Once Musical is a Must!

Singing, dancing, guitar playing - and that was all in the beginning, before the lights went down.

Once, the musical opened on October 6th in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and brought with it a whipping good time.

It begins with a high-energy song and dance featuring the entire crew (all playing their own instruments) as the crowd piles into their seats and the lights stay on above. But then comes a young, blonde girl walking down the isle and suddenly the lights dim and the mood changes.

Girl (played by Dani de Waal) meets Guy (played by Stuart Ward), a Dublin Street musician with a broken heart. He has written many songs to coincide his sadness, but is on the verge of giving up his music dream because the loss is far too great. However, Girl won't have that. She pushes him to pursue his dreams, while playful banter festers between the two, drawing the audience in, especially as they sing "Falling Slowly," together.

As the saying goes, "his music needed one thing, her", and it did. She brought new life not only to Guy's music but to his soul, and it was touching to watch.

Just when Guy thought his love life couldn't get more complicated, it does. He's now fallen for someone else but can't have her.

The end isn't for the romantics, it's more for the realists. Guy has a girl in New York City, Girl has a husband she's still bound to. The decision has been made, they need to go their separate ways, without even sharing one kiss.

But not every love story has a happy ending, nor should it. This felt more real, more personal, more raw and that's what makes Once what it really is: a charming play with a whole lot of depth.