Review: We are taking ONE STEP AT A TIME at Thessaloniki Concert Hall

The human road has become a race and everyone wants to be the first to the finishing line. ONE STEP AT A TIME is a brand new musical about the distance each one of us has to go until we finally embrace ourselves. Written and directed by the upcoming artist of various talents (playwright , songwriter , director, choreographer and performer) Maria Stefanou , this original play touches your soul in a very unique way.

Little Hermione has won the race four times in a row. However, this time she finds herself tripping over a rock and is left alone and out of competition. That is when a Passer-by crosses her path and offers his hand to help her get up. He walks on her side, guiding her, until she is able to stand on her own feet. He helps her accept her whole journey up to this point, acknowledge her emotions and finally see who she really is. Hermione is every single one of us who searches for their place in this world.

Having found the perfect epitome of laughter and intimacy, ONE STEP AT A TIME manages to entertain, teach and touch every audience. I was caught between hysterically laughing one minute and sobbing the other and much to my delight I realized I was not the only one. Twenty four original songs written (lyrics & music) and choreographed by Maria Stefanou came to life through the magical melodies of Nikos Politis , Ilias Misirlis, Konstadina Nikidou and Konstantinos Ilias, who were responsible for the orchestration and the cast of 25 really talented young artists, who shared with the audience their truth so generously, that the outcome could be nothing but beautiful.

The three actresses who portrayed Hermione's journey to adulthood were magnificent - the youngest one (Andromache Kaisi) having an amazing stage appearance despite being only 12 years old. Coming on teenage Hermione (Katerina Kaifa) belted her heart out, leaving everyone in the audience stunned. The route was completed with adult Hermione (Harikleia Mari) captivating each person in the theatre with her energy. However, I have to admit that for me the highlight of the show was the Passer-by played by Angelos Roussos ,who approached the character with such respect and understanding that made his performance unforgettable.

Of course I could not omit to mention that this is an independent musical, originally written in its entirety, which makes me feel proud of this new theatrical wave and gives me hope for what is yet to come, especially since in our country new musical productions are extremely rare to find. Despite the low budget and the difficult starting grounds for new projects in Greece, ONE STEP AT A TIME which was destined to have a very limited amount of shows (6) was loved so much by people that one year later, it continues running.

I see a very bright future for this show. If you want to feel, connect with yourself and go that distance then you definitely have to make sure you will not miss it. The time has come for people to choose between continuing the life they had been leading until now or trust the inner voice we all have and let their real self blossom. And this musical is the beginning.

Here is the official trailer of the show for you to have a taste:

Photo Credit: Iakovos Ioannidis, Dimitris Tsonos

Photo Editing: Stamatia Koloniari

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