A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE
This past week-end, I attended the opening of A Man of No Importance at the venerable A Noise Within theatre in Pasadena, and I really enjoyed it. It’s actually a twenty-three-year-old off-Broadway musical based on the 1994 film of the same name. And, shockingly, in all these years, I had never heard of either!
Photo by Craig Schwartz, as is the one at the top of this review.
Since I’m always honest with you, I must say that I had no idea that this show is a musical! I actually had a choice of a few presentations to see that night, and I chose this one because A) it’s adapted from the original screenplay by prolific playwright Terrence McNally, of whose work I’m often a fan, (he’s won Tonys for Master Class and Ragtime, among others,) and B) when I saw mention of musicians on the invitation, I erroneously assumed it’s a play with a bit of auxiliary music, which is always interesting. So the songs were a very pleasant surprise!
The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland in 1964, where a man who takes tickets on the bus during the day runs a beyond-amateur theatre company in a local church in the evenings. Being a bus conductor is his livelihood, but theatre is his raison d’être. And this time, they’re preparing Oscar Wilde’s controversial 1890s tragedy, Salome.
Photo by Craig Schwartz.
A Man of No Importance, (the title of which I’m assuming is a nod to Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance,) is mostly a comedy, with both amusing and poignant songs, but there’s also a very serious aspect to the tale. I hate to ruin it for those of you who like to discover the plot of a show for yourselves, but it’s an important part of the narrative, so I must discuss it a bit. I have to admit that I did not see it coming, although just about everyone else in the opening night audience did. I guess my “gaydar” is not as sharp as I had thought because the closeted sexuality part of the story was a surprise to me. But I should have had a clue when the ghost of Oscar Wilde appeared! Or just knowing that McNally wrote it. Perhaps, just like what they sing about in one of my favorite musicals, Legally Blonde, I had thought that the lead character was just European, rather than gay.
On that subject, I must observe that no matter how far advanced society has come in sooo many ways, it boggles my mind that there’s still so much homophobia in the world. So it’s not exactly shocking to see it portrayed in a story that takes place in the ’60s, (although hatred of homosexuals being featured in a musical, of all the arts, is a tad ironic, don’t ya think?) [Note: It reminded me of this in real life: At my mother’s funeral a few years ago, one of her former high school students from the ’80s, who is gay, spoke about how my mother was the only person who had accepted and loved him back then. And they stayed friends forever after. (I’m crying just writing about it.)]
Kasey Mahaffy and CJ Eldred. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
The entire cast of A Man of No Importance is excellent, but I was especially happy to see two of the actors again. I had given both Kasey Mahaffy and CJ Eldred very deserved excellent reviews in previous productions, and that’s still the case here, even though these are very different roles for them than the ones I’ve appreciated in the past. I’ve been a Kasey fan since 2018’s Noises Off at this theatre. He was absolutely hilarious in that one, and now in A Man of No Importance his humor is even surpassed by his heartbreaking performance in the second half. (Make sure you bring tissues.)
And I was very happy to see CJ Eldred again, and not just because of his beautiful singing voice. One of the lines about his character is, “He’s a looker,” a real-life assessment with which the entire audience agreed. First of all, I love a man with great posture, especially a tall guy. And to see him stripped-down in one scene is worth the price of admission alone. (Yes, I am a tad shallow.) But most importantly, CJ himself is an adorable person. We chatted a bit at the Opening Night reception, and I was happy to discover that he’s as lovely as I had hoped.
On the distaff side, Juliana Sloan, as Alfie’s maiden sister, has the best singing voice of the group; it’s gorgeous.
Kasey Mahaffy and Juliana Sloan. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
And I was so pleased that all the actors manage to do good Irish accents while still being understood—that’s a major achievement unto itself! (I had to watch The Banshees of Inisherin with captions to know what the characters were saying, and I still didn’t understand it!)
That also means that all the fabulous lyrics are clear. The duet Books, (pronounced in the Irish dialect as “boo-ks,”) is amusing and adorable, as is the ensemble paean to beginning work on their next show, Going Up.
The quintet of musicians is off to one side in the back of the stage. In addition to the actual ditties, the interstitial Irish type of music is special.
David Nevell in the center.
Photo by Craig Schwartz.
With a baker’s dozen actors, the production took some clever staging. Even when the characters are sitting in a circle, they can be seen from all seats, which is a testament to said staging. And to the stage itself, actually.
Being that Terrance McNally wrote the script, there are, of course, many very clever lines in A Man of No Importance. My favorite of the entire show happens at a pub when one of the men explains to the newcomer, “We sing here; we’re Irish, we’re drunk—what else are we going to do?” What a great line!
David Nevell above, and Kasey Mahaffy. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
I do have one tiny warning for my fellow superstitious people—the actors occasionally open umbrellas on stage. So bring salt or garlic or crossed fingers or a positive affirmation—just whatever it takes—to ward off that situation. (Mr. X once created a beautiful design on our very high living room ceiling with thin, white, photography umbrellas. I almost had a heart attack when I saw them open up there. He tried to convince me that it’s okay because they were upside down, but I wasn’t having it. I almost had to call in an exorcist until he took them down!)
By the way—on opening night, the mics went out from time to time, but we could still hear the actors, which is a good recommendation for this theater.
Actually, everything is good about A Noise Within! The actual theatre configuration makes all seats good ones, there’s plenty of space in all areas to move and mingle, and the free parking is a bonus. Plus I suggest getting to that area early because the budget-friendly shopping center across the street just may be calling your name, as it always does mine.
A Man of No Importance running through June 1, 2025
A Noise Within 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. Pasadena
626-356-3121 www.anoisewithin.org
