"Once" at the Duluth Playhouse

Walking along the greatest of lakes yesterday morning, watching the rising sun turn the clouds shades of pink and orange, while the waves lapped at my feet at the seagulls played in the water, I knew it was absolutely worth driving 300 miles roundtrip in 24 hours to see one of my favorite musicals in my favorite Minnesota city. I'm not saying you should also make the long drive to see Duluth Playhouse's production of the lovely eight-time Tony winning musical Once, based on the 2007 Irish movie and featuring music by stars of the film Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, but if you're itching for a Minnecation, or happen to be in Minnesota's favorite vacation spot along the North Shore of Lake Superior, you should definitely check it out, or maybe catch something else in the Playhouse's busy and ambitious 2022-2023 season on multiple stages, which culminates in the Minnesota premiere of Kinky Boots next summer. Not just for nature, adventure, shopping, and eating, Duluth is also a destination because of its incredible arts and culture scene.

"Once" at DalekoArts

I finally made the gorgeous springtime drive out to New Prague to see DalekoArts' production of the 2012 Tony-winning musical Once in its sold-out final weekend. Just the second #TCTheater production*, Once is a perfect choice for the scrappy little theater in the far-out suburbs, the stage packed with singer/actor/musicians and the intimate house making it feel like we're all in a cozy Irish pub together enjoying some good craic. It's such a beautiful story, and a unique kind of musical that's really more of a play-with-music. All of the music in this Irish folk-rock score (by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who also starred in the 2007 movie from which the musical was adapted by Irish playwright Enda Walsh) is in context, in a pub or recording studio or music shop. The music is woven so naturally into the story that there's not a lot of applause during the show, not wanting to break the spell of the story being woven on stage. A multi-talented 12-person cast plus three band members embody this charming and bittersweet Once.

"Once" by Theater Latte Da at Ritz Theater

Ever since it became available for regional productions a few years ago, I've been (im)patiently waiting for a #TCTheater company to do Once, the eight-time Tony winning musical based on the Irish indie film that won an Oscar for best song. My (im)patience has finally been rewarded with a production by my favorite company of theater musically that is, in a word, grand. Theater Latte Da used to have a series called "Broadway Re-imagined," but the cool thing about Once is that the original production on Broadway was already re-imagined, at least in terms of what you usually see on a Broadway stage. It's a small intimate story lacking the traditional (clichéd) happy ending; it features folk-rock music; and there is no separate orchestra, rather the ensemble also functions as the band in one cohesive celebration of music, love, joy, and pain. So very Irish. Still, Latte Da has managed to put their own unique spin on it and cast 13 multi-talented local performers to create something truly special that will make your heart ache in the best possible way.

"Once" at the State Theatre

There's no big opening number, no splashy dance with dozens of chorus girls and boys, no pit orchestra, no large moving set pieces, no colorful glamorous costumes. Once is not your typical musical. In fact, according to The Cherry and Spoon Music-Theater Spectrum¹ it's not a musical at all, but rather a play with music. Yet this atypical not-really-a-musical musical won eight Tony Awards in 2012. Why is that? Why was this quiet and quirky musical based on a little Irish movie awarded Broadway's biggest prize? Perhaps because it is different from other musicals. Perhaps the voters awarded the creative and organic way music is used to tell this beautifully simple and non-traditional love story. Once is a new kind of music-theater, and proves that musicals don't always have to be big and loud to have a profound effect on the audience. Once is quietly, beautifully stirring.

This is the second time that the First National Tour of Once has stopped in Minneapolis, with largely the same cast, although this time it's making its home in the slightly more intimate State Theater². The tagline for this tour is "once is not enough," but for me, thrice is not enough as I would gladly go see it again every night of its brief one-week Minneapolis stay! Perhaps I'm biased - Once is one of my favorite movies and my favorite movie soundtrack, and it introduced me to my favorite musician Glen Hansard. But even without that prior attachment, it's easy to see that Once is something truly special. The music is raw and passionate, performed by a cast of 13 quadruple threats - they act, sing, dance (or at least move in a choreographed way), AND play an instrument. This folk-rock score written by the stars of the movie, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, is not the kind of music you usually hear coming from the Broadway stage; it's quieter, less polished, and more real³. The story is simple and quiet - boy meets girl, boy fixes girl's Hoover, girl encourages boy to record his songs and follow his dreams, boy and girl go on with their separate lives, better for having met one another. John Carney's original story was adapted for the stage by the beautifully twisted mind of playwright Enda Walsh, retaining that unique Irish spirit⁴. The result as a whole is lovely, poignant, moving, and grand.

the loveable oddballs of Once

Since this is largely the same cast as last year, I'll repeat what I said then: As the guy, Stuart Ward has big shoes to fill - both those of Glen Hansard and Steve Kazee, who won a Tony for the role. And fill them he does, although in a different style than either of these predecessors. He possesses a gorgeous voice that's more musical theater than folk-rock, a moody intensity, and great stage charisma. The character of the girl changed so much from movie to stage that all thoughts of Marketa Irglova are gone, but Cristin Milioti (aka the surprisingly short-lived "Mother") left a great impression. Dani de Waal fills those shoes nicely in the quite tricky role of the girl, charming and sweet but not too perky. And when Stuart and Dani sing together, as on the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly," it's wondrous. The two are well supported and enhanced by ten wonderful actor/singer/musicians (and one adorable little girl). Standouts include Evan Harrington as the good-natured but tough music store owner, Scott Waara as the guy's sweet Da (with a really lovely pre-show song), and Matt DeAngelis, providing comic relief and powerful percussion as Svec (you know you're a true musical theater geek when you recognize touring cast members, as I did Matt; I clearly remember him as Woof in another musical obsession of mine, Hair, and in American Idiot).

The set is a pub that never changes, with tables and chairs brought out to represent different settings. Through it all, most of the cast remains on stage, watching from the sidelines. Dingy mirrors surround the stage and offer other angles of the action. The movement and choreography is so beautiful, subtle, and organic. There are no typical "dance numbers," just characters moving organically as the music moves them. Even the scene changes are beautifully and elegantly carried out, as not a moment is wasted.

The show begins before the show begins; the audience is allowed onstage to visit the pub and drink an overpriced beer through a straw. But it's worth it because the cast of musicians soon comes onstage for a traditional Irish session which you're able to witness up close and personal. After the audience is escorted off the stage, the session continues as the cast trades songs, until the musical baton is passed to the guy in the scarf, he belts out an impassioned "Leave," and the house lights go down. Just like that, reality fades and the world of the play takes over, and is so engrossing that it's like a dream. One that I hated to leave.

Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal

Unlike what Hollywood and Broadway usually tell us, not everyone gets a happily ever after kind of love, and maybe that's not even the ideal kind of love to strive for. If we're lucky, we get an hour, or a day, or a week-long encounter with someone who changes our life and pushes us forward when we've become "stopped." Maybe that's what life is, a series of moments, encounters, relationships, that might not last a lifetime although their effects do. That's what this story is about, and that's what these two people do for each other. It's a perfect love story, even though it may not end in the way that we're taught to expect. And it's also a love story about Ireland and its rich and unique culture, that the girl describes as "speaking and singing of what it is to be human." She tells the guy that he has "heart and soul," and this unique music-theater creation has heart and soul in spades, and speaks and sings of what it is to be human, with all the heartbreak, joy, disappointment, passion, connection, difficulties, and wonder it entails.

Once continues at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis through this weekend only. Whether it's once, twice, thrice, or more, it's a grand experience that's not to be missed.


1. The Cherry and Spoon Music-Theater Spectrum (TM pending): in a musical, characters sing in character, expressing their emotions and moving the plot forward. In a play with music, the music takes place in context, with characters singing in a way that would make sense in real life, and don't sing as the character. If you take the music out of a play with music, it still makes sense, although some of the impact is lost. If you take the music out of a musical, the story no longer makes sense.
2. Find out more about the State, Orpheum, and other local theaters in my "Review of Venues."
3. If you like the music of Once, check out Glen and Mar's follow-up album Strict Joy under their band name The Swell Season, or their solo albums Rhythm and Repose and Muna (among others), or the upcoming album commemorating the 25th anniversary of Glen's band The Frames.
4. For another taste of that unique Irish spirit, go see Guthrie departing Artistic Director Joe Dowling's loving ode to his homeland, the beautifully tragic Juno and the Paycock.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Once" at the Orpheum Theatre

I've taken some pretty incredible trips, but one of the most memorable was my hiking adventure in Ireland almost ten years ago. It was my idea of a perfect vacation - days wandering through the rugged beauty of the Irish countryside, and evenings drinking Guinness and listening to music in small pubs. One of my favorite memories is of one evening in the tiny town of Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula, sitting in a crowded pub that seemed to hold every resident of the village, with everyone from the busboy to my fellow hikers trading songs. Because in Ireland, everyone is a musician. The musical Once (based on the 2007 indie movie of the same name, featuring music composed by its stars, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) brings a small taste of that spirit to the Broadway (touring) stage. The stage is set up as an Irish pub, with audience members allowed on stage before the show and during intermission, where you can listen to music and even drink a Guinness (through a straw - OK that part's not authentically Irish). The musical Once is a refreshingly different type of Broadway musical (I actually think it's more like a play with music*), in that the music is more folky that Broadway scores normally are, with music performed by the cast, all of whom play one or more instruments. This eight-time Tony winner is a sweet, simple, soulful love story fueled by the raw power of Glen Hansard's music.

I should also mention that Once is one of my favorite movies, and that Glen Hansard, whose music I first heard in that movie, has become my favorite musician (check out his brilliant first solo album Rhythm and Repose, released in 2012). Which on one hand makes me predisposed to love the musical Once, but on the other hand makes me critical of the adaptation and what has been changed from the beloved original, although I try to view the movie and the musical as two separate entities created for two very different artforms. When I saw it on Broadway two years ago,** I wrote: "The musical is different from the film; where the film is subtle and internal with much left unspoken, the music is more cutesy and external with things more obviously spelled out (sometimes literally). But the film is so sparse that I suppose they have to fill it out for a live audience. I think it's quite successful and well done; the magic of Once is retained on stage, if in a slightly different form." The first national tour, currently stopping at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, features a different cast but that same undeniable magic.

The general plot of Once, both film and musical, is this: a street musician who works at his dad's vacuum repair shop has recently gone through a bad breakup and is disenchanted with life. He meets a young Czech immigrant woman who's full of life and encourages him to make music and get his girl back. In the movie, this encouragement is more subtle, but in the stage musical the girl is relentless in convincing the guy to move on (the characters have no names). They record a demo together of the guy's songs, and forge a deep and intimate connection through the music they make. But what I love about the movie, that thankfully they've kept in the musical, is that these are two people who meet and have an intense connection that profoundly changes the direction of each of their lives, and then they continue on different paths. In a Hollywood movie, they would end up together, but this seems much more real and poignant somehow. It's a true love story, but one that you don't often see on screen or stage. This quote by Albert Schweitzer reminds me of this show: "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." That's what these two people did - rekindle each other's inner spirit.

As the guy, Stuart Ward has big shoes to fill - both those of Glen Hansard and Steve Kazee, who won a Tony for the role. And fill them he does, although in a different style than either of these predecessors. He possesses a gorgeous voice, more musical theater than folk-rock, a moody intensity, and great stage charisma. The character of the girl changed so much from movie to stage that all thoughts of Marketa Irglova are gone, but Cristin Milioti (aka the surprisingly short-lived "Mother") left a great impression. Dani DeWaal fills those shoes nicely in the quite tricky role of the girl, charming and sweet but not too perky. And when Stuart and Dani sing together, as on the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly," it's wondrous. The two are well supported and enhanced by ten wonderful actor/singer/musicians (and one adorable little girl). Standouts include Evan Harrington as the good-natured but tough music store owner, Donna Garner as the girl's strong and supportive mother, Raymond Bokhour as the guy's sweet Da, and Matt DeAngelis, providing comic relief and powerful percussion as Svec (you know you're a true musical theater geek when you recognize touring cast members, as I did Matt; I clearly remember him as Woof in another musical obsession of mine, Hair, and in American Idiot).

As I mentioned, the set is a pub that never changes, with tables and chairs brought out to represent different settings. Through it all, most of the cast remains on stage, watching from the sidelines. Dingy mirrors surround the stage and offer other angles of the action. The movement and choreography is so beautiful, subtle and organic. There are no typical "dance numbers," just characters moving organically as the music moves them. Even the scene changes are beautifully and elegantly carried out, as not a moment is wasted.

The eight-time Tony winning musical Once is only in town for a week. Although the weather outside is atrocious, if you can make it through the snow to the Orpheum Theatre, I promise you will be rewarded with warmth, music, Guinness, and a lovely and unique evening of music-theater. (Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.)



* My two criteria for differentiating a "musical" from a "play with music" are this: 1) in a musical, characters sing in character, and 2) in a musical, songs move the plot along, so that if you removed the songs, the plot would no longer make sense. In a play with music, removing the songs does not change the plot, although it will diminish the effectiveness and impact of the piece. In Once, all of the songs are sung in context (street musician, open mic at a pub, a recording session), characters don't break into a song and sing their thoughts and feelings. Hence I believe it's a play with music. The Tony eligibility committee obviously disagreed with me.
** Yes, I plagiarized myself again. You may call it lazy, I call it being efficient.  ;)

2012 Tony Nominations

The 2012 Tony Award Nominations were announced on May 1. I have a few opinions about who I'd like to see take home the trophies since I've seen five of the eligible shows on my trips to NYC last fall and this spring (plus one right here in Minneapolis!):

• Follies
• End of the Rainbow (at the Guthrie immediately before the current Broadway run)
• Once
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess

Here are the nominations along with a few thoughts about the nominees (update: winners are bolded).


Total Wins:
Once - 8
Peter and the Starcatcher - 5
Newsies - 2
Nice Work If You Can Get It - 2
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman - 2
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - 2
Follies - 1
One Man, Two Guvnors - 1
Other Desert Cities - 1
Clybourne Park - 1
Venus in Fur - 1

Best Play 
Clybourne Park (Bruce Norris)

Other Desert Cities (Jon Robin Baitz)
Peter and the Starcatcher (Rick Elice)
Venus in Fur (David Ives)

I almost saw Venis in Fur this spring, but unfortunately I didn't quite get there. So I can't really comment on this category, other than I look forward to seeing the first two shows at the Guthrie next season (I just renewed my subscription).

Best Musical
Leap of Faith
Newsies
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Once

First, let me express my sadness that three of these "new musicals" are movie adaptations, and the fourth is a new story with no original music (Nice Work If You Can Get It features the music of George and Ira Gershwin). Such is the state of Broadway today - very few new original musicals (fortunately they still exist Off-Broadway). That being said, I saw Once and loved it, and would be happy to see it win. Yes it's the dreaded movie adaptation, but it's a quiet, simple movie about music that lends itself well to the stage. They were able to stay true to the spirit of this lovely story and music, while making it an entirely (well, mostly) new creation.

Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Master Class
Wit

I was interested in seeing Death of a Salesman because of its star (more about him later), but musicals always call to me more than plays when I have a limited time in NYC. So I can't really comment on this (other than I'm pleased to see that the unintentionally comedic production of A Streetcar Named Desire did not receive a nomination).

Best Revival of a Musical
Evita
Follies
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

I was lucky enough to see both Follies and The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and both are spectacular revivals. Follies, by the great Stephen Sondheim, was first on Broadway in 1971, and this revival is a gorgeous production (after a limited run on Broadway, it's currently playing in L.A.), featuring beautiful music, an amazing cast of Broadway vets, and fantastic costumes.  Porgy and Bess is a new version of the classic 1935 opera, a gripping story about the African-American residents of fictional "Catfish Row" in South Carolina. If I had to choose between these two, I'd choose Porgy and Bess, but possibly only because it's fresher in my mind.

Best Book of a Musical

Lysistrata Jones (Douglas Carter Beane)

Newsies (Harvey Fierstein)

Nice Work If You Can Get It (Joe DiPietro)

Once (Enda Walsh)

Once again I'd vote for Once, the only one I saw. But really, Irish playwright Enda Walsh did a wonderful job of filling in the sparse movie and making it into a full-length musical. While I might have preferred the simplicity and subtlety of the film, I recognize that that kind of silence doesn't translate well to the stage, and I'm not sure it could have been done better.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bonnie & Clyde (Music: Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics: Don Black)

Newsies (Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Jack Feldman)

One Man, Two Guvnors (Music & Lyrics: Grant Olding)

Peter and the Starcatcher (Music: Wayne Barker, Lyrics: Rick Elice)

I haven't heard any of these scores so I can't comment, other than it's interesting to note that the latter two are classified as plays with music, rather than musicals. And I'm surprised that Newsies qualifies as "original" score since it features music from the movie, but I guess they included enough original songs to qualify.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Frank Langella, Man and Boy
John Lithgow, The Columnist

Again, I haven't seen any of these performances so I can't comment, other than to say that Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my favorite movie actors who also happens to be an accomplished theater actor (this is his third Tony nominations), so I wouldn't mind seeing him win.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
Linda Lavin, The Lyons
Cynthia Nixon, Wit

I think Tracie Bennett is the surest bet to win a Tony this year. Granted I haven't seen any of the other performances, but her portrayal of the great Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow is genius. And I don't know how the Tony voters could resist giving the award to the woman who brought this icon to life. I heard Tracie speak in a post-show discussion at the Guthrie, and she's been very involved in the creation of this piece and this character for ten years, so it would be nice to see that sort of passion and dedication rewarded.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Follies
Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
Steve Kazee, Once
Norm Lewis, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines, Follies

Oh, this is a tough one! I've seen four of these performances, and heard nothing but rave reviews for the one I haven't seen. Ron and Danny were both wonderful in Follies, but of the two Danny is my favorite (I also saw him a few years ago singing "Nothing Like a Dame" in South Pacific at Lincoln Center). Steve is also wonderful, bringing a quietness and depth to his role of that guy in Once (even if, or maybe because, he's so different from my darling Glen). But if forced to choose, I'd give the Tony to Norm Lewis, who so completely embodied (physically and emotionally) the "crippled," big-hearted Porgy.

with Norm Lewis (Porgy in Porgy and Bess)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Jan Maxwell, Follies
Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Cristin Milioti, Once
Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde

First of all - no Bernadette? But aside from that, I have to go with Audra, because she's Audra, and her Bess is so complex and layered, sympathetic while making mistakes. And that voice, come on! Let's just give her her fifth Tony.  (And a big congratulations to Minnesota's own Laura Osnes on her first Tony nomination and her successful Broadway career!)

with Audra McDonald (Bess in Porgy and Bess)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
Andrew Garfield, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park

I've only seen one of these performances, but Michael Cumpsty is sweet and charming as Judy's pianist in End of the Rainbow, who tries to save her from herself, so I'll go with him.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Linda Emond, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad, Stick Fly

No comment (but I think Judith is fabulous).

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris, Evita
David Alan Grier, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar

Can I write in Joshua Henry in Porgy and Bess? No? Then I'll vote for David Alan Grier, who is pretty spectacular too. Oh wait, Phillip Boykin is so imposing as the evil Crown that he received a few boos at the curtain call, which prompted him to smile and curtsy. He was super sweet and friendly at the stage door, so unlike his character. I change my vote to Phillip.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Elizabeth A. Davis, Once
Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jessie Mueller, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost the Musical

The Follies cast included so many amazing veteran Broadway actresses in featured roles, each getting the chance to sing one fabulous song, that I'd give the award to Jayne Houdyshell's "Broadway Baby" as a representative of them all.

Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, Other Desert Cities
Daniel Ostling, Clybourne Park
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

No comment.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Once
Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll, Ghost the Musical
Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel, Newsies
George Tsypin, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark

Let's give it to Once's Irish pub. Other than the fact that they don't serve Guinness, it feels like an inviting place to have a pint, listen to some music, and watch this lovely story unfold.

Best Costume Design of a Play
William Ivey Long, Don’t Dress for Dinner
Paul Tazewell, A Streetcar Named Desire
Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

No comment.

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Follies
ESosa, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Eiko Ishioka, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark
Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It

For the amazing headdresses alone, Follies deserves the Tony. Not to mention the costumes of the Follies girls, the party-goers, and the slightly faded clothing of the past versions of the characters that haunt the place.

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher
Peter Kaczorowski, The Road to Mecca
Brian MacDevitt, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Kenneth Posner, Other Desert Cities

No comment.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Christopher Akerlind, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Natasha Katz, Follies
Natasha Katz, Once
Hugh Vanstone, Ghost the Musical

I usually don't really notice lighting, but in this case, I think the lighting in Follies plays a pivotal role in differentiating the past and present, both of which appear onstage at the same time. It's like you're watching a living memory, in addition to the very real present.

Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, One Man, Two Guvnors
Scott Lehrer, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Gareth Owen, End of the Rainbow
Darron L. West, Peter and the Starcatcher

No comment.

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Clive Goodwin, Once
Kai Harada, Follies
Brian Ronan, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Again, not something I usually pay attention to (maybe this is one of those things one only notices when it's bad, not when it's good), but the sound design of Follies also helped differentiate the past from the present characters. Just a slightly muffled quality that hinted you were hearing echos of the past.

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

I realize this isn't really fair because I only saw one of the nominees (again), but the choreography in Once is so different from a typical musical: graceful, organic movements, rather than show-stopping numbers, that incorporate even the scene changes.

Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
Mike Nichols, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher

No comment.

Best Direction of a Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
John Tiffany, Once

I'm going to give my vote to Diane Paulus for Porgy and Bess; she brought this classic to life in a fresh way. It's unbelievable to think that this piece was written over 75 years ago, and is still so real and moving.

Best Orchestrations
William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Martin Lowe, Once
Danny Troob, Newsies

I was lucky enough to sit three rows behind the pit orchestra at Porgy and Bess (thanks TKTS!), and the sound was so lush and gorgeous, full and rich. Everything musical theater music should be.

That's it! Please let me know your thoughts. I'll be back to update once the awards are presented on June 10. But I won't be watching live as I have theater tickets that night. What better way to celebrate theater than to go to a show?!

"Once" at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway

The soundtrack to the 2006 Irish movie Once, featuring music by Irish musician Glen Hansard of the band The Frames and Czech musician Marketa Irglova, is my favorite movie soundtrack.  It literally has not left my car CD player in the last five or so years.  I also love their CD Strict Joy, released under the name Swell Season, and am eagerly awaiting the June release of Glen's first solo CD, Rhythm and Repose.  I've seen them perform live several times and they're amazing musicians.  Glen in particular is one of the most passionate musicians I've ever seen live, and I'll continue to go see him whenever he's in town.  So it was with much excitement and trepidation when I heard that there was going to be a stage musical version of the film.  I love the story and the music, but would they be able to translate the magic of the film to the stage without ruining a good thing?  The reviews were pretty good, but I had to see it for myself (hence this trip to NYC).  Good news: I loved it almost as much as the original.  The musical is different from the film; where the film is subtle and internal with much left unspoken, the music is more cutesy and external with things more obviously spelled out (sometimes literally).  But the film is so sparse that I suppose they have to fill it out for a live audience.  I think it's quite successful and well done; the magic of Once is retained on stage, if in a slightly different form.

The general plot of Once, both film and musical, is this: a street musician who works at his dad's vacuum repair shop has recently gone through a bad breakup and is disenchanted with life.  He meets a young Czech immigrant woman who's full of life and encourages him to make music and get his girl back.  In the movie, this encouragement is more subtle, but in the stage musical the girl is relentless in convincing the guy to move on (the characters have no names).  This sort of perkiness could be annoying, but in the hands of Cristin Milioti it's quite charming and irresistible.  She walks the fine line of being sweet and quirky without being cloying.  Steve Kazee as the guy is no Glen Hansard, but he may be the next best thing.  His voice is smoother than Glen's, more musical theater than folk-rock, but by the time he finished the first song, the raw and heart-wrenching "Leave," he had won me over.  He effectively played the heartache of the character and his slow coming back to life through the interaction with this girl and the music they make together.  What I love about the movie, that thankfully they've kept in the musical, is that these are two people who meet and have an intense connection that profoundly changes the direction of each of their lives, and then they continue on different paths.  In a Hollywood movie, they would end up together, but this seems much more real and poignant somehow.  It's a true love story, but one that you don't often see on screen or stage.  I ran across a quote by Albert Schweitzer that reminds me of this show: "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."  That's what these two people did - rekindle each other's inner spirit.

The two strong leads are surrounded by 11 talented musician/actors (one of whom is an adorable little girl) who play instruments (fiddle, guitar, drums, etc.), sing, act out several roles, and generally contribute to the atmosphere of Irishness.  Standouts in the cast include the impressively bearded Paul Whitty as the owner of the music store who's smitten with and protective of the girl, and David Patrick Kelly (of Twin Peaks fame) as the guy's stoic but supportive father.  But really they're all wonderful musicians and actors.  When not involved in the action, they sit around the edge of the stage, which is made up to look like an Irish pub (from which you can buy overpriced drinks before the show, although sadly they do not have Guinness, which is how you know it's not a real Irish pub).  The scene transitions are interesting and graceful, with the pub serving as a bank office, the girl's apartment, and the guy's bedroom.  The choreography is sparse and lovely, very organic to the story and characters.  One effect I think they could do without is the surtitles.  At times they display the dialogue in Czech as it supposedly is being spoken by the Czech characters, while we hear them speak English.  Later they display the English translation when the girl is speaking Czech.  It's a little confusing and inconsistant.

the ensemble, Cristin Milioti, and Steve Kazee

This seems an unlikely Broadway musical.  Based on a small indie movie, with obscure Irish references, featuring acoustic folk music (my favorite genre), and no "riding off into the sunset" type of ending, it's not your typical musical.  The songs are incorporated organically; instead of characters breaking out into song as dialogue, they sing in the context of a recording session or at a pub.  It's pushing the boundaries of what music-theater can be, and I love that.  We met most of the cast at the stage door, and they were all very kind and generous with their time (which is usually the case).  They all seem to be aware and grateful that they are involved in something special.  Here's wishing them a long run on Broadway (and maybe they can get some Guinness for the pub ;).  If you're in NYC, it's definitely worth checking out.  And make sure to get there early to enjoy the pre-show entertainment - an authentic Irish pub session featuring the talented musicians in the cast singing traditional songs.