Jim Parsons to lead Off Broadway production of Terrence McNally musical A Man of No Importance

Jim Parsons is poised to make a big bang Off Broadway.

EW can exclusively announce that Parsons will lead Classic Stage Company’s Off Broadway production of A Man of No Importance. The musical, which premiered at Lincoln Center in 2002, is based on a 1994 Albert Finney film of the same name. It features a book by Terrence McNally (Ragtime) and music and lyrics by the team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Anastasia, Ragtime).

Parsons stars as Alfie Byrne, a local bus driver and leader of an amateur theater troupe in 1960s Dublin. When Alfie becomes determined to mount a production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome, he comes up against objections from local church authorities. But he confronts their bigotry with his belief in the redemptive power of theater, love, and friendship.

The production will begin performances at New York’s Classic Stage Company on Oct. 11, with the official opening night set for Oct. 30. A Man of No Importance will have a limited run through Dec. 4.

Jim Parsons

Jesse Dittmar

Tony winner John Doyle (Sweeney Todd, Company, The Color Purple) will direct in his final production at Classic Stage Company under his tenure as Artistic Director.

Further casting is still to come. The original Lincoln Center production featured a spate of Broadway greats, including Roger Rees as Byrne as well as Faith Prince and Steven Pasquale.

Parsons is no stranger to the stage. The four-time Emmy winner began his career in the theater, largely in off-Broadway productions. He made his Broadway debut in 2011 in the Broadway premiere of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart. He’s also appeared on Broadway in Harvey, An Act of God, and the Tony-winning 2018 revival of The Boys in the Band.

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