A Man of No Importance. Photo by David Zak_______
Playwright: music by Stephen Flaherty,
lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book
by Terrence McNally
At: Bailiwick Repertory Theatre at
Bailiwick Arts Center, 1229 W. Belmont
Phone: 773-883-1090; $25-$35
Runs through: April 20
Oscar Wilde was Irish by birth, which meant that beneath the cavalier demeanor he affected for the stiff-upper-lip Brits who first lauded and then loathed him, there lurked a sentimental streak as wide as the river Shannon. This contradiction provided the foundation for Barry Devlin's 1994 screenplay, and later, Terrence McNally's text for this 2002 musical play recounting the liberation of a humble middle-aged homosexual transit conductor enamored of the literary icon with the 'biting wit and the heart of a poet'. When our closeted hero's community-theater troupe's proposed production of Wilde's Salomé ( pronounced 'suh-LOW-mee', to rhyme with 'spumoni', by the St. Imelda players ) runs afoul of the parish hall guardians, he is forced to reconsider his view of the world, and the choices he has made in his life.
This is a premise that could easily lead to an evening of love-that-dare-not whimpering, but McNally is not about to let it. Nor are composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens, who, in addition to the requisite wistful ballads, attack the potential gloom with an array of lively ditties celebrating the power of art—whether found in Victorian verse, or at the corner pub—to elevate its participants above the restrictions of their mundane experiences, and to unite them in affirmation of universal human values. Gradually, our shy hero comes to learn that his is not the only yearning forbidden by a repressive society, but that friendship ultimately triumphs over dogmatic pettiness.
Musical Director Robert Ollis and his four-member orchestra wring every bit of ethnic poignancy from melodies brimming with vigor while sparkling with romantic delicacy. ( Don't be ashamed to cry at Rus Rainear's sweet, but never maudlin, elegy to marital affections. ) Scott Ferguson directs a first-rate cast for this Bailiwick Repertory production, led by Kevin D. Mayes as the would-be Aesthete, with full-bodied support forthcoming from Nancy Kolton as his devout sister and Chuck Sisson as his dogmatic nemesis. But starwatchers should take special note of Ryan Lanning's fetching portrayal of the smarter-than-expected object of desire. If this wholesome lad's tour through 'The Streets Of Dublin' doesn't send you home vowing to book tickets for a vacation in that city right away, you've no ear for poetry.