A Man of No Importance

Based on the 1994 Albert Finney movie of the same name. This new musical of sparkling wit and heartfelt emotion, written by the author of The Full Monty, Corpus Christi, and many others and the Lyricist and composer of Ragtime, tells the story of Alfie Byrne, a middle-aged Dublin bus conductor who lives with his spinster sister and reads poetry out loud to his enraptured regular passengers on the bus. Alfie has three great passions. One is poetry. Another is the theater, and his amateur troupe who rehearse and perform in the church basement of St. Imelda's Catholic church. His third, secret, passion is for the driver of the bus, handsome young Robbie. But in 1964 Ireland, Alfie's is a love that “dare not speak its name.” An ardent fan of Oscar Wilde, Alfie is determined to stage a version of Salome with the St. Imelda's Players, until he runs afoul of the church authorities for putting on a “dirty play.” As he fights for the play, Alfie finds his longing for life finally outweighing his fears and repressions, and he takes his stand for art, poetry – and love.