TAP cast rehearses a scene from “A Man of No Importance.” (Photo Courtesy of Cid Collins Walker)
The Tred Avon Players’ production of the critically acclaimed musical “A Man of No Importance” opens Thursday, Aug. 11 at the Oxford Community Center, running weekends through Aug. 28.
The play, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, tells the story of an amateur theater group in 1964 Dublin and their leader, Alfie Byrne, who is determined to stage a version of the controversial play “Salome” by Irish writer Oscar Wilde.
“I fell in love with this musical instantly and it seemed the perfect show for TAP and the Oxford Community Center stage,” said director Joe Tyler.
“Along with comedic scenes, interesting characters and a beautifully written score, ‘A Man of No Importance’ is sure to provide everyone an evening of great performance and a feel-good ending,” he added.
Poster Design: Madison Fox and John Norton
“A Man of No Importance” centers on Byrne (played by Randy Bachand), a bus driver who holds secrets he can’t share with anyone but his imagined confidante, Oscar Wilde (David Cherry). Alfie’s attempts to put on a production of “Salome” are thwarted by local church authorities as he confronts the forces of bigotry over “a love that dare not speak its name.”
“A Man of No Importance” is a rare gem in the canon of musical theater, one which combines the depth and drama of a play with the lyricism and comedy of a musical. It premiered in New York in 2002 at Lincoln Center and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best off-broadway musical.
The play debuts at the Oxford Community Center Aug. 11 with “Thrifty Thursday,” featuring two-for-one tickets. Other performances are Fridays and Saturdays, Aug. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees Aug. 14, 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for students with ID. For tickets, visit www.tredavonplayers.org or call 410-226-0061.
TAP is funded in part by a General Operating Grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, with funds provided by the State of Maryland and by the National Endowment for the Arts, and by a similar grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, agencies which believe that a great nation deserves great art, and that promotion of the arts is good for our families, our businesses and our communities.
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