My Favorite Year - Bridewell Theatre
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
FOLLOWING the success of Grand Hotel and Sweeney Todd in 2007, Sedos is presenting the 1950s musical My Favorite Year at Bridewell Theatre – from Wednesday, June 4 to Saturday, June 14, 2008.
My Favorite Year is based on the hit 1982 film starring Peter O’Toole and Mark Linn-Baker (courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co) and is loosely based on the real life experiences of Mel Brooks as a comedy writer for Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows.
It follows Benjy Stone, freshman writer on TV’s hottest show, The King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade, during the week he’s assigned the task of baby-sitting the show’s guest star – veteran Hollywood swashbuckler and Benjy’s childhood hero, Alan Swann.
His effort to keep the reckless and washed-up Swann away from booze, women and out of the papers until Saturday night’s live performance nearly drives Benjy to the brink. But then he’s given an unexpected glimpse into Swann’s broken heart that teaches him about human frailty, tragedy, comedy, love – and about what made 1954 his favorite year.
Andrew Overin directs a cast that includes Mark Emmett (Benjy Stone), Craig Karpel (King Kaiser), Mickey Killianey (Sy Benson), Susan Booth (Alice Miller), James Franey (Herb Lee), Kirra Young (KC Downing), Rebecca Weymouth (Daisy), James Newall (Alan Swann), Maria Waters (Belle May Steinberg Carroca), Pete Bryans (Rookie Carroca), Sara Dunn (Tess), Stephen Beeny (Uncle Morty) and Carla Moran (Aunt Sadie).
My Favorite Year, which is produced by Alex Sandercock, has a book by Joseph Dougherty, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, with musical direction by Matthew Gould and choreography by Gayle Rogers.
Tickets: £15; £12.50 – concessions, Wednesday, June 4 (preview) and Saturday, June 7 (matinee).
Times: evenings at 7:30pm, matinee at 3pm.
Gala Night: Saturday, June 7 – £20, £15 concsessions.
To book visit the Sedos website.
As part of the Sedos commitment to raising money for London Charities, half the proceeds from the performance on Tuesday, June 10 will be donated to this seasons chosen charity – the Half Moon Young Peoples Theatre. For more information about the company, visit their website (see right hand panel).