A Man of No Importance

Bad Habit Productions is opening their 10th anniversary season with the Terrance McNally musical "A Man of No Importance." With music from the composing team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the show is based on a 1994 movie of the same name.

The plot centers on a closeted Dublin bus conductor, Alfie Bryne. Alfie is obsessed with putting on amateur productions of Oscar Wilde plays, even while his sister is more concerned with finding him a nice Catholic wife. Through the play, we watch as Alfie struggles with his sexuality and it's repercussions in mid-century Catholic Ireland.

There are high hopes for this show, especially given the result of the previous NcNally/Ahrens/Flaherty collaboration -- the glorious "Ragtime." However, the same magic does not come through here. It's pleasant, but the show suffers from a "same-ness" throughout.

Much of it is due to this production. There is no noticeable variation in mood or tempo. Dialogue, songs, and incidental music all plod along at the same pace. Director Daniel Morris' and Music Director Meghan MacFadden's timid direction has not done the company, or the work itself, any favors.

Sound also becomes an issue. Anytime you have a cast using accents, there will be some variation in skill level. Articulation here is largely absent giving way instead to the melodic nature of the Irish tongue. And, despite the intimate size of the theater, we are also challenged with microphones causing an echo effect that makes some actors next to impossible to understand. Oh, for the days when actors were capable of performing without mics...

However, there are some nice moments as well as performances throughout.

Nicholas Magierowski-Howe as Alfie is well suited to the role. He has a vulnerability and emotional honesty that, if channeled, could be shattering. But these aspects also undermine him because he portrays a broken man from the very beginning. We never get to witness the cracks forming in his fa�ade as the play progresses and much of the dramatic arc is removed.

As Aflie's sister, Mary O'Donnell is also quite enjoyable. She provides many of the much needed comedic moments of the show. Yet while the obvious frustration with her brother comes through, the deep love that is behind it does not. Mary talks about worrying herself sick over Alfie, but it seems more of what she is expected to say than it being rooted in real emotion.

Of course in order for Alfie to finally face his sexuality, there must be a man involved. That man is his co-worker, Robbie, portrayed by Dan Prior. Mr. Prior has the most charisma of the company and although his stage time is relatively smaller, his presence is always engaging. His big number, "The Streets of Dublin" is the most successful attempt to break up the rhythm of the show. One can understand Alfie's fascination with Robbie due in large part to the natural charm that Mr. Prior provides.

Overall this production is competent and pleasant, yet no stand out. One could say it is much like Alfie himself.

"A Man of No Importance" continues through August 28 at the Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center of the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA. For more information, visit the Bad Habit Productions website.