'My Favorite Year' - My Review

Pictured: Kathy Cook as Belle and Karen Sidel as Aunt Sadie in My Favorite Year Photo courtesy of Kathy Cook

The Theatre Guild of Simsbury has been presenting a huge variety of one to three musicals and plays each year since 1973. Doreen Cohn, the Artistic Director of this impressively organized volunteer organization, admits in her notes that the musical selection committee was a little hesitant to read the suggested My Favorite Year due to the fact that it was virtually unknown to them. They knew of the 1982 movie of the same name starring Peter O’Toole and Connecticut’s Mark-Linn Baker, but were not as familiar with the musical version that had a short run at Lincoln Center and was nominated for three Tony Awards. After reading the script, the committee knew that the show was the perfect fit for TGS “with its wonderful story, large ensemble numbers, full orchestrations, interesting roles for varied ages, and tuneful music.”

The resulting production presented at Simsbury High School, nearly an hour drive from Naugatuck, was well worth the trip. The favorite year in the title is 1954 and the story is essentially a peek backstage at an early television show called King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade where Benjy Stone, a young writers’ assistant, is told to baby-sit an alcoholic Hollywood veteran who is supposed to do a guest appearance on the live show. A classic musical comedy with a heart of gold, My Favorite Year features a score by Tony-winning songwriters Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime) and Stephen Flaherty and a book by Joseph Dougherty.

Some of the best parts were the scenes in the comedy writers’ office (“The Musketeer Sketch,”) “Funny/The Joke” set in the Ladies Room, and “Professional Showbizness Comedy” set in the Broadcast Studio. All of these included the character of the comedy writer Alice Miller, the role that earned Andrea Martin a Tony for Best Supporting Actress. Here she is played to perfection by Tracy Funke, who recently appeared as Mrs. Corry in the Landmark production of Mary Poppins at the Thomaston Opera House.

Overall, this large cast of a good variety of ages did a great job with the ensemble numbers and the production values were very impressive. Technical Director Ken Jones helped with the sword fighting sections. I liked the dancing choreographed by Terry Rowe and the costumes designed by Cindy Braunlich and wigs/hair by Joel Silvestro were perfectly appropriate. The cleverly designed sets by the director and Ken Jones were constantly changing for the show within a show and many other locations. The excellent orchestra of 22 musicians under the direction of Willard Minton covered the score beautifully and got two pages in the hefty program. It was the second show this weekend that included the mention of facts and figures of the era and specifically the price of gasoline.

Al Girard was adorable as Benjy and Kathy Cook was hysterical as his pushy mother Belle. King Kaiser himself was played by Brian Rucci and Jim Wood was the very funny comedy writer Sy Benson.. Michael Yachanin was funny without saying much as writer Herb Lee. Melissa Silvanic Veale played the lovely K.C. Downing. Christopher Berrien was charming as the tipsy Alan Swann. Nick Parisi was a hoot as Belle’s husband, the impossibly named “Rookie” Carroca, and Benjy’s Aunt Sadie and Uncle Morty were just as funny as played by Joe Sacala and Karen Sidel.

At a venue so far away I never expected to run into anyone I knew, but I had the pleasure of watching the performance with the busy actress Dianna Waller. Lucia and John Dressel, just finished with Ragtime, were there to support Ms. Funke. I enjoyed watching for Jessie Sawyer in the ensemble and as the countess in her fifth show with TGS.

Unfortunately this show only runs for two weekend. It closes with the matinee on Sunday at 2:00pm and tickets are available at the door. Next season they will be presenting the play Dearly Departed in April and Rogers and Hammerstein’s The King and I in November.