This latest collaboration by the Tony award-winning team from "Ragtime", Terence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Stephen Flaherty, "A Man of No Importance" premiered at Lincoln Center about a year ago. It's having its first local outing in New England as a collaboration between the Speakeasy Stage Company, perhaps Boston's premiere producers of intimate musical theatre, and Sugan Theatre Company, perhaps the country's best Celtic theatre operation. Needless to say, expectations were high. The result is satisfying if sentimental music theatre, perhaps a bit too long, with not enough good seats. The show certainly isn't a Broadway blockbuster, but will probably last longer than "Hairspray"--currently wasting column inches in town-- whose novelty fades fast.
The book/libretto is based on Barry Devlin's film from Simon Beaufoy's original screenplay, which McNally cites in his introduction. The focus of the book is not so much on the title character, Alfie Bryne's closeted persona, as on the redemptive nature of art and theatre personified by his hero, Oscar Wilde. This change, which irks some critics who want more drama from Alfie's outing, is what allows effective musicalization. Ahren's substantial lyrics celebrate love in its several aspects while Flaherty's tuneful homage to a rather old-fashioned Irish sound support the sentiment of the piece more than its drama. Most of all, the strength of the show comes from its structure as an ensemble piece. Its hero would be nowhere without his theatre company of friends, and as the beginning foreshadows and the end celebrates, they'd be nowhere without him.
The role of Alfie Bryne is played by multitalented Charlestown resident Sean McGuirk who spent last summer as Von Trapp at Wachusett. He adds an innate dignity to the role different from Albert Finney's downtrodden prole in the film. This makes understandable his affinity to Wilde, played as a fantasy figure by Dale Place, who'll follow this production by playing Scrooge once again for Stoneham. His relationship with his sister, Lily, is also more complex, especially since this part is taken by award-winning actress Nancy E. Carroll, who would steal the show if she had more stage time. As it is, her plaintive "Tell Me Why" in the second act, and "Books"--pronounced "Buuhks"--are memorable. The latter is a duet with her butcher fiance, the reluctant villain of the piece, also taken by Place.
But the real star of the evening is the ensemble. When the play begins, there's Alfie, returned to the Parish Hall of St. Imelda's to pick up the props from his banished production of Wilde's "Salome." As he sorts through these tawdry relics, the items conjure up his company, who announce that their next production will be the story of this failed effort, a tale of "A Man of No Importance." The magic of musical theatre takes over, in this case with a touch of magical realism, as the whole show is set in said church hall. The pews roll about to serve as the bus on which Alfie works, where he reads poetry to his friends, the passengers. They also form street scenes or the pub as needed. Designer Eric Levenson has created a whole world on the limited stage at the BCA, even if some of the seats can't quite make out all of the action.
The ensemble is made up of singers and actors many who've previously worked together, often in this space, which makes their comradery palpable. From Speakeasy's thrice repeated hit last season, there's Miguel Cervantes, the BatBoy himself, doing a very creditable urban Dublin accent as Robbie Fay, the driver of Alfie's bus and the secret object of his affections. The heroine is Sara Chase as Adele Rice, fresh in from the country, recruited to play Salome herself, rather than the BatBoy's inamorata as last year. From the same show, Speakeasy stalwart Kerry A. Dowling takes on former music hall performer, Mrs. Curtin, now a mother of nine. There's also Jim Ansart, seen two seasons ago in Speakeasy's "Passion", who appeared with McGuirk in the New Reps "Moby Dick." and Christopher Hagberg from Speakeasy's "The End of the World Party."
From Sugan, there's Artistic Director, Carmel O'Reilly as the company's costumer, Miss Crowe, who shows up at the pub in a surprising creation. IRNE winner Billy Meleady, back from a summer in Dublin, is Baldy, a retired publican turned stage manager, who does justice to the plaintive "The Cuddles Mary Gave," a paean to the characters deceased wife. The afore mentioned Nancy Carroll has done her share of Sugan shows, not to mention the New Rep's "Sweeney Todd" last spring, as has Sarah deLima, who plays both Mrs.Grace, the artiste & Mrs. Farelly, the barkeep. The rest of the company has various local connections and ample experience in some of the same ensemble shows, as well as work at the Publick and the Lyric. It shows; award-winning director Paul Daigneault could hardly have asked for a more experienced local cast.
The show is also blessed beyond Levenson's set with lighting by M.I.T.s Karen Perlow who continues to find new ways to work in the confines of the BCA, and costumes by Gail Astrid Buckley who once again suggests period, mood, and style with clothes that don't look like costumes unless they're supposed to. Music director Jean Munroe at the keyboard gets a rich sound from her six piece percussionless ensemble. Indeed the only drum in the show is Meleady's bodhran played during a dance sequence at the pub. This is a very good production of a music theatre piece which could use a bit of shortening, maybe some minor reorchestration and underscoring, and a strengthening of the conceit that this is a show about Alfie by his friends. It takes a moment to remember that idea when the finale arrives, which it does in the nick of time. It will be interesting to see future productions of this piece by theatre lovers of the Irish persuasion.