Thoughts on My Favorite Year and Every Brilliant Thing

I believe I've mentioned before how much I love Ahrens & Flaherty's musicals - Once on this Island is perfect, in my humble opinion, and I was so lucky to see the original Broadway production a couple of times.  Their next Broadway show happened when I didn't live in New York, so I didn't get to see the original production of My Favorite Year when it opened.  I grabbed the original cast album as soon as it was available, since I loved OOTI so much AND since I adored the film of My Favorite Year.  It's one my my favorites and I quote it often.  Peter O'Toole was frigging brilliant.  I figured it was a perfect combination.  I wore my cast album out from listening to it so much - I think that score is fantastic.  I could not figure out how that show wasn't a success!

I did happen to catch a small production of My Favorite Year and realized the problem was, sorry, with the libretto.  It wasn't as fast and funny as the film's screenplay or as the terrific songs throughout the score.  So after seeing that production, I guess I just felt I'd listen and enjoy my cast album but I wouldn't get to see a revival anytime soon.

[side note featuring name dropping, sorry]:  once, when I was chatting with Stephen Flaherty, I mentioned how much I love the score to My Favorite Year and what would it take to get it produced?  He said, but who would play Alan Swann?  I said, duh, Douglas Sills!  God's honest truth!  This was at least five years ago!  Think on that as you read on...]

Cut to last month, when I saw a press release that casting for the York Theatre Company's Musicals in Mufti production of My Favorite Year was complete.  A young actor who was in Next to Normal would be playing Benjy Stone and Alan Swann would be played by...wait for it...Douglas Sills!  I'm a genius!  A seer!  I was so excited when I read the press release that I immediately went online and bought a ticket.  Have I ever mentioned I love Douglas Sills?  No?  Well, I do.  I often wonder why people aren't constantly writing shows for him to star in...

Friday night, I took myself to Saint Peter's Church to see My Favorite Year.  For some reason, every time I head to the York, it pours the rain.  Every time.  And Friday was no exception.  Pouring.  At least I got to see the pretty holiday tree in the Citigroup Center's courtyard.  That always cheers a girl.  I also got to see several friends in the audience, so it was lovely to catch up with them.  And then I got to see the fantastic production.  Oh my.  What a wonderful wonderful evening.  My seat neighbor was very pleasant.  The entire cast was terrific, the book has been tightened and tweaked; now it's so fast and funny, you have a smile on your face for over two hours straight.  And I was right: Douglas Sills is PERFECT as Alan Swann.  The new songs for his character are really great, especially the song at the end when he realizes the television show will be performed live.  But, really, everything was fantastic.  The changes they've made have made an already fun show even better.  The audience went absolutely crazy for it - I've heard that every performance over the weekend was sold out and the response was the same, pure joy.  I hope there's more life for My Favorite Year; we can always use a musical that puts a smile on your face and leaves it there.  I've been listening to my cast album on repeat since Friday...

A handsome chum sent me an e-mail a couple of weeks ago asking if I'd be interested in checking out a new play imported from the Edinburgh Fringe Fest.  Sure!  A free ticket to see a show with a handsome chum?  I'm in!  Saturday night it was still raining, but I dragged myself in to see Every Brilliant Thing at the Barrow Street Theatre.

I got to the city a little early so I could stop by my office to check the mail (unsolicited tip: don't let your debit card number get stolen before the holidays.  A thief has emptied my account and it's taking forever for the fraud people to give me my money back.  I was hoping a care package from my mother arrived at the office Saturday, but it didn't.  It didn't arrive today either.  So now I hate the person who stole my money AND the US Postal Service), and my goodness, don't try to walk around Times Square on a Saturday.  It was INSANE.  The worst I've ever seen it.  It took me forever to walk the block and a half from the subway to my office.  Moving on.  I rode down to the Barrow Street Theatre to meet my handsome chum for a pre-show drink.  After walking around entirely too long trying to find a place where we could hear ourselves think, we ended up at a place whose name escapes me (probably for good reason).  We ordered a glass of montepulciano and it tasted watered down and rather sour.  So we sent them back and ordered a glass of malbec.  Same thing.  I mean, I'm no wine snob and I'm actually pretty easy to please, and I have never sent two glasses of wine back, but these were not good in the extreme.  I went up to the bar and asked the bartender about the bottles.  She poured herself a little taste and said they tasted good to her.  Yuck.  I decided to order a margarita instead.  It was also ungood.  My handsome chum's beer was passable, he said.  So, if I could remember the name of that place, I would tell you not to order wine if you go there.  At least it was a quiet-ish spot and we could chat for a while, if not drink.  Although, even though I didn't finish any of my drinks, having a few sips of two glasses of wine and maybe half a bad margarita on an empty stomach still made me a bit tipsy.  Oh well.

Every Brilliant Thing is a one-man show about a boy who makes a list of brilliant things (he's British, of course) to cheer his suicidal mother.  As he grows up, he keeps adding to the list and uses it to maneuver through tough times in his life.  The play has a credited playwright and the performer is also listed as 'writer.'  I can't quite tell if this was supposed to be autobiographical.  It seemed as if it was supposed to be, but I don't know.

The performer is quite charming and open and finds many laughs in the piece.  It runs about 65 minutes, sharing quite a few things from the 'list', many of which made me smile with recognition, and also quite a bit of audience participation.  I enjoyed myself well enough throughout, though I thought the piece itself was rather simplistic and manipulative.  But the performer had enough good cheer that I was happy to watch him, I was interested in how it would turn out, and I thought about things I would put on my own list of 'brilliant things'.  And then I admit once the show was over, I pretty much forgot about it.  I rode home on the subway and read Persuasion.  I didn't think about the play again until the next day, when my handsome chum texted me and admitted he was bothered by the manipulation and the shameless use of the audience participation.  I do agree with him.  I guess it didn't bother me during, mainly thanks to the extremely winning performer.  But nothing about the play stayed with me and I feel this should've been a very powerful and moving, even uplifting, experience.  I don't know.  The rest of the audience seemed to enjoy it.  Except for my seat neighbor on my left.  She checked her phone every two minutes.  Annoying.  Anyway, I guess if you're in the mood for (in my opinion) a rather forgettable play that sort of reminds you to find the joy, Every Brilliant Thing could be for you.  :)  Just don't go to that bar we went to.  Their wine is terrible.