Review: The National Touring Production of Once is “GOLD!!!”
By: Nicholas Pontolillo Jul. 03, 2017
Based on the 2006 indie hit film, Once tells the captivating love story about Irish musician Guy and Czech immigrant Girl and how they are drawn to each other based on their shared love for music. From the moment Guy and Girl meet, the audience is enraptured by their chemistry and wait at the edge of their seats, gasping for air, watching how the next scene will either result in a stepping stone or a set back for their relationship.
John Carney laid the groundwork for this truly beautiful piece. When I first heard that the film was being turned into a musical for the stage, I rolled my eyes gesturing why do they have to turn every movie into a musical. Where is the originality? Surprisingly, Enda Walsh was able to make a successful transition from film to stage with her book. What was even more surprising was that the transition was made via stage directions than dialogue, which is normally a strong point for Ms. Walsh.
The film's driving force was the music; the music is what told the story with very little dialogue. Walsh took an alternative approach and added a lot more dialogue taking the focal point away from the music; the music was more intermittent making the stage production serve more as a play with music than a musical. Having said that, the show still worked for me. One of the many highlights of the film was the intimacy Carney captured; You felt like you were on the street observing love and magic happen right before your very eyes. Luckily enough, the stage version was able to capture the same intimacy. Director John Tiffany and set designer Bob Crowley very brilliantly set the entire story in an Irish pub.
I was really happy to see that the national touring production also implemented the pre-show ritual established on Broadway. An hour before the show starts, the audience is allowed to go up on stage and order a drink from the fully functioning pub. The ensemble also comes out and plays some traditional Irish folk tunes while the audience claps along and drinks. This helps the audience bond with the characters and also establishes Carney's intimate tone set in the film. After having a drink on stage, you felt like you were transported to Ireland and were watching the drama unfold on the stools next to you at the pub.
John Tiffany also borrowed a note from the great John Doyle's Sondheim productions (Sweeney Todd, Company) by having the cast also serve as the show's orchestra. The cast was fantastic.I am a big fan of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, also known as The Swell Season, and was ecstatic to see that the two leads matched the original film's performances. I never got to see the original Broadway company of Once, but I have heard the cast recording dozens of times. While I am a fan of both Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti, the two leads of this production blew them both out of the water vocally. Newcomer Sam Cieri portrayed Guy with perfection. I was stunned to discover that Cieri was actually from Boca Raton, Florida; his brogue was spot on! The true highlight of the production was Mackenzie Lesser-Roy as Girl. Any casting director would be foolish not to cast her in any upcoming production. She is a STAR!!!
The national touring production of Once just finished performing in Orange, TX. Currently, there aren't any other dates to see the show in the United States at this time. However, you can see the show in Dublin, Ireland until Aug 26, 2017. Please check the touring production's website for updates: http://oncemusical.com/
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