When my husband and I arrived at the Paramount Theatre Saturday we were greeted by a lively orchestra on stage. Oh gosh, we’re late!
Not so! A pre-show jam session was part of the show. A company of 13 actor-musicians performed all roles and served as the on-stage orchestra in the fable about a stuck troubadour fearful about moving forward.
The music ended at 8 p.m. and the lights dimmed. It became quiet and then “Once” began.
Once upon a time an Irish guy and a Czech girl meet on the streets of Dublin, Ireland.
“Guy” is an Irish singer and songwriter who spends his days fixing vacuums in the Dublin shop he runs with his father. He spends his nights playing his music in local pubs.
He is disappointed in his search for a career in music and has thoughts of giving up music and threatens to discard his guitar.
“When a Czech immigrant, “Girl,” hears him play and sing, she refuses to let him abandon his guitar.
The plot thickens when “Girl” discovers “Guy” fixes vacuum cleaners and she has a Hoover cleaner that needs repair.
Guy repairs it, but she doesn’t have money to pay him so she pays off the debt in music on a piano she plays in a music shop.
“Once” is a story of art and life and Guy and Girl and their company of friends bring forward the struggles and joys of real lives and the individuals who struggle to make a living with their music.
The music is fantastic and to have the musicians on stage most of the time is something novel. The musicians are not always seen when they blend into the scenery. When the mood of the performance changes they come forward and are seen in direct lighting.
Wonderful show, lots of humor.