Cast : Chamblee Ferguson**, Pamela Peadon**, Rick Prada, Emerson Collins, Arianna Movassagh, Lynn Ambrose, Philip Bentham, Patty Breckenridge, John Coffman, Coy Covington, John Reba, Ryan Roach, John Venable, Jane Willingham, and Lucia Welch.

** Member of Actors Equity Association

Mild-mannered Alfie Byrne, a middle-aged, unmarried Dublin bus conductor (played with exquisite poignancy by Chamblee Ferguson), lives for the theater.No matter that his stage is in the basement of tiny St. Imelda's church and that his players are the simple working-class folk who ride his bus.

Every year Alfie and his troupe pay tribute to his favorite playwright, Oscar Wilde. Alfie's goal: "to take the crude clay of real life and transmute it into airt."But when Alfie decides on Wilde's controversial Salome, he runs into opposition from church officials and from his own straitlaced sister, Lily (Pam Peadon).The church shuts Alfie's troupe down. The crisis causes him to finally reveal a personal secret that's kept him from being truly happy for too many years.

Based on a likable 1994 film, A Man of No Importance made its transition to the New York stage in 2002 with a book by Tony winner Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

This is a small musical about ordinary people, wafting along on light-as-air folky Irish tunes and the occasional rousing jig. But it's a feel-good show with plenty of heart.Ferguson is a standout in the title role. Among the large supporting cast, Emerson Collins displays youthful charm and a beautiful tenor as Alfie's co-worker, Robbie.

As a little tough named Baldy O'Shea, John Coffman brings the audience to sniffles with The Cuddles Mary Gave, a sentimental anthem about a beloved wife who's passed on. As Alfie's perfect Salome, the lovely Arianna Movassagh's Miss Rice turns out to be a fallen woman who's hardly the "princess" Alfie imagines.

GRADE: A

Big, busty Broadway musicals nowadays tend to fall into one of two categories: They are either sprightly, energetic confections (like “42nd Street”) or filled with faux-operatic bombast (Andrew Lloyd Webber and his offspring

Then there’s the team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who compose melancholy chamber pieces that fit more comfortably in the intimate space of a place like the Kim Dawson Theatre than under a cavernous proscenium arch.

That explains why “A Man of No Importance,” now being staged by the Uptown Players, seems to work so beautifully, while their “Seussical” was a fiasco. The scale of this show is pinpoint perfect, and it makes for one of Uptown’s best productions

The story revolves around Alfie (Chamblee Ferguson), a bus conductor in 1964 Dublin, whose small theater company plans to mount Oscar Wilde’s controversial “Salome.” That play, as Wilde’s own life, becomes a flashpoint for Alfie to deal with his feelings for a cute young bus driver (Emerson Collins).

Ferguson’s performance is one of the most heartwarming and heartfelt Dallas has seen in years, but the real star of the show is its ensemble. The cast members who may be familiar to frequent theatergoers all seem to be playing against type, so you never doubt the cohesiveness of this community

Ferguson’s performance is one of the most heartwarming and heartfelt Dallas has seen in years, but the real star of the show is its ensemble. The cast members who may be familiar to frequent theatergoers all seem to be playing against type, so you never doubt the cohesiveness of this community

Nevertheless, some deserve to be singled out. Arianna Movassagh is so pixie-like, you’re never quite prepared for the silvery smoothness of her singing voice. As Baldy, John Coffman’s Irish tenor serves the best song in the show, a breathtaking elegy to his late wife.

The ingenious set and surefooted direction are also elements that make this a production of great importance.

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In 2004 the Kennedy Center in Washington DC held a summer long season dedicated to the works of Stephen Sondheim while this past season it was the works of Tennessee Williams.Thus you could say that the DFW metroplex is having a season dedicated to the works of Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens.Already this season several high schools and creative schools have mounted productions of SEUSSICAL, which was Flaherty & Ahrens last musical on Broadway.

Later this season Irving's Lyric Stage will mount the regional premiere of the epic work by Flaherty & Ahrens, RAGTIME. Then coming this spring is Theatre Arlington's mounting of LUCKY STIFF, another penned musical by F&A. But currently we have Uptown Players production of A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (AMONI), which is based on the 1994 Albert Finney motion picture of the same name. The musical premiered at Lincoln Center in 2002, winning the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway musical.

When musicals are judged, analyzed, and critiqued, one of the key elements that is always dissected is the book and music. If a show flops, it is either the book or score that gets the most flack.

In the case of AMONI, the book and lyrics are just outstanding. Terrance McNally's book gives the characters strong subtext that gives the actors dramatic arches that truly touch the heart. Even a couple of the minor characters are given dramatic weight, which is so rare lately in musical theater. Lynn Ahrens' lyrics go far below the surface to draw poignant honesty from its characters. They speak from the heart and soul these townsfolk of Dublin Ireland.

Flaherty's Celtic music is a little repetitive though. There are a lot of ballads within the piece, and that can test the audience's attention span. Don't get me wrong, there are some beautiful songs within the score, and a couple of hilarious company numbers. Its just that the score is a little heavy with ballads. It should be noted
that Ricky Pope's musical direction here is perfect. Pope gives his actors room to explore emotions, allowing them time to open their souls. It was a special treat to have Kristin Keith's gorgeous violin come from the orchestra pit and float like soft leaves over the audience.

Physically everything was right on the money, in particular Wade Gampa's marvelous set. A multi level church that had pieces that transformed into the bus, or walls that turned to reveal other rooms, and so on. The always-reliable Julie Simmons bathed it with lush lighting.

Under Doug Miller's touching direction this cast was magnificent, from leads to the company.Chamblee Ferguson plays "Alfie Byrne" with such compassion, honesty, and warmth you can't help but fall head over heals with this shy bus
employee who loves to direct theater. Ferguson truly wears Alfie's heart on his sleeve, and shows a myriad of emotions on his very expressive face. There are scenes and songs that are extremely painful and dramatic, and Ferguson goes for the raw, organic, natural truth within them to bring the audience to tears. Now, Ferguson's singing voice is not as strong as the others, but with a brilliant per formance like this, you completely overlook that. The arch within this character is a tough ride for any actor, and yet Ferguson makes it look so easy. This is a performance you will not want to miss; it will be talked about all year long.

The surprise treat for the evening comes from Ms. Arianna Movassagh as "Adele Rice". I've seen this actress in several productions where she always succeeds, but here she simply raised the bar. As the quiet woman who is hiding a secret is brought into Aflie's theater world, Movassagh is ravishing. She uses her body and face to honestly convey
the problems of this poor girl so realistically that you want to rush on stage and hold her in your arms to console her. Movassagh also delivers the goods when it comes to her solos, each one encased with that golden soprano voice. I've never seen this actress go so deep into the dramatic waters like she does with this role, and the end result is both poignant and amazing.

Within the cast there are also solid, extremely entertaining performances from Emerson Collins (Robby Fay) and Pamela Peadon (Lily Byrne). As for the ensemble, they are all fantastic, with a couple of them that do stand out within the evening.

Such as John Reba's elegant portrayal of "Oscar Wilde", Jane Willingham's mirthful tap solo as "Mrs. Maureen Curtain", Coy Covington's hysterical characterization of the nerdish "Ernie Lally", Charles Ryan Roach's chain smoking "Rasher Flynn" (Both Covington and Roach have a scene stealing acting scene that earned loud laughs from the audience as well) and Lynn Ambrose's hilarious performance as "Mrs. Margaret Grace".

One of the major dramatic highlights of the evening came from John Coffman's "Baldy O'Shea" when he sings the ballad "The Cuddles Mary Gave" at his wife's gravesite. Coffman goes for the heart with this song, and from your seat in the darkness you can feel the dark pathos of losing a loved one sear into your heart from Coffman's performance.
His number will put a major lump in your throat as the lights dim on this sentimental number.

This production opens the fourth season of Uptown Players, and within those four, short years this company has become one of the very best in providing outstanding theater. I have seen practically every production they have mounted, and they have very rarely disappointed. Season after season they stretch their artistic wings and its
audience's education with what they present on stage. I am always amazed on how they transform the intimate space at the Trinity Arts Theater into slick, professional, artistic worlds for their productions to live in.

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE is no exception. This is a first class production all the way. I promise you that by the end of this musical, you will want to take another bus ride with Alfie and his friends.

GRADE: A