Brian F. O'Byrne and Debra Messing in Outside Mulllingar
(©Joan Marcus)

Playwright John Patrick Shanley pours on the Irish blarney in Outside Mullingar, which strains mightily for Moonstruck-style whimsy but mainly falls flat. This shaggy dog romantic comedy receiving its world premiere courtesy of the Manhattan Theatre Club mainly sputters along to little effect until its climactic scene, which is both undeniably charming and mind-bogglingly silly.

Debra Messing of (TV’s Will and Grace, Smash) makes her Broadway debut here and is faced with the daunting task of affecting a Gaelic accent opposite her genuinely Irish co-stars Brian F. O’Byrne, Peter Maloney and Dearbhla Molloy. She only partially succeeds, but her luminous presence and sharp line readings overcome any linguistic difficulties.

The plot concerns single fortysomethings Anthony (O’Byrne) and Rosemary (Messing), both tending to elderly single parents while living in adjoining farms in the Irish countryside. It’s quickly evident that the chain-smoking, sardonic Rosemary has long harbored romantic feelings towards her neighbor, but Anthony, who has spent his adult years pining for a former childhood sweetheart, is oblivious.

Much of the 95-minute play’s running time is boringly concerned with a long-lasting feud between the two families, which has something to do with Anthony’s father Tony (Maloney) having once sold a right-of-way passage to his property to Rosemary’s father and now widowed mother (Molloy).

With the exception of an emotional late-night scene between Anthony and his dying father, the play mainly rambles, its discursive dialogue often unintelligible because of the thick accents. Things finally come to a head in the lengthy final scene, in which Anthony and Rosemary amusingly and movingly stumble their way towards redefining their relationship. Unfortunately, the ultimate revelation for the reason behind Anthony’s emotional withdrawal is so jaw-droppingly silly that it makes us wonder what the hell Shanley was thinking.

Director Doug Hughes, who had a far more successful collaboration with the playwright on the Tony Award-winning Doubt, is unable to bring much life to the strained proceedings, while the rustic sets and costumes, by John Lee Beatty and Catherine Zuber respectively, provide the proper Irish atmosphere.

The performances, at least, make it somewhat bearable, with Maloney and Molloy injecting sly moments of humor into their portrayals. Messing, seemingly channeling Maureen O’Hara, brings a winning charm to the feisty Rosemary, and O’Byrne expertly manages to make Anthony’s cluelessness both moving and endearing.

It’s nice to see Shanley attempting to return to his Irish roots. It’s too bad, then, that he seems to have taken a wrong turn getting there.

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St. 212-239-6200. www.Telecharge.com. Through March 16.