Awakening to self-acceptance

"A Man of No Importance" put a smile on my face.

It lasted the better part of Bailiwick Repertory's enthusiastic revival of the chamber musical by the "Ragtime" trio of composer Stephen Flaherty, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and writer Terrence McNally.

But it wavered a bit late in the second act when an unhappy ending loomed. Fortunately, someone must have reminded the creative team that it wouldn't do to conclude this warm-hearted tuner about a lonely man's journey toward self-acceptance that way. Hence the uplifting ending, which might be less than credible in light of the events that precede it, but is exactly what this show demands.

Based on the 1994 film, "A Man of No Importance" centers around the titular Alfie Byrne (nicely underplayed by Kevin D. Mayes), a repressed, lonely man trying to come to terms with his homosexuality. Unable to do so, he seeks refuge in poetry and drama, to the dismay of his devoted sister Lily (a vibrant Nancy Kolton), who mistakenly thinks a girlfriend will make him happy.

By day, Alfie works as a Dublin bus conductor, entertaining passengers with Oscar Wilde's poetry and pining for Robbie Fay (the appealing Ryan Lanning), an agreeable young driver who prefers the poetry of Dublin's streets to Wilde's. By night, Alfie leads St. Imelda's Players, an endearing group of amateur thespians who perform plays by Alfie's beloved Oscar Wilde in the church's meeting room.

Joining Alfie in his theatrical endeavors is newcomer Adele (a guileless Laura McClain), a young girl from the Irish countryside where "they don't believe in art." There's Mr. Carney (Chuck Sisson) the leading man unsatisfied with his part in the play; stage manager Baldy (Rus Rainear), whose touching ode to his late wife inspires Alfie to pursue a romance of his own and harried housewife Mrs. Curtin (the funny Naomi Landman) among others.

Directed by Scott Ferguson, with music direction by Robert Ollis (who also conducts a tight, five-member pit band), Bailiwick's revival boasts a likable ensemble that appear to be every inch the working class Dubliners.

The musical opens with the parish priest canceling the group's production of Wilde's controversial "Salome" and disbanding the company. It then unfolds as a flashback chronicling Alfie's attempts to stage his play and explore, for the first time, "the love that dare not speak its name."

But "A Man of No Importance" is more than a mid-life awakening to self acceptance. It's a love letter to the theater, a testament to its power to inspire and transform. And if it gets a little hokey on occasion, Flaherty's tuneful score that subtly evokes Ireland's musical traditions, Ahrens' funny and poetic lyrics and McNally's quirky characters and easy humor (enhanced by Wilde's maxims) more than compensate. Taken together, it adds up to a charming bit of theater.

"A Man of No Importance"

3 stars out of four

Location: Bailiwick Repertory, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3:30 p.m. Sundays through April 20

Running Time: About 2½ hours, with intermission

Tickets: $25-$35

Parking: Street parking available

Box office: (773) 883-1090 or bailiwick.org

Rating: For teens and older, contains adult themes