‘A Man of No Importance’ Rises on Its Sweetly Haunting Music
Sometimes having actors double as musicians, the Scottish director John Doyle has made a specialty of distilling beloved musicals in often stark but exhilarating productions.

Over the past two decades, the Scottish director John Doyle has made a specialty of distilling beloved musicals in often stark but exhilarating productions — from “Oklahoma” to “The Color Purple,” along with several Sondheim classics. In a few cases, including his acclaimed revivals of “Sweeney Todd” and “Company,” this strategy has involved having actors double as musicians.
For his swan song at off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company, where he completed the last of six seasons as artistic director earlier this year, Mr. Doyle selected “A Man of No Importance,” a lesser-known gem featuring music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens — the duo behind “Ragtime” and “Once On This Island,” among other Broadway fan favorites — and a book by the late Terrence McNally, who was their frequent collaborator.
A login link has been sent to
Enter your email to read this article.
Get 2 free articles when you subscribe.