'A Man of No Importance' radiates joy with panache

Paul Daigneault, artistic director of SpeakEasy Stage Company, has chosen a fitting farewell play.

His final production — after helming the company for more than thirty years — is a vibrant, hilarious, and poignant production of the musical “A Man of No Importance” (through March 22). Daigneault directs the show which centers on identity, acceptance, and a love of theater.

Set in 1964, the narrative focuses on Alfie Byrne, a Dublin bus conductor and true fan of Oscar Wilde. Shy and kind, Alfie, wonderfully portrayed by Eddie Shields, has assembled an amateur theater troupe from his bus passengers. The group has staged “The Importance of Being Earnest” at Alfie’s church’s hall, but now he is angling to tackle the risqué “Salome” about John the Baptist’s desire for his stepdaughter. However, the archbishop will not support a show depicting biblical characters, immodest dancing, and lust. On top of that, Alfie has a secret crush on a bus driver, Robbie (Keith Robinson), and if anyone finds out, it could cause trouble for him and his livelihood.

Terrance McNally wrote the play, with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin. The show — preceded by a 1995 film of the same name — was first performed off-Broadway in 2002. In 2003, Daigneault led a production of the show in partnership with Súgán Theatre Company.

In this superbly directed production, a large shelving unit teeming with books, whiskey and instruments takes up much of the stage’s  raised platform. There are music stands, a stained glass-like picture, and a headless mannequin draped in beautiful green and gold fabric. On the raised platform, the cast, many of whom double as musicians — including violists, flautists, percussionists, and more — accompany the  songs throughout the show, or step downstage to embody their characters.

Often, in musicals,” musicians and chorus members are hidden in a pit below the stage. But at this production, it’s thrilling to be thrust into the music and the action as the seasoned and talented ensemble sings about rainy days in “The Streets of Dublin,” carrying large black umbrellas or about their “First Rehearsal” and other tunes complete with occasional operatic descants. Every inch of the stage and the aisles, too, are utilized by this multi-talented ensemble who deliver lines or play tambourines from the corners of the theater before entering onto the stage.

As Alfie and his cadre of thespians work on the play, their personal stories unspool. Aflie’s straight-talking sister Lily (an excellent Aimee Doherty who starred in Lyric Stage Company’s “Thirst”) and the butcher Carney (Sam Simahk) want to get married but can’t just yet. Robbie is in love with someone too, and Adele, the leading lady in Alfie’s play portrayed by Rebekah Rae Robles (from SpeakEasy’s “Laughs in Spanish”), is harboring a secret of her own.

And, while the entire cast is quite good, some standout moments come from Billy Meleady as Baldy (who starred in the 2003 production) when he sings about the warmth and the terror of his deceased wife’s sturdy hugs in “The Cuddles that Mary Gave,” or when Will McGarrahan — who portrays Ernie and Oscar Wilde — shows the paper mache head he made of John the Baptist. The reveal sent my seatmate into a fit of laughter that resulted in a few tears. He also delivered his “Salome” lines so terribly that it caused the audience to erupt in laughter. Jennifer Ellis’s vocals are lovely as Mrs. Patrick, and Doherty’s Lily, who loves her brother ferociously, gets her own time to show her acting chops in  “The Burden of Life.”

Alfie’s journey in “A Man of No Importance” is full of twists and turns. This show, with its universal themes of love, authenticity, and the importance of community, is fully in line with SpeakEasy’s offerings, which consistently ask existential questions to inspire us to look within.

I hope the company continues to stage some of the city’s best productions that touch on the human condition — from racism to connection and memory loss — long after its founder Daigneault, whom WBUR’s critic-at-large credits with changing Boston’s theater scene, leaves the stage.

SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of “A Man of No Importance” shows now through March 22.