse of phrases like "bigger than life" over and over. But it's still quite enjoyable to listen to.

---

The opening number is one of the best of any musical of the 1990s and "Larger Than Life" is an excellent follow-up.

What kills the show, dead in it's tracks is the "Musketeer Sketch" song. A desperately unfunny comedy number about a comedy sketch.

The score does not regain it's momentum after that, despite the pleasures of "Shut Up and Dance" and the title song (which I captures the spirit of the story better than the song written for the movie version that got recorded by Michael Feinstein and Cleo Laine). It ends act one with a serious song sung by Alan Swann and start the second act with a serious song sung by Alan Swann.

As for Andrea Martin winning the Tony Award, she was up against a girl for "Blood Brothers", a girl for "Tommy" and Laine Kazan for "My Favorite Year". I never saw the show, so I can't tell you why they picked Andrea over Laine.

---

I have recently fallen back in love with much of the score of My Favorite Year. I very much enjoyed reading the discussion in this thread, and hoped more people might have memories to share of the show or thoughts about it?

---

I agree with the comments on the book, but the score is absolutely wonderful...actually, I saw this thread and switched gears on my iPod.

I remember going to one of the final performances and it was amazing. Randomly one night, a friend and I were talking about the show (after too many cocktails), decided we wanted to see it, and I went online and booked tickets. It was our 24-hour road trip to NYC. Got up, drove up, saw the show, had a few drinks at Hell, slept a few hours at a friends apartment, and then drove back to VA. It was a great experience and the show was great. Plus, it was Tim Curry, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin! Exits is one of my favorites. And Evan Pappas was so adorable!

Welcome To Brooklyn is amazing!!!!!!!!!!

This was a limited run at Lincoln Center (a non-profit theatre) that didn't get extended.

I adore this score. What a wonderful opening number.

Despite its short run, Andrea Martin still took the Tony for her memorable performance.

I'm actually trying to convince a theatre group at my college to perform this show because I love it a lot, this stemming from a regional production I saw on Thanksgiving five years ago, and of course listening the CD multiple times. Tim Curry and Andrea Martin are two of my favorite actors to begin with. As part of the process of proposing, I actually read the libretto for the first time since I saw the show, and found myself laughing out loud-- I don't have any problems with the book, and find Alan Swann's songs very moving. "Shut Up and Dance" is my favorite song in the score, and "Professional Showbusiness Comedy" is my least, it doesn't make a lot of sense. The Musketeer Sketch is funny because it's being created by Benjy via proxy. The stage directions are actually really funny and detailed, but sadly stage directions are not read by the audience. I'm surprised by the limited Broadway run as well.

---