There are so many reasons to see “Once,” the musical based on the popular 2007 movie of the same name. Broadway in Tucson brings the touring production here next week for an eight-show run.
Here are just a few:
The story
The musical has some differences from the movie, but not many. Guy (we never know his real name) is a Dublin busker. One night, he’s at a bar and sings a ballad. As he prepares to leave, a young Czech woman, Girl (we never get her real name, either), begins to pepper him with questions about his music and his life. He’s nursing a broken heart — the woman he loves has shipped off to New York City. He’s ready to give up on music. Ah, but Girl, who has a bit of music in her, too, is able to inspire him again. They write songs, play together, make a demo recording — most all of it at her encouragement and insistence. “They’ve expanded some characters,” says Stuart Ward, who plays Guy, speaking from a cold Detroit in February. “And there’s a lot more humor, which gives the tragedy of the relationship a bit more weight.”
People are also reading…
There’s electricity between Guy and Girl, and a definite romantic vibe. But one of the wonderful things about “Once” is it isn’t predictable schlock — don’t expect a big “happy ever after” ending.
“It’s more of a real-life ending,” says Ward. “That doesn’t sit well with some — it depends on your outlook. I think it makes people think about their own relationships.”
The music
The gorgeous “Falling Slowly” snagged an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008. It is a key song in the musical. A slew of new songs were written for the stage version, and the album from the show won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The actors play the instruments, and it’s tough to dismiss any one number. The songs, mostly ballads, are heartfelt and have a kind of organic sense to them — they feel and sound like songs picked from our lives.
The accolades
In addition to the Grammy for the album, “Once” won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and three Drama Desk Awards (that included one for Best Musical, as well). It wowed them in London, too. “A lovely show, made all the better by the fact that it doesn’t follow either the traditional love story or the failure-to-fame story formula. It’s full of ambiguities,” said The Guardian about the London production. And in this country: “At last, a Broadway show that doesn’t feel the need to conk its audience over the head with hollow flash and empty dazzle,” the Los Angeles Times said about the road show coming our way. “Pure, moving and inventive,” the Huffington Post declared about the Broadway production.
Drinks in the house
Quite literally. The set for the musical is a bar. As the audience filters in, drinks are being served. Go ahead, stroll on up to the stage and order one. You can do it again during intermission. “If that’s not a good reason to go,” says Ward, “I don’t know what is.”
