A Man of No Importance at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater

Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC) will stage the award-winning musical, A Man of No Importance. The play opens Saturday, March 9, at the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater. Its run consists of three 2:00 p.m. matinees (3/10, 3/16, 3/17) and three 7:30 p.m. performances (3/9, 3/15, 3/16).A Man of No Importance debuted in 2002 at Lincoln Center in New York City and won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. Its focal character is Alfie Byrne, a bus driver in 1964 Dublin, whose heart holds secrets that he can't share with anyone but his imagined confidante, Oscar Wilde. When he attempts to produce an amateur version of Wilde's Salome in the local church hall, he confronts the forces of bigotry and shame over a love "that dare not speak its name. The shows melodic, Irish-flavored orchestrations, emotional depth, drama, and comedy make for a truly uplifting theater experience. According to Director Jennifer Boesing, A Man of No Importance is a perfect play set to the richly emotional score of Lynn Flaherty and Stephen Ahrensthe same team who created Ragtime. I think the plays perfection lies in its subtlety. Its emotional, but not a rollercoaster ride the way so many dramatic musicals are. Theres a gentleness to it and incredible depth. In the first weeks of rehearsals, the cast and the directors delved into the scenes and songs and found that it was much like reading a poem. The more you read it, the more it unfolds its myriad meanings. Music Director David Mschler notes, The score is one of my absolute favorites. Ahrens's lyrics with Flaherty's gorgeous score of Irish-inspired ballads and reels combine to form something that is almost more poetry than song. The music is interwoven tightly with Terrence McNally's beautiful dialogue to create something wholly unique in the musical theater canon. A Man of No Importance features a cast of 16 performing arts students (ages 13 to 21) from cities throughout the Bay Area. They are led by a team of professional directors, designers, and musicians, including Director Boesing, Choreographer Janet Collard, and Music Director Mschler.