YMTC presents Irish-infused musical "A Man of No Importance"

Now in its 14th year of producing highly-regarded regional theater, Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC) will stage the award-winning musical, A Man of No Importance (based on the movie of the same name). The play opens Saturday, March 9, at the El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater. Its run consists of three 2:00 p.m. matinees (3/10, 3/16, 3/17) and three 7:30 p.m. performances (3/9, 3/15, 3/16). The final 2pm performance is on Saint Patrick's Day, 3/17.

A Man of No Importance debuted in 2002 at Lincoln Center in New York City and won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. Its focal character is Alfie Byrne, a closeted bus driver in 1964 Dublin, whose heart holds secrets that he can't share with anyone but his imagined confidante, Oscar Wilde. When he attempts to produce an amateur version of Wilde's Salome in the local church hall, he confronts the forces of bigotry and shame over a love "that dare not speak its name.” The show’s melodic, Irish-flavored orchestrations, emotional depth, drama, and comedy make for a truly uplifting theater experience.

According to Director Jennifer Boesing, “A Man of No Importance is a perfect play set to the richly emotional score of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens—the same team who created Ragtime. I think the play’s perfection lies in its subtlety. It’s emotional, but not a rollercoaster ride the way so many dramatic musicals are. There’s a gentleness to it and incredible depth. In the first weeks of rehearsals, the cast and the directors delved into the scenes and songs and found that it was much like reading a poem. The more you read it, the more it unfolds its myriad meanings.”

Music Director David Möschler notes, “The score is one of my absolute favorites. Ahrens's lyrics with Flaherty's gorgeous score of Irish-inspired ballads and reels combine to form something that is almost more poetry than song. The music is interwoven tightly with Terrence McNally's beautiful dialogue to create something wholly unique in the musical theater canon.”

A Man of No Importance features a cast of 16 performing arts students (ages 15 to 19) from cities throughout the Bay Area, including El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley. They are led by a team of professional directors, designers, and musicians, including Director Boesing, Music Director Möschler and Choreographer Janet Collard. A live band accompanies the production.

A pop-up concession-Carney's Butcher Shop-will be open in the lobby one hour before each performance offering sweet and savory treats and hand-crafted beverages for sale.

Tickets are available online at www.ymtcbayarea.org or at the door one hour before curtain. Ticket prices are $16–32, with discounts for students, seniors, military, teachers, and groups. Groups of 10 or more receive 15% off. YMTC offers one “pay-what-you-will” performance to provide affordable musical theater to all in the community. This performance will be on Friday, 3/15, at 7:30 p.m., when seats will be offered for cash-only at the box office. Reserved seats can still be purchased online.

TWO-SHOW SUBSCRIPTIONS STILL AVAILABLE!

Two-show season subscriptions including A Man of No Importance (March 7-19, 2019) and Les Misérables (July 19-28, at E.C. High Theater) can still be purchased online at http://www.ymtcbayarea.org. The company's 15th season of 3 musicals (all of which will be performed at the Performing Arts Theater at El Cerrito High 2019-20) will be announced this weekend, and subscriptions will be available in April.

Ticket Prices: $16–32. Student, senior, teacher, military, and group discounts are available. Purchase tickets at www.ymtcbayarea.org or at the door, which opens one hour prior to performance.