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My Favorite Year Matt Byrne Media will present the SA premiere of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flahertys Golden Age of TV musical My Favorite Year (1954) at the Mayfair Theatre, Goodwood from October 24 to November 8. MBM, which presented the SA premiere of Ahrens & Flahertys first hit show Lucky Stiff back in 1999, will present this fabulous showbiz musical which looks at the golden age of live television in the U.S, in 1954 when King Kaisers Comedy Cavalcade was the hottest show on TV! Producer/director Matt Byrne said the show was based on the 1982 movie which saw Peter O'Toole win an Oscar nomination for his glorious performance as a drunken washed up 30s movie swashbuckler who is an unlikely guest star on the King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade.
Ten years later Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty decided to adapt My Favorite Year for the musical stage and Tim Curry won a Tony Award as Alan Swann on Broadway. My Favorite Year is a lively, romantic, swashbuckling affair with hysterical songs, sword-fighting, duck jokes, beautiful ballads, riotous slapstick and showbiz schtick unlimited that will send you humming from the theatre. The story follows the debut of Benjy Stone as a writer on Comedy Cavalcade and the relationship that develops when his favourite faded matinee idol, Alan Swann, is slotted in as guest star, Byrne said. Benjy has always idolised Swann and is given the difficult task of keeping the ageing raging star sober for a week. But as Saturday night approaches and the tension mounts, Benjy learns that some of the greatest moments in life and television - happen without a punchline! Matthew Randell will be tremendous as Swann and Michael Williams - after playing Harry Witherspoon in Lucky Stiff - returns to play the young male lead role of Benjy Stone in Ahrens and Flahertys next SA premiere.
Matt Byrne will direct and produce the show, Mike Pitman is musical director and Sue Pole is choreographer. My Favourite Year will run at the Mayfair Theatre at 166a Goodwood Road, Goodwood from October 24 to 25, 29 to November 1 and 5 to 8 at 8 p.m. with matinee on November 1 at 2 p.m. Adults are $22 and Concession $18 and bookings are available on 8262 4906, Bass on 131 246 or Venuetix on 8223 7788. Download the My Favorite Year poster as a PDF file (462kb) For further information and interviews please
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The
film was based on a true story when Errol Flynn apparently turned
up drunk for a memorable appearance on the Sid Caesar Comedy Hour
- King Kaiser is based on Sid Caesar, Byrne said. Everyone remembers
Ed Sullivan who was the king of variety but Sid Caesar was the king
of comedy and his writing team read like a whos who of funny including
Rob Reiner, Neil Simon and Woody Allen, Larry Gelbart and Mel Brooks. 
My
Favorite Year also stars Robyn Woolvett as Comedy Cavalcade staffer
K.C. Downing, Matt Byrne as King Kaiser, Sue Pole as his comedy
cohort Alice Miller, Laura Rocconi as Benjys mother Belle May,
Mike Pole as his stepfather Rookie Carroca, Glenn Vallen as hapless
head writer Sy Benson, Max Rayner as Whispering Herb Lee, Ron Hughes
as Cavalcade producer Leo Silver, Dean Behencke as Uncle Morty and
introduces Danni Mullins as Swanns estranged daughter Tess.