2003-04 Season



	SEASONS PAST 2003-2004 Season
	A Man of No Importance with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Terrence McNally in a co-production with SpeakEasy Stage Company October -November 2003 Directed by Paul Daigneault Music Direction by Jeanne Munroe Choreography by David Connolly New England premiere Cast: Jim Ansart, Nancy Carroll, Miguel Cervantes, Sara Chase, Sarah deLima, Kerry Dowling, Naomi Gurt Lind, Chris Hagberg, Eric Hamel, Colin Israel, Sean McGuirk, Billy Meleady, Carmel O'Reilly, Dale Place. Design: Eric Levenson, Gail Astrid Buckley and Karen Perlow. Sean McGuirk, 2003 IRNE Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Small Company Based on the movie of the same name, which starred Albert Finney and was written by Dubliner Barry Devlin, *A Man of No Importance* tells the tender story of Alfie Byrne, a bus conductor living in 1960s Dublin. A passionate fan of Oscar Wilde, Alfie is determined to stage a version of Salome at his church despite the objections of the local parish priest. In the process of fighting for the play, Alfie is finally forced to confront his own sexuality and take a stand in the world. "Sometimes the simplest stories can deliver the biggest emotional punch. *A Man of No Importance* is just that kind of show and the elegant co-production at the Boston Center for the Arts easily ranks as one of the year's best... an extraordinarily talented company of actors ... the combination of the understated story line with rich, subtle performances make *A Man of No Importance* one of the most important shows in town" – Terry Byrne, Boston Herald (read full review) "An 'Important' play comes to the BCA. When all elements of a theatrical piece fall perfectly into place, it's quite magical to experience its unfolding.... superb production ... Get your tickets right away for A Man of No Importance. It's so good that it's certain to be a hit. Don't be left out" – Nick Dussaut, Boston Metro "burns with quiet intensity ... best written chamber musical since 'Passion'... heart and soul is in the tradition of Irish storytellers" – Robert Nesti, Bay Windows (read full review) "a production of some importance... cast outstanding.... a small, sweet, quiet musical .... about the human need for love, for art and for meaning in life... an antidote to the trend to bigger and bigger Broadway musicals that are about less and less " – Jon Lehman, Patriot Ledger (read full review) "actors who can make the commonplace leap to life are all over the BCA stage ...supporting cast (is) worth the price of admission" – Ed Siegel, Boston Globe "charming chamber musical ... intelligent, warm, laced with melancholy and ethnic allusion" – Carolyn Clay, Boston Phoenix " a very good production .... the real star of the evening is the ensemble" – Will Stackman, Aisle Say The Gigolo Confessions of Baile Breag by Ronan Noone January-February 2004 Directed by Carmel O'Reilly World premiere Cast: Miguel Cervantes, Judith McIntyre, Billy Meleady Design: Richard Chambers, Frances McSherry, Dan Meeker and Haddon Kime Judith McIntyre, 2004 IRNE Award for Best Actress in a Play, Small Company A gigolo businesss. Dark deeds. Deceit. Haunted by voices and reverberations from the past, Paddy and Rosie try to salvage their love by finally facing the truth. *The Gigolo Confessions of Baile Breag* (Town of Lies) is the third play in Ronan Noone's award-winning Baile trilogy and, though often humorous, takes an unsparing look at love and relationships. "Noone's... voice continues to grow more powerful and more subtle, and his plays are now one of the highlights of any given theater season.” – Ed Siegel, Boston Globe (read full review) "Gigolo plot works well... The compelling drama is fuelled by the performances of all three actors” – Nick Dussault, Boston Metro “this is the best possible introduction to such a refreshing new writer who understands the power of storytelling, is comfortable with the lyric possibilities of language and doesn't place limits on theatrical expression” – Suzanne Bixby, TalkingBroadway.com (read full review) "With only his third play, Noone has begun to experiment with notions of plot and honed his skill with language, offering imagery rich in poetry and music both old and new." – Terry Byrne, Boston Herald "Noone... once again wields his ability to express the lurid with the lyrical and natural knack for reeling us into the heads and hearts of anguished individuals" – Liza Weisstuch, DigitalCity.com "a deeply engaging drama, honestly and skillfully acted and directed... a play you can't resist immersing yourself in" – Jon Lehman, Patriot Ledger Mojo Mickybo by Owen McCafferty April 2003 Directed by Carmel O'Reilly New England premiere Cast: Colin Hamell, Billy Meleady Design: J. Michael Griggs, Tess James, Sarah Chapman and Matt Griffin Set in both 1970s Belfast and the present, *Mojo Mickybo* is an exhilarating and fast-paced tale of two young boys who, after a chance meeting in a park, form a unique friendship based on their mutual obsession with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A poignant and deeply affecting event brings an end to their friendship and subsequently changes both of their lives forever. "bravura performances... With the extraordinary performances of Hamell and Meleady, the Súgán production of Mojo Mickybo makes the innocent adventures of two young boys utterly entrancing" – Terry Byrne The Boston Herald (read full review) "Mojo, an Irish comedy, charms... a delightful tale of friendship, brimming with the gleeful enthusiasm of young boys navigating their way into adulthood... superb performances by Meleady and Hamell... (And in case you're wondering, 'Superman only saves Americans.')" – Nick Dussault, Boston Metro "Through the eyes of two Belfast boys, a powerful tale unfolds... vivid performance... While much of the dialogue is filtered through the mouths and minds of young Mojo and Mickybo, the subject matter is far from childlike. Their imaginative world of cowboys and superheroes repeatedly crashes into the real one of riots and rubber bullets" – Gina Perille, The Boston Globe (read full review) "a sweet play reminiscent of Marie Jones’s Stones in His Pockets... Meleady and Hamell's performances (are) virtuosic... colorful local argot, musical and scabrous at once" – Carolyn Clay, The Boston Phoenix (read full review) "an acting showcase for Billy Meleady and Colin Hamell... we geta a vivid impression of the world as the young boys see it as well as the world they yearn to escape to" – Liza Weisstuch, DigitalCity.com (read full review) "charming, deeply moving... You couldn’t find better acting, I’d be willing to wager, even in Belfast. It’s a wheeker good story. And it’s raucous fun. If you miss it, you’re a wicked tube" – Beverly Creasey, Theater Mirror (read full review) "an enormously funny play... hauntingly satisfying in a way that many more pretentious plays are not. McCafferty tells a heartbreaking story almost entirely by indirection, showing us what looks on the surface like nothing more than child's play" – Jon Lehman, Patriot Ledger "... lingers... haunts... makes us mourn for lost innocence, theirs, ours, the world's" – Vicki Sanders, TheaterNewEngland.com (read full review) "rather remarkable long one-act... McCaffery's script is an extremely canny effort... this simple dark comedy is a fitting end (to Súgán's season)" – Will Stackman, AisleSay.com (read full review) About Us \| Current Season \| Contributors \| Directions \| Helping Out \| New & Noteworthy \| Reaching Us \| Seasons Past \| TicketInfo\| The Papers Say \| Home