Good old-fashioned comedy: My Favorite Year at Beck Center
Beck Center for the Arts presents My Favorite Year, a good old-fashioned musical comedy written by Joseph Dougherty with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, on the Mackey Main Stage, May 16 through June 8, 2008. Based on the 1982 hit film starring Peter O’Toole, My Favorite Year is a nostalgic look at the early days of television, capturing all of the comedy and drama of “live” TV.
Look back fondly to 1954 with Benjy Stone, the freshman comedy writer for the hit variety show, King Kaiser’s Comedy Cavalcade, as he proves himself as a writer, falls in love for the first time and meets his childhood idol, movie star Alan Swann – now a washed-up, womanizing alcoholic. Directed by award-winning director, William Roudebush, My Favorite Year stars Matthew Wright* as Alan Swann and features Shawn Galligan as Benjy Stone with Jean Zarzour* as Benjy’s mother – Belle Steinberg Carroca, Theresa Kloos as his love interest – K.C. Downing, John Polk as King Kaiser, and a strong supporting cast of over 30 talented actors.
“My Favorite Year is a completely charming story that will appeal to young audiences as well as the more mature theater-goers,” exclaimed director Roudebush. “The original film starred Peter O’Toole in one of his most comic performances and Matthew Wright, in the same role, will deliver a fresh approach that is sure to touch everyone in a completely unique way.” My Favorite Year is about learning from our mistakes and recovering from a painful past, as the lyrics so aptly relate, “If the world were like the movies, we would never make mistakes. We’d correct our little blunders and select our better takes.”
Show times for My Favorite Year are 8:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 pm Sundays. There is no performance on Sunday, May 25 but a special Thursday evening performance is scheduled for 8:00 pm on June 5.To reserve tickets, contact the Beck Center box office at (216) 521-2540 or online at www.beckcenter.org. Ticket prices are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $17 for students (22 and under with I.D.). Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more. Rush tickets for students (22 and under with I.D.) are offered for $10 each on Sundays only, 30 minutes prior to curtain, based on availability.
Beck Center for the Arts is located just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free, convenient on-site parking is available.
The Beck Center’s production of My Favorite Year is sponsored by National City, West Roofing Systems, WNWV 107.3 The Wave, Cox Communications, WCLV 104.9 and the Ohio Arts Council.
Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support of The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Eva L. & Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, The Abington Foundation, and the Thomas H. White Foundation. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the citizens of Cuyahoga County for their support through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
*Actors appear courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of actors and stage managers.
Look back fondly to 1954 with Benjy Stone, the freshman comedy writer for the hit variety show, King Kaiser’s Comedy Cavalcade, as he proves himself as a writer, falls in love for the first time and meets his childhood idol, movie star Alan Swann – now a washed-up, womanizing alcoholic. Directed by award-winning director, William Roudebush, My Favorite Year stars Matthew Wright* as Alan Swann and features Shawn Galligan as Benjy Stone with Jean Zarzour* as Benjy’s mother – Belle Steinberg Carroca, Theresa Kloos as his love interest – K.C. Downing, John Polk as King Kaiser, and a strong supporting cast of over 30 talented actors.
“My Favorite Year is a completely charming story that will appeal to young audiences as well as the more mature theater-goers,” exclaimed director Roudebush. “The original film starred Peter O’Toole in one of his most comic performances and Matthew Wright, in the same role, will deliver a fresh approach that is sure to touch everyone in a completely unique way.” My Favorite Year is about learning from our mistakes and recovering from a painful past, as the lyrics so aptly relate, “If the world were like the movies, we would never make mistakes. We’d correct our little blunders and select our better takes.”
Show times for My Favorite Year are 8:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 pm Sundays. There is no performance on Sunday, May 25 but a special Thursday evening performance is scheduled for 8:00 pm on June 5.To reserve tickets, contact the Beck Center box office at (216) 521-2540 or online at www.beckcenter.org. Ticket prices are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $17 for students (22 and under with I.D.). Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more. Rush tickets for students (22 and under with I.D.) are offered for $10 each on Sundays only, 30 minutes prior to curtain, based on availability.
Beck Center for the Arts is located just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free, convenient on-site parking is available.
The Beck Center’s production of My Favorite Year is sponsored by National City, West Roofing Systems, WNWV 107.3 The Wave, Cox Communications, WCLV 104.9 and the Ohio Arts Council.
Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support of The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Eva L. & Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, The Abington Foundation, and the Thomas H. White Foundation. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the citizens of Cuyahoga County for their support through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
*Actors appear courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of actors and stage managers.
Volume 4, Issue 9, Posted 6:01 PM, 04.16.2008
