Stephen Flaherty & 'A Man of No Importance'

Composer Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, My Favorite Year) attended the opening night performance of A Man Of No Importance at the Bailiwick Repertory Theatre  in Chicago last night. The opening of this beloved Dublin-based musical by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Mr. Flaherty coincided with St. Patrick's Day, as well as director Scott Ferguson's 40th birthday. So there was plenty to celebrate.

Described as a rare gem in musical theatre, A Man Of No Importance explores the life of a bus conductor in Dublin who enchants his passengers with poetry readings by day and spends his evenings directing the local community theatre in plays by his idol Oscar Wilde. Through the course of tumultuous rehearsals for a production of Wilde's Salome he learns much about life and art, and begins to come to terms with his own true nature.

This production features Kevin Bishop, Peter Buckley, Alanda Coon, Sean Effinger-Dean, Nancy Kolton, Tom Lally, Naomi Landman, Ryan Lanning, Kevin D. Mayes, Laura McClain, Rus Rainear, Jill Schroer, Chuck Sisson, Adrienne Smith and Jonathan Verge, and is directed by Scott Ferguson (Schoolhouse Rock Live!), with musical direction by Robert Ollis. David Zak is the Artistic Director of Bailiwick Repertory Theatre.

A Man Of No Importance will show regularly on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 3:30 PM through April 20th. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bailiwick.org. Group discounts of 10% are available for a party of 10 or more by calling the Bailiwick box office at 773.883.1090.

IMAGES:

Director Scott Ferguson

Composer Stephen Flaherty and Kevin D. Mayes (Alfie).


Composer Stephen Flaherty (center) surrounded by cast members and director Scott Ferguson (left).

Musical Director Robert Ollis and Composer Stephen Flaherty