Review: StageDoor's ONCE Succeeds with its Harmonious Heartbreak

There's not very many musicals like Once, which might be why you rarely see it tackled regionally. The entire cast is tasked with playing some kind of instrument, making the show feel more like an immersive folksy concert with a plot. 

Now playing through June 25, Once at StageDoor Theatre in Conifer not only captures the distinctively raw sound of Irish folk music, the cast embodies it with vigor. Directed by Tanner Kelly, the show fits perfectly into the smaller space, allowing the music to capture the crowd. 

With a book by Enda Walsh and Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who make up the songwriting duo The Swell Season), Once is based on the 2007 indie film that propelled the song "Falling Slowly" to receive an Oscar for best original song. The musical itself won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical along with 7 other accolades. 

It follows a Dublin musician textually referred to as Guy (Gunnar Bettis), who meets Girl (Olivia Kisicki) while busking on the streets. As he's about to give up on his music, she approaches him with a busted vaccuum, offering to pay for its repair with music. Coincidentally, Guy fixes hoovers, and fate runs its course with the pair. 

While the whimsical story is sweet and simplistic, it's the music that truly draws you in. In Once, every actor plays double duty as a musician. There are several instruments, like guitars, violins, piano, accordion and even a cajón. The score is both haunting and celebratory, and the cast wonderfully expresses a range of emotions. 

Bettis plays Guys with both vocal and instrumental aptitude, giving him a bit of a shy confidence that lands just right when he performs. As Girl, Kisicki has spot-on comic timing along with masterful vocalizing. The entire cast shines as an ensemble, yet each of the 13-member cast has at least a few standout moments.

The stage is set like a bar, utilizing the space very well, including some smart usage of the upper proscenium. I craved a bit of the show's preshow performing, which really settles in the crowd into the vibe of the show before the action starts, but it's not entirely necessary. Ultimately, Stagedoor's Once provided me with all the familiar feeling I've come to love about the show.

Once plays StageDoor Theatre in Conifer though June 25th.