BWW Reviews: ONCE at the Hippodrome

For Baltimore theater goers, a show at the Hippodrome is a must-see experience. The ornate charm of this historical gem sets an anticipatory air of excitement for the audience. It's proven to be versatile in its staging of both new and old Broadway whether elaborate or intimate. The most recent production, ONCE, is a successful example of the Hippodrome's ability to stretch and contract its personality to fit the style of a small indie movie as well as any elaborate Disney extravaganza.

Upon walking into the theater, we are immediately transported to a Dublin pub. Prior to the show beginning, audience members are actually invited onstage to mingle and sip some brew in the light of lanterns softly glowing upon knotty walls and shimmering mirrors. The set by Bob Crowley is the perfect backdrop for this lovely, lonely tale of love, loss, and leaving home.

ONCE is a quirky modern take on the theme of the literally named (or rather unnamed) Guy (Stuart Ward) meets Girl (Dani de Waal). He's a down-on-his-luck musician working in his Dad's vacuum repair shop. She's a Czech immigrant with a can-do attitude. Hoover brings them together; reality pulls them apart. Ward and de Waal create a winsome, wistful pair of star-crossed lovers who only let themselves express their true feelings through their music.

The score by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglovais, the stars of the movie, gains strength from the passionate performances of the multi-talented cast all of whom play instruments on stage, like a live concert within a show within a pub within a world real and imagined. Director, John Tiffany, lets the show's restrained nature wend its way forward to moments that rise up and captivate.

Irish theater and movies are nearly always imbued with the character of their island nation. They are spun by natural storytellers both mournful and mirthful who can never quite reconcile whether to leave, stay, or just wander for a while. They are restless, rueful and always entertaining. Once is the offspring of all these traits, and one hopes that it will come around these parts twice after this short, successful run. As for the Hippodrome with its happy ghosts of vaudeville past and its energetic present spirit, one visit is never enough.