Wisconsin audiences get their first look at the national tour of Oncein the spectacular Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, the state capitol.
A few words about the center: celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the center was built on a primary donation of $205 million by the creators of American Girl dolls. The donation came after the company was sold to Mattel for zillions of dollars.
Nestled in this grand performance space noted for its excellent acoustics, the full sound and musical expression of Once comes vividly to life. Although this reviewer has never seen the Broadway show (playing through January 4, 2015 at New York’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theater), one cannot imagine a more finely tuned production than this one.
From the start, Once demonstrates marked differences from a “typical” Broadway musical. The musical is based on a 2006, low-budget Irish film about two young songwriters who are down on their luck. The male character (Guy), who plays guitar, is about to chuck it all in, until a beautiful young woman (Girl) hears him play in a bar. She is so struck by his unique voice, talent and passion that she practically badgers him into getting to know her. She guesses from his song lyrics that he has been hurt by love. He confesses that he was recently dumped by a girl who moved from Dublin (where the play is set) to New York City. It takes a bit longer to learn that the Girl, a single mother from Czechoslovakia, has been separated from her husband for a long time. However, she is hopeful that one day he might return and they could “start over,” as she puts it. That is her dream for her young daughter, Ivanka.
Not only does the Girl (played by the lithe Dani de Waal) have faith in the Guy’s (Stuart Ward) music, she somehow knows how to add lyrics to his unfinished pieces. They make beautiful music together in the music shop where she plays piano to lure customers. Like these performers, the entire ensemble plays musical instruments, often while the actors are singing and dancing.
There is no orchestra to supplement their music, which wafts hauntingly over the audience. The show’s piece de resistance is the wistful “Falling Slowly,” which won an Oscar for Best Song in 2008. The musical’s accolades include many 2012 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (John Tiffany), Best Book (Enda Walsh) and Best Orchestrations (Martin Lowe).
The entire show is set in a romantic-yet-aging Irish pub (kudos to set designer Bob Crowley). Props are added and whisked away by the other cast members, who stay onstage during the entire show. With a few chairs and tables (evocatively lit by designer Natasha Katz), a corner of the set becomes the Guy’s cozy bedroom (located above the vacuum repair store where he works with his father), or the Girl’s boisterous apartment, filled with family members who squabble and joke around a kitchen table. That’s where Guy meets Girl’s adorable daughter, Ivanka (Kolette Tetlow).
Music fills the stage more than dialogue as the Guy and Girl prepare to make a debut album in a recording studio. Since both of them are flat broke, a relative’s cash and a bank loan are used to reserve studio time for 24 hours. They are both pleased with the results, just as the optimistic, confident Girl knew they would be.
Dani de Waal plays the achingly poignant Girl to perfection. At first, her faith in the threadbare, angry Guy seems difficult to fathom. The Guy is uncommunicative in the extreme. He cannot figure out why she’s interested in him. They fall in love, of course, but she rejects his offer to go with him to New York. Our sympathy for the Guy (Stuart Ward) grows over time, as his inability to express his emotions eventually leads to a bitter confrontation with de Waal. They have excellent chemistry, and sparks almost fly between them. About a dozen other cast members are equally impressive, especially Evan Harrington as Billy, the music shop owner; Donna Garner, who plays the Girl’s mother; and Erica Swindell as the sexy Reza. In addition to their characters, Harrington plays guitar and ukulele, Gardner plays accordion and the concertina, and Swindell plays a furious violin, almost as if she’s possessed.
The only performers perhaps known to Broadway audiences include Matt deAngelis (Woof in Hair), who plays one of the Girl’s relatives, and Evan Harrington (Peter and the Starcatcher, Avenue Q).
The choreography, such as it is, also deviates from the Broadway norm. In the production numbers, the actors may stamp in unison, or do a few jigs, or flow into the stylized movements of ethnic dances or even a tango. Sometimes, a few characters are sitting in a row at a table, only moving their arms and bodies to the music. This radical collection of dance moves is courtesy of movement director Steven Hoggett.
Once is a welcome addition to the state’s Broadway offerings. The show returns to Wisconsin in spring 2015 to perform in Appleton, WI, but Milwaukee audiences need to travel to another city to enjoy this rare, and moving, musical.
