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A Man of No Importance
A New Musical
Book by Terrance McNally
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Directed by Scott Ferguson
Music Direction by Robert Ollis
Choreographed by Marla Lambert
At Bailiwick Repertory
1229 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-883-1090, tickets $25- $30 -$35
Thursday thru Saturday at 7:30 pm
Sundays at 3:30 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes with intermission
Through April 20, 2008
" Your Common Sense Tells You
Best Not Begin
But Your Fool Heart
Cannot Help Plungin' In
And Nothing and No One
Can Stand in Your Way
You Just Have to Love Who You Love"
--A lyric by Lynn Ahrens “Love Who You Love”
From the author, Terrance McNally:
“The glory of the theater is also its bane: you have to be there to experience it.
When a production closes, it is gone forever. It lives in the memory of a lucky few and when they are gone, it disappears with them. There are published scripts, of course, and original cast recordings but they only tell part of the story.
I wouldn't have it any other way. Life itself is ephemeral and theater is the art most like life as I have so far experienced it: transitory, unpredictable, overwhelming and finally, quite wonderful.
No wonder making theater is like catching at moonbeams. In every project there comes a time when it seems quite impossible. And yet we do it, generation after generation, no matter the risks and the possibilities for failure. Theatre is a deep reflection of the human community.”
A Man of No Importance is a touchingly beautiful musical
Based on the 1994 film staring Albert Finney, A Man of No Importance has the collaborators from Ragtime—The Musical, Terrence McNally (book), Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music) doing a lovely piece filled with lilting Irish sounds, peopled in a working-class milieu dealing with friendship, secrets and the effects of the creative spirit. This is a gem of a show! It deals with how it feels to be an outsider in one’s neighborhood while holding the ultimate desire to love and be loved while connecting to something larger than us. With subtle layers of meaning, this musical grows in importance as a mirror of reality for many.
A Man of No Importance is about the journey of self-discovery and acceptance of Alfie Byrne (Kevin D. Mayes), a middle-aged bus conductor in 1964 Dublin. He lives with his sister Lily (Nancy Kloton) in a flat above his friend Carney (Chuck Sisson) butcher shop. Lily is always trying to find him "the right girl". However, Alfie is infatuated with the bus's driver, Robbie (Ryan Lanning).
Alfie's passion is Oscar Wilde, and as a hobby he directs an annual staging of one of his plays with a cast composed of his bus passengers performed in the local church hall. As the annual play draws near, a new rider, Adele Rice (Laura McCain) shows up, and Alfie decides to cast her as the lead in Wilde's controversial Salome.
Meanwhile, Alfie has to deal with Lily and Carney, who both disapprove of the play. Alfie struggles with temptation, friendship, prejudice, and the conservative world of Ireland in the early 1960s and the scandal the "blasphemous" play causes in the community.
The show opens with Alfie's farewell to St. Imelda's, then proceeds to flashback, so we are prepared for the conflict, which is over his plan to stage Oscar Wilde's fervid, poetic and still (in 1964 Dublin) scandalous drama, Salome. The play is forbidden, and in the crisis, Alfie begins to face his own sexuality and the reactions of those around him. But when the musical returns to that farewell, it tacks on a coda that allows life to go forward.
In the process of fighting for his play, Alfie is propelled into an unexpected life journey. From the first two songs, we meet the neighbors, Alfie’s bus customers and his actors in the community theatrical troupe. Chuck full of traditional Irish sounding melodies, Stephen Flaherty’s original music tenderly underscores the conservative Dublin of the 1960’s. Could this be a “feel-good” little chamber operetta spouting how nice it is to be Irish or is Alfie Byrne and others keeping secrets?
With the cute “Going Up” number, an ode to every community theatre troupe in existence, we see Alfie’s passion for theatre (and Oscar Wilde in particular). We see how ordinary folks (with non-existent talent) can develop friendships as their creative spirit binds them together. Full of haunting reels, ballads (I liked ”The Street of Dublin”) Irish folk melodies (even sacred church music) Flaherty’s score sets a touchingly sentimental tone not heard since The Quiet Man. Lynn Ahrens’ lyrics range from cute to poignant.
Kevin D. Mayes, sporting vivid red hair and possessing an outstanding voice, is perfect as the bashful, unassuming bus conductor. He has the right blend of innocence, humor, sadness and passion to make Alfie a memorable character. His “The Man in the Mirror” song laments his melancholy and the “Love Who You Love” song hints at his secret desire. Mays has put his stamp on the role of Alfie. We love this guy.
Nancy Kolton as Lily, Alfie’s sister who tries to get him a wife so she can marry Carney, the butcher, anchors the large cast. Kolton belts her songs nicely. Chuck Sisson is delightfully sassy as the butcher and conservative Catholic determined to guard the morals of the community. The players are loveable as they butcher their rehearsals. Kevin Bishop, Peter Buckley, Alanda Coon, Sean Effinger-Dean, Naomi Landman, Rus Rainer, Jill Schroer, Adrienne Smith and Jonathan Verge were terrific as the no talent Thespians. They sing nice harmonies and cutely butcher their parts in Alfie’s play. Excellent Dublin brogues by all cast members were a pleasure to the ears. Ryan Lanning, as Robbie, demonstrated his lilting voices and boyish charm while Laura McClain exhibits beauty and sensuality as Adele, Alfie’s new leading lady.
After years of sublimation, Alfie finally wakes up to his sexuality and realizes he must take his place in the world. As Wilde declared, "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it." Still a modest man, Alfie Byrne is no longer a quiet man. Songs like “Confusing Times” and “Tell Me Why” gives Alfie’s world meaning and helps us understand and empathize with him. We see Alfie as a pure innocent living in a suspicious Ireland afraid of the coming changes.
This well-crafted show uses sole flute and piano/flute/violin/cello together with guitar melodies (even a bodhran--an Irish flat drum was used) to underscore the emotions of the moment to astonishingly marvelous effect under Robert Ollis’ direction. Combine the humorous vaudeville and show biz dazzle of “Going Up” and “Art” with the haunting “Tell Me Why” and the waltz “Love Who You Love” and a tender, heart-wrenching show unfolds. Tolerance, acceptance and friendship win out as the creative spirit dominates. This show is rich in Irish humor.
A Man of No Importance is excellent musical theatre with a heartfelt, passionate book (by Terrence McNally). With excellent blocking, cute movement (choreographed by Marla Lampert) under the tight flowing and nicely paced direction by Scott Ferguson, Bailiwick’s A Man of No Importance is one of the finest produced non-Equity musicals seen on a Chicago stage in ages. I had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day with a charming Irish musical. This show will lift your spirits.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: March 17, 20085
Jeff Recommended
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